diff --git a/drake/automotive/README.md b/drake/automotive/README.md
index 997e4e23de3d..4eaac4a4f43d 100644
--- a/drake/automotive/README.md
+++ b/drake/automotive/README.md
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ To run `car_sim_lcm`, open a new terminal and execute the following commands:
 ```
 $ cd drake-distro
 $ bazel build drake/automotive:demo drake/automotive:car_sim_lcm
-$ bazel-bin/external/drake_visualizer/drake-visualizer &
+$ bazel-bin/tools/drake_visualizer &
 $ bazel-bin/drake/automotive/steering_command_driver &
 $ bazel run drake/automotive:car_sim_lcm
 ```
diff --git a/drake/systems/sensors/test/accelerometer_test/README.md b/drake/systems/sensors/test/accelerometer_test/README.md
index 2284bffdd4e0..b525302f7e17 100644
--- a/drake/systems/sensors/test/accelerometer_test/README.md
+++ b/drake/systems/sensors/test/accelerometer_test/README.md
@@ -9,5 +9,6 @@ To run a demo of an accelerometer attached to a pendulum:
 # When building Drake using Bazel
 
     cd drake-distro
-    bazel-bin/external/drake_visualizer/drake-visualizer &
+    bazel build //tools:drake_visualizer
+    bazel-bin/tools/drake_visualizer &
     bazel run -- //drake/systems/sensors:accelerometer_example --initial_q=1.57 --initial_v=0
diff --git a/tools/drake_visualizer_linux.sh b/tools/drake_visualizer_linux.sh
index dda7f92f5c60..fea6563a3553 100755
--- a/tools/drake_visualizer_linux.sh
+++ b/tools/drake_visualizer_linux.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,19 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+set -e
+
+# If we are outside the sandbox, then change to the same relative directory as
+# we would be inside the sandbox.
+if ! [ -d "external/director" ]; then
+    guess_runfiles=$(dirname "$0")/drake_visualizer.runfiles/drake
+    if [ -d "$guess_runfiles/external/director" ]; then
+        cd "$guess_runfiles"
+    else
+        echo "$(basename $0) error: could not find director" 1>&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
+fi
+
 export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="external/director/lib:external/vtk/lib${LD_LIBRARY_PATH:+:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH}"
 export PYTHONPATH="external/director/lib/python2.7/dist-packages:external/vtk/lib/python2.7/site-packages${PYTHONPATH:+:$PYTHONPATH}"