diff --git a/easybuild/easyblocks/a/armadillo.py b/easybuild/easyblocks/a/armadillo.py
index 60b0744ffc8..dc52d9d0205 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyblocks/a/armadillo.py
+++ b/easybuild/easyblocks/a/armadillo.py
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ def configure_step(self):
         self.cfg.update('configopts', '-DBLAS_LIBRARY:PATH="%s"' % os.getenv('LIBBLAS'))
         self.cfg.update('configopts', '-DLAPACK_LIBRARY:PATH="%s"' % os.getenv('LIBLAPACK'))
 
+        # enable out-of-source build (until it becomes the default)
+        self.cfg['separate_build_dir'] = True
+
         super(EB_Armadillo, self).configure_step()
 
     def sanity_check_step(self):
diff --git a/easybuild/easyblocks/b/bamtools.py b/easybuild/easyblocks/b/bamtools.py
index b797f1fa5ad..0e2af6bae50 100755
--- a/easybuild/easyblocks/b/bamtools.py
+++ b/easybuild/easyblocks/b/bamtools.py
@@ -42,14 +42,8 @@ class EB_BamTools(MakeCp, CMakeMake):
 
     def configure_step(self):
         """Configure BamTools build."""
-        # BamTools requires an out of source build.
-        builddir = os.path.join(self.cfg['start_dir'], 'build')
-        try:
-            mkdir(builddir)
-            os.chdir(builddir)
-        except OSError, err:
-            raise EasyBuildError("Failed to move to %s: %s", builddir, err)
-
+        # BamTools requires an out of source build, so enable it (until it becomes the default)
+        self.cfg['separate_build_dir'] = True
         CMakeMake.configure_step(self, srcdir='..')
 
     def sanity_check_step(self):
diff --git a/easybuild/easyblocks/c/cgal.py b/easybuild/easyblocks/c/cgal.py
index a8ceb50967e..c7a139c9801 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyblocks/c/cgal.py
+++ b/easybuild/easyblocks/c/cgal.py
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ def configure_step(self):
 
         os.environ['BOOST_ROOT'] = get_software_root("Boost")
 
+        # enable out-of-source build (until it becomes the default)
+        self.cfg['separate_build_dir'] = True
+
         super(EB_CGAL, self).configure_step()
 
     def sanity_check_step(self):
diff --git a/easybuild/easyblocks/c/clang.py b/easybuild/easyblocks/c/clang.py
index 479d3887ad5..87be3344ab6 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyblocks/c/clang.py
+++ b/easybuild/easyblocks/c/clang.py
@@ -194,6 +194,9 @@ def configure_step(self):
         if self.cfg['parallel']:
             self.make_parallel_opts = "-j %s" % self.cfg['parallel']
 
+        # disable regular out-of-source build, too simplistic for Clang to work
+        self.cfg['separate_build_dir'] = False
+
         self.log.info("Configuring")
         super(EB_Clang, self).configure_step(srcdir=self.llvm_src_dir)
 
diff --git a/easybuild/easyblocks/g/gate.py b/easybuild/easyblocks/g/gate.py
index edf3e489d14..69c461c620c 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyblocks/g/gate.py
+++ b/easybuild/easyblocks/g/gate.py
@@ -68,6 +68,10 @@ def configure_step(self):
         """Custom configure procedure for GATE: CMake for versions 6.2 or more recent."""
 
         if LooseVersion(self.version) >= '6.2':
+
+            # enable out-of-source build (until it becomes the default)
+            self.cfg['separate_build_dir'] = True
+
             super(EB_GATE, self).configure_step()
 
     def build_step(self):
diff --git a/easybuild/easyblocks/g/geant4.py b/easybuild/easyblocks/g/geant4.py
index 588fc9b592c..a2e92987784 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyblocks/g/geant4.py
+++ b/easybuild/easyblocks/g/geant4.py
@@ -79,9 +79,10 @@ def configure_step(self):
 
         # Geant4 switched to a CMake build system in version 9.4
         if LooseVersion(self.version) >= LooseVersion("9.4"):
-            mkdir('configdir')
-            os.chdir('configdir')
-            super(EB_Geant4, self).configure_step(srcdir="..")
+            # enable out-of-source build
+            self.cfg['separate_build_dir'] = True
+
+            super(EB_Geant4, self).configure_step()
 
         else:
             pwd = self.cfg['start_dir']
diff --git a/easybuild/easyblocks/g/gromacs.py b/easybuild/easyblocks/g/gromacs.py
index f1f72947414..0e1249c5a9f 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyblocks/g/gromacs.py
+++ b/easybuild/easyblocks/g/gromacs.py
@@ -112,6 +112,9 @@ def configure_step(self):
             else:
                 self.cfg.update('configopts', "-DGMX_GSL=OFF")
 
+        # enable out-of-source build (until it becomes the default)
+        self.cfg['separate_build_dir'] = True
+
         # complete configuration with configure_method of parent
         out = super(EB_GROMACS, self).configure_step()
 
diff --git a/easybuild/easyblocks/generic/cmakemake.py b/easybuild/easyblocks/generic/cmakemake.py
index 5953650df75..9d16da873f5 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyblocks/generic/cmakemake.py
+++ b/easybuild/easyblocks/generic/cmakemake.py
@@ -47,12 +47,15 @@ class CMakeMake(ConfigureMake):
     @staticmethod
     def extra_options(extra_vars=None):
         """Define extra easyconfig parameters specific to CMakeMake."""
-        extra_vars = ConfigureMake.extra_options(extra_vars)
-        extra_vars.update({
+        extra = {
             'srcdir': [None, "Source directory location to provide to cmake command", CUSTOM],
-            'separate_build_dir': [False, "Perform build in a separate directory", CUSTOM],
-        })
-        return extra_vars
+            'separate_build_dir': [None, "Perform build in a separate directory", CUSTOM],
+        }
+
+        if extra_vars is not None:
+            extra.update(extra_vars)
+
+        return ConfigureMake.extra_options(extra)
 
     def configure_step(self, srcdir=None, builddir=None):
         """Configure build using cmake"""
@@ -67,7 +70,14 @@ def configure_step(self, srcdir=None, builddir=None):
         setvar("CMAKE_LIBRARY_PATH", library_paths)
 
         default_srcdir = '.'
-        if self.cfg.get('separate_build_dir', False):
+
+        separate_build_dir = self.cfg['separate_build_dir']
+        if self.cfg['separate_build_dir'] is None:
+            msg = "Easyconfig parameter 'separate_build_dir' (custom to CMakeMake easyblock) has not set explicitely "
+            msg += "to True or False; default value in the future will be True"
+            self.log.deprecated(msg, '3.0')
+
+        if separate_build_dir:
             objdir = os.path.join(self.builddir, 'easybuild_obj')
             try:
                 os.mkdir(objdir)
diff --git a/easybuild/easyblocks/generic/cmakepythonpackage.py b/easybuild/easyblocks/generic/cmakepythonpackage.py
index 6a83197b3c9..d33b8840e87 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyblocks/generic/cmakepythonpackage.py
+++ b/easybuild/easyblocks/generic/cmakepythonpackage.py
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ def configure_step(self, *args, **kwargs):
 
         PythonPackage.configure_step(self, *args, **kwargs)
 
+        # enable out-of-source build (until it becomes the default)
+        self.cfg['separate_build_dir'] = True
+
         return CMakeMake.configure_step(self, *args, **kwargs)
 
     def build_step(self, *args, **kwargs):
diff --git a/easybuild/easyblocks/n/netcdf.py b/easybuild/easyblocks/n/netcdf.py
index a244bd43ad4..89eed8916e2 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyblocks/n/netcdf.py
+++ b/easybuild/easyblocks/n/netcdf.py
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@ def configure_step(self):
             if hdf5:
                 env.setvar('HDF5_ROOT', hdf5)
 
+            # enable out-of-source build (until it becomes the default)
+            self.cfg['separate_build_dir'] = True
+
             CMakeMake.configure_step(self)
 
     def sanity_check_step(self):
diff --git a/easybuild/easyblocks/o/openbabel.py b/easybuild/easyblocks/o/openbabel.py
index f28a5bb4afa..abad647f5dd 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyblocks/o/openbabel.py
+++ b/easybuild/easyblocks/o/openbabel.py
@@ -36,8 +36,7 @@ class EB_OpenBabel(CMakeMake):
     """Support for installing the OpenBabel package."""
 
     def configure_step(self):
-        # Use separate build directory
-        self.cfg['separate_build_dir'] = True
+        """Custom configure procedure for OpenBabel."""
 
         self.cfg['configopts'] += "-DENABLE_TESTS=ON "
         # Needs wxWidgets
@@ -60,6 +59,9 @@ def configure_step(self):
         else:
             self.log.info("Not using Eigen")
 
+        # enable out-of-source build
+        self.cfg['separate_build_dir'] = True
+
         super(EB_OpenBabel, self).configure_step()
 
     def sanity_check_step(self):
diff --git a/easybuild/easyblocks/p/psi.py b/easybuild/easyblocks/p/psi.py
index b9fd2bf934f..ab56c6c98a4 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyblocks/p/psi.py
+++ b/easybuild/easyblocks/p/psi.py
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
     @staticmethod
     def extra_options():
         """Extra easyconfig parameters specific to PSI."""
-
         extra_vars = {
             # always include running PSI unit tests (takes about 2h or less)
             'runtest': ["tests TESTFLAGS='-u -q'", "Run tests included with PSI, without interruption.", BUILD],
@@ -144,6 +143,8 @@ def configure_step(self):
             if get_software_root('impi'):
                 self.cfg['configopts'] += "-DENABLE_CSR=ON -DBLAS_TYPE=MKL "
 
+            # make sure out-of-source build is disabled (already done here)
+            self.cfg['separate_build_dir'] = False
             CMakeMake.configure_step(self, srcdir=self.cfg['start_dir'])
 
     def install_step(self):
diff --git a/easybuild/easyblocks/t/trilinos.py b/easybuild/easyblocks/t/trilinos.py
index c29881c982b..16d088602e2 100644
--- a/easybuild/easyblocks/t/trilinos.py
+++ b/easybuild/easyblocks/t/trilinos.py
@@ -201,13 +201,8 @@ def configure_step(self):
             for ext in skip_exts:
                 self.cfg.update('configopts', "-DTrilinos_ENABLE_%s:BOOL=OFF" % ext)
 
-        # building in source dir not supported
-        try:
-            build_dir = "BUILD"
-            os.mkdir(build_dir)
-            os.chdir(build_dir)
-        except OSError, err:
-            raise EasyBuildError("Failed to create and move into build directory: %s", err)
+        # building in source dir not supported, so enable out-of-source build (until it becomes the default)
+        self.cfg['separate_build_dir'] = True
 
         # configure using cmake
         super(EB_Trilinos, self).configure_step(srcdir="..")