diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 46b32dc1a..046630981 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 /lib/
 /db/
 /dbd/
+/doc/
 /html/
 /include/
 /templates/
diff --git a/configure/CONFIG_COMMON b/configure/CONFIG_COMMON
index 2595231f4..1b3d01233 100644
--- a/configure/CONFIG_COMMON
+++ b/configure/CONFIG_COMMON
@@ -486,4 +486,9 @@ COMMON_INC += $(filter $(COMMON_DIR)/%, \
             $(foreach dir, $(ALL_SRC_DIRS), \
                 $(addsuffix /$(file), $(dir)))) $(COMMON_DIR)/$(file))))
 
+COMMON_DOCS += $(filter $(COMMON_DIR)/%, \
+    $(foreach file, $(DOCS), \
+        $(firstword $(wildcard $(file) \
+            $(foreach dir, $(ALL_SRC_DIRS), \
+                $(addsuffix /$(file), $(dir)))) $(COMMON_DIR)/$(file))))
 endif
diff --git a/configure/RULES.Db b/configure/RULES.Db
index f08af423d..4a984f8c3 100644
--- a/configure/RULES.Db
+++ b/configure/RULES.Db
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ endif
 # build dependancies, clean rule
 
 inc: $(COMMON_INC) $(INSTALL_INC) $(COMMON_DBDS) $(COMMON_DBDCATS) \
-	$(INSTALL_DBDS) $(INSTALL_DBD_INSTALLS)
+	$(INSTALL_DBDS) $(INSTALL_DBD_INSTALLS) $(COMMON_DOCS)
 
 build: $(COMMON_DBS) $(INSTALL_DBS) \
 	$(DBDDEPENDS_FILES) $(TARGETS) \
@@ -427,6 +427,26 @@ $(foreach file, $(DBD_INSTALLS), $(eval $(call DBD_INSTALLS_template, $(file))))
 
 .PRECIOUS: $(COMMON_DBDS) $(COMMON_DIR)/%.dbd
 
+#---------------------------------------------------------------
+# Markdown files
+
+$(COMMON_DIR)/%.md: %.dbd.pod $(DBDTOMD_pl)
+	@$(RM) $(notdir $@)
+	$(DBDTOMD) $(DBDFLAGS) -o $(notdir $@) $<
+	@$(MV) $(notdir $@) $@
+
+$(COMMON_DIR)/%.md: %.pod $(PODTOMD_pl)
+	@$(RM) $(notdir $@)
+	$(PODTOMD) -o $(notdir $@) $<
+	@$(MV) $(notdir $@) $@
+
+$(COMMON_DIR)/%.md: ../%.pl $(PODTOMD_pl)
+	@$(RM) $(notdir $@)
+	$(PODTOMD) -o $(notdir $@) $<
+	@$(MV) $(notdir $@) $@
+
+.PRECIOUS: $(COMMON_DIR)/%.md
+
 #---------------------------------------------------------------
 # HTML files
 
diff --git a/configure/RULES_BUILD b/configure/RULES_BUILD
index cbfaae99d..e38bbcf08 100644
--- a/configure/RULES_BUILD
+++ b/configure/RULES_BUILD
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ vpath %.cpp $(USR_VPATH) $(ALL_SRC_DIRS)
 vpath %.rc $(USR_VPATH) $(ALL_SRC_DIRS)
 vpath %.h $(USR_VPATH) $(ALL_SRC_DIRS)
 vpath %.hpp $(USR_VPATH) $(ALL_SRC_DIRS)
-vpath %.html $(USR_VPATH) $(ALL_SRC_DIRS)
+vpath %.html $(USR_VPATH) $(ALL_SRC_DIRS) $(COMMON_DIR)
+vpath %.md $(USR_VPATH) $(ALL_SRC_DIRS) $(COMMON_DIR)
 vpath %.skel.static $(USR_VPATH) $(ALL_SRC_DIRS)
 vpath %.y $(USR_VPATH) $(ALL_SRC_DIRS)
 vpath %.l $(USR_VPATH) $(ALL_SRC_DIRS)
@@ -111,7 +112,7 @@ endif
 #---------------------------------------------------------------
 # Read dependency files
 
-ifneq (inc,$(strip $(MAKECMDGOALS)))
+ifneq ($(filter-out inc,$(strip $(MAKECMDGOALS))),)
 ifneq (,$(strip $(HDEPENDS_FILES)))
 $(filter-out $(wildcard *$(DEP)), $(HDEPENDS_FILES)): | $(COMMON_INC)
 -include $(HDEPENDS_FILES)
@@ -165,12 +166,12 @@ build: $(OBJSNAME) $(LIBTARGETS) $(PRODTARGETS) $(TESTPRODTARGETS) \
 	$(TARGETS) $(TESTSCRIPTS) $(INSTALL_LIB_INSTALLS)
 
 inc: $(COMMON_INC) $(INSTALL_INC) $(INSTALL_CONFIGS) $(INSTALLS_CFG) \
-	$(INSTALL_HTMLS) $(INSTALLS_PERL_MODULES) $(INSTALL_SCRIPTS)
+	$(INSTALL_HTMLS) $(INSTALLS_PERL_MODULES) $(INSTALL_SCRIPTS) \
+	$(INSTALL_DOCS)
 
 buildInstall: \
 	$(INSTALL_PROD) $(INSTALL_MUNCHS) \
 	$(INSTALL_TCLLIBS) $(INSTALL_TCLINDEX) \
-	$(INSTALL_DOCS) \
 	$(INSTALL_OBJS) \
 	$(INSTALL_TEMPLATE) \
 	$(INSTALL_BIN_INSTALLS)
@@ -555,6 +556,10 @@ $(INSTALL_INCLUDE)/compiler/$(CMPLR_CLASS)/%: %
 	$(ECHO) "Installing compiler dependent include file $@"
 	@$(INSTALL) -d -m $(INSTALL_PERMISSIONS) $< $(@D)
 
+$(INSTALL_DOC)/%: $(COMMON_DIR)/%
+	$(ECHO) "Installing generated doc $@"
+	@$(INSTALL) -d -m $(INSTALL_PERMISSIONS) $< $(@D)
+
 $(INSTALL_DOC)/%: %
 	$(ECHO) "Installing doc $@"
 	@$(INSTALL) -d -m $(INSTALL_PERMISSIONS) $< $(INSTALL_DOC)
diff --git a/modules/ca/src/perl/Makefile b/modules/ca/src/perl/Makefile
index 05500ad05..98eaedc93 100644
--- a/modules/ca/src/perl/Makefile
+++ b/modules/ca/src/perl/Makefile
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ ifeq ($(wildcard $(PERL_h)),)
 endif
 endif
 
-ifneq (inc,$(strip $(MAKECMDGOALS)))
+ifneq ($(filter-out inc,$(strip $(MAKECMDGOALS))),)
 ifeq ($(T_A),$(EPICS_HOST_ARCH))                 # No cross-builds (wrong Perl!)
 ifeq ($(strip $(XSUBPP)),)
   $(warning Perl's xsubpp program was not found.)
diff --git a/modules/database/src/ioc/bpt/Makefile b/modules/database/src/ioc/bpt/Makefile
index a383d0864..9aed0f690 100644
--- a/modules/database/src/ioc/bpt/Makefile
+++ b/modules/database/src/ioc/bpt/Makefile
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ BPT_DBD += bptTypeJdegF.dbd
 BPT_DBD += bptTypeKdegC.dbd
 BPT_DBD += bptTypeKdegF.dbd
 
-ifneq (inc,$(strip $(MAKECMDGOALS)))
+ifneq ($(filter-out inc,$(strip $(MAKECMDGOALS))),)
 DBD += $(BPT_DBD)
 endif
 
diff --git a/modules/database/test/std/rec/Makefile b/modules/database/test/std/rec/Makefile
index a717b769e..ebc4ac3d0 100644
--- a/modules/database/test/std/rec/Makefile
+++ b/modules/database/test/std/rec/Makefile
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@ dbRecStdTest_LIBS += dbRecStd dbCore ca Com
 PROD_LIBS = dbRecStdTest dbRecStd dbCore ca Com
 
 TARGETS += $(COMMON_DIR)/recTestIoc.dbd
+ifneq (inc,$(strip $(MAKECMDGOALS)))
 DBDDEPENDS_FILES += recTestIoc.dbd$(DEP)
+endif
 recTestIoc_DBD = base.dbd
 recTestIoc_DBD += bptTypeKdegC.dbd
 recTestIoc_DBD += bptTypeKdegF.dbd
@@ -174,7 +176,9 @@ TESTS += regressTest
 TARGETS += $(COMMON_DIR)/simmTest.dbd
 TARGETS += $(COMMON_DIR)/simmTest.db
 DBDDEPENDS_FILES += simmTest.dbd$(DEP)
+ifneq (inc,$(strip $(MAKECMDGOALS)))
 DBDDEPENDS_FILES += simmTest.db$(DEP)
+endif
 simmTest_DBD += base.dbd
 TESTPROD_HOST += simmTest
 simmTest_SRCS += simmTest.c