diff --git a/third_party/nlbuild-autotools/repo/.default-version b/third_party/nlbuild-autotools/repo/.default-version
index 5577648bd..9494224a9 100644
--- a/third_party/nlbuild-autotools/repo/.default-version
+++ b/third_party/nlbuild-autotools/repo/.default-version
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.6.14
+1.6.16
diff --git a/third_party/nlbuild-autotools/repo/CHANGES b/third_party/nlbuild-autotools/repo/CHANGES
index 3177bd392..c15255c5c 100644
--- a/third_party/nlbuild-autotools/repo/CHANGES
+++ b/third_party/nlbuild-autotools/repo/CHANGES
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+1.6.16 (2020-01-23)
+
+        * Allow absolute paths in PRETTY_FILES.
+
 1.6.15 (2019-12-06)
 
         * Remove redundant libtool m4 libraries.
diff --git a/third_party/nlbuild-autotools/repo/automake/post/rules/pretty.am b/third_party/nlbuild-autotools/repo/automake/post/rules/pretty.am
index 91ee60303..5498a9720 100644
--- a/third_party/nlbuild-autotools/repo/automake/post/rules/pretty.am
+++ b/third_party/nlbuild-autotools/repo/automake/post/rules/pretty.am
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@
 define nl-make-pretty
 $(AM_V_at)for file in $(4); do \
     $(1) \
-    if test -f $${file}; then d=.; else d=$(srcdir); fi; \
-    $(2) $(3) $${d}/$${file} \
+    if test -f $${file}; then d=; else d=$(srcdir)/; fi; \
+    $(2) $(3) $${d}$${file} \
     || exit 1; \
 done
 endef