diff --git a/configure/CONFIG_COMMON b/configure/CONFIG_COMMON
index 316f971d7..123f3b145 100644
--- a/configure/CONFIG_COMMON
+++ b/configure/CONFIG_COMMON
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ GNU_DIR = /usr
 # Directories
 
 INSTALL_LOCATION            = $(TOP)
+INSTALL_ABSOLUTE            = $(abspath $(INSTALL_LOCATION))
 
 INSTALL_LOCATION_LIB        = $(INSTALL_LOCATION)/lib
 INSTALL_LOCATION_BIN        = $(INSTALL_LOCATION)/bin
@@ -71,13 +72,14 @@ INSTALL_DBD                 = $(INSTALL_LOCATION)/dbd
 INSTALL_DB                  = $(INSTALL_LOCATION)/db
 INSTALL_CONFIG              = $(INSTALL_LOCATION)/configure
 
-FINAL_LOCATION = $(shell $(PERL) $(TOOLS)/fullPathName.pl $(INSTALL_LOCATION))
+#-------------------------------------------------------
+# These are default settings that may be overridden later
 
-# Directory for OS independant build created files
-COMMON_DIR = ../O.Common
+# Eventual install path (to be compiled into binaries)
+FINAL_LOCATION              = $(INSTALL_ABSOLUTE)
 
-# IOC's absolute path to $(TOP), may be overridden inside the application
-IOCS_APPL_TOP               = $(shell $(FULLPATHNAME) $(INSTALL_LOCATION))
+# IOC's view of install path
+IOCS_APPL_TOP               = $(INSTALL_ABSOLUTE)
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------
 # Silencing the build - suppress messages during 'make -s'
@@ -153,6 +155,9 @@ CMPLR_SRC_DIRS += . $(foreach dir, .. $(SRC_DIRS), \
 ALL_SRC_DIRS = $(CMPLR_SRC_DIRS) $(OS_SRC_DIRS) $(GENERIC_SRC_DIRS)
 
 #--------------------------------------------------
+# Directory for OS independant build created files
+COMMON_DIR = ../O.Common
+
 # compile line include directories
 INSTALL_INCLUDES += \
        -I$(INSTALL_INCLUDE)/compiler/$(CMPLR_CLASS) \
diff --git a/configure/RULES_MODULES b/configure/RULES_MODULES
index a0886bdf3..bed21da38 100644
--- a/configure/RULES_MODULES
+++ b/configure/RULES_MODULES
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ DIRS += $(LIVE_SUBMODULES)
 
 include $(CONFIG)/RULES_DIRS
 
-INSTALL_LOCATION_ABS := $(abspath $(INSTALL_LOCATION))
 RELEASE_LOCAL := RELEASE.$(EPICS_HOST_ARCH).local
 
 # Ensure that RELEASE.<host>.local exists before doing anything else
@@ -40,8 +39,8 @@ RELEASE.host: $(RELEASE_LOCAL)
 
 $(RELEASE_LOCAL): Makefile CONFIG_SITE.local
 	$(ECHO) Creating $@ with
-	$(ECHO) "    $(PARENT_MODULE) = $(INSTALL_LOCATION_ABS)"
-	@echo $(PARENT_MODULE) = $(INSTALL_LOCATION_ABS)> $@
+	$(ECHO) "    $(PARENT_MODULE) = $(INSTALL_ABSOLUTE)"
+	@echo $(PARENT_MODULE) = $(INSTALL_ABSOLUTE)> $@
 realclean:
 	$(RM) $(wildcard RELEASE.*.local)
 
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.UnixCommon b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.UnixCommon
index 1151dce3f..6163b7975 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.UnixCommon
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.UnixCommon
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ SHRLIB_LDLIBS = $(addprefix -l, $($*_LDLIBS) $(LIB_LIBS) $(USR_LIBS)) \
 
 SHRLIB_DEPLIB_DIRS = $(foreach word, \
     $(sort $(INSTALL_LIB)/ $(dir $($*_DEPLIBS) $(SHRLIB_DEPLIBS))), \
-    $(shell $(FULLPATHNAME) $(word)))
+    $(abspath $(word)))
 
 SHRLIBDIR_LDFLAGS += $(SHRLIB_DEPLIB_DIRS:%=-L%)
 
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ PROD_LDLIBS += $($(firstword $(LDLIBS_STATIC_$(STATIC_BUILD)) \
 
 PROD_DEPLIB_DIRS = $(foreach word, \
     $(sort $(INSTALL_LIB)/ $(dir $($*_DEPLIBS) $(PROD_DEPLIBS))), \
-    $(shell $(FULLPATHNAME) $(word)))
+    $(abspath $(word)))
 
 PRODDIR_LDFLAGS += $(PROD_DEPLIB_DIRS:%=-L%)
 
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.iosCommon b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.iosCommon
index f9e5750e3..5c248f38a 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.iosCommon
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.Common.iosCommon
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ OP_SYS_LDFLAGS += -dynamic -Z -L$(SDK_DIR)/usr/lib -L$(SDK_DIR)/usr/lib/system
 # Shared libraries
 SHRLIB_VERSION = $(EPICS_VERSION).$(EPICS_REVISION).$(EPICS_MODIFICATION)
 SHRLIB_LDFLAGS = -dynamiclib -flat_namespace -undefined suppress \
-       -install_name $(shell $(FULLPATHNAME) $(INSTALL_LIB))/$@ \
+       -install_name $(abspath $(INSTALL_LIB))/$@ \
        -compatibility_version $(EPICS_VERSION).$(EPICS_REVISION) \
        -current_version $(SHRLIB_VERSION)
 SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE = .dylib
diff --git a/configure/os/CONFIG.darwinCommon.darwinCommon b/configure/os/CONFIG.darwinCommon.darwinCommon
index 3ee6fd5f9..0624b0063 100644
--- a/configure/os/CONFIG.darwinCommon.darwinCommon
+++ b/configure/os/CONFIG.darwinCommon.darwinCommon
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ GNU = NO
 # Darwin shared libraries
 #
 SHRLIB_LDFLAGS = -dynamiclib -flat_namespace -undefined dynamic_lookup \
-    -install_name $(shell $(FULLPATHNAME) $(INSTALL_LIB))/$@ \
+    -install_name $(abspath $(INSTALL_LIB))/$@ \
     $(addprefix -compatibility_version , $(SHRLIB_VERSION)) \
     $(addprefix -current_version , $(SHRLIB_VERSION))
 SHRLIB_SUFFIX_BASE = .dylib