diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a0cb26d9..c9cb00b7 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -20,3 +20,8 @@ config
 deploy
 
 /bin
+
+# The openapi-gen tool we use to generate OpenAPI types for the CRDs requires the GOPATH be set.
+# We fake it in this directory so that we don't have to require the local environment to have that environment variable
+# set. Let's ignore it so that it doesn't get accidentally committed.
+/.fake-gopath
diff --git a/README.adoc b/README.adoc
index 511fd628..8cc0a8c4 100644
--- a/README.adoc
+++ b/README.adoc
@@ -17,5 +17,4 @@ To re-generate the `zz_generated.deepcopy.go` and `zz_generated.openapi.go` file
 make generate
 ```
 
-IMPORTANT: the codeready-toolchain repositories should be checked out under your GOPATH in order for the generation to generate files in the correct directories. eg. For this repository: `$GOPATH/src/github.com/codeready-toolchain/api`
-NOTE: the `make generate` will generate the CRD files in the local `deploy/crds` directory and then dispatch the `.yaml` files in the `host-operator` and `member-operator` repositories, assuming they have been checked out and that *they are in a clean state*, meaning that they have no pending changes, besides previous versions of the CRD files.
\ No newline at end of file
+NOTE: the `make generate` will generate the CRD files in the local `config/crd/bases` directory and then dispatch the `.yaml` files in the `host-operator` and `member-operator` repositories, assuming they have been checked out and that *they are in a clean state*, meaning that they have no pending changes, besides previous versions of the CRD files.
diff --git a/make/generate.mk b/make/generate.mk
index c0d166fb..10dfd847 100644
--- a/make/generate.mk
+++ b/make/generate.mk
@@ -10,6 +10,18 @@ MEMBER_CLUSTER_CRDS:=useraccounts nstemplatesets memberstatuses idlers toolchain
 
 PATH_TO_CRD_BASES=config/crd/bases
 
+# openapi-gen requires the GOPATH env var be set and the codebase be present within it.
+# Let's not require $GOPATH be set up in the user's environment and the checkout be
+# placed in it.
+# Instead, fake it locally.
+FAKE_GOPATH=$(PROJECT_DIR)/.fake-gopath
+# The root of all codeready-toolchain repos in the GOPATH
+CRT_IN_GOPATH=$(FAKE_GOPATH)/src/github.com/codeready-toolchain
+# This gives the GOPATH as understood by the go compiler even if the env var is not explicitly set.
+# We use this to find the packages that are already downloaded locally to save on the network traffic
+# when persuading openapi-gen that our codebase is checked out under the GOPATH.
+LOCAL_GOPATH=`go env GOPATH`
+
 .PHONY: generate
 ## Generate deepcopy, openapi and CRD files after the API was modified
 generate: generate-deepcopy-and-crds generate-openapi dispatch-crds copy-reg-service-template
@@ -18,15 +30,29 @@ generate: generate-deepcopy-and-crds generate-openapi dispatch-crds copy-reg-ser
 generate-deepcopy-and-crds: remove-config controller-gen
 	@echo "Re-generating the deepcopy go file & the Toolchain CRD files... "
 	$(Q)$(CONTROLLER_GEN) crd \
-	object paths="./..." output:crd:artifacts:config=config/crd/bases
+	object paths="./..." output:crd:artifacts:config=$(PATH_TO_CRD_BASES)
 	
 .PHONY: generate-openapi
 generate-openapi: openapi-gen
 	@echo "re-generating the openapi go file..."
-	$(Q)$(OPENAPI_GEN) --input-dirs ./api/$(API_VERSION)/ \
+	@## First, let's clean up anything that might have been left around...
+	@rm -Rf $(FAKE_GOPATH)
+	mkdir -p $(FAKE_GOPATH)
+	@mkdir -p $(CRT_IN_GOPATH)
+	@## link the packages from the local GOPATH to not have to download them again
+	@if [ -d $(LOCAL_GOPATH)/pkg ]; then cd $(FAKE_GOPATH) && ln -s $(LOCAL_GOPATH)/pkg; fi
+	@## link our codebase to the appropriate place in the fake GOPATH
+	@cd $(CRT_IN_GOPATH) && ln -s ../../../.. api
+	@## run openapi-gen from within the fake GOPATH (otherwise the package paths would be relative
+	@## and function names would be different)
+	GOPATH=$(FAKE_GOPATH) \
+	&& cd $(CRT_IN_GOPATH)/api \
+	&& $(OPENAPI_GEN) --input-dirs ./api/$(API_VERSION)/ \
 	--output-package github.com/codeready-toolchain/api/api/$(API_VERSION) \
 	--output-file-base zz_generated.openapi \
 	--go-header-file=make/go-header.txt
+	@## clean up the mess
+	rm -Rf $(FAKE_GOPATH)
 
 # make sure that that the `host-operator` and `member-operator` repositories exist locally 
 # and that they don't have any pending changes (except for the CRD files).