diff --git a/src/std/rec/test/Makefile b/src/std/rec/test/Makefile
index 129c6e91f..0602ef5d2 100644
--- a/src/std/rec/test/Makefile
+++ b/src/std/rec/test/Makefile
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ TESTFILES += $(COMMON_DIR)/analogMonitorTest.dbd ../analogMonitorTest.db
 TESTS += analogMonitorTest
 
 TARGETS += $(COMMON_DIR)/regressTest.dbd
+DBDDEPENDS_FILES += regressTest.dbd$(DEP)
 regressTest_DBD += base.dbd
 TESTPROD_HOST += regressTest
 regressTest_SRCS += regressTest.c
diff --git a/src/tools/EPICS/Copy.pm b/src/tools/EPICS/Copy.pm
index d61800e0e..e1ef2a54e 100644
--- a/src/tools/EPICS/Copy.pm
+++ b/src/tools/EPICS/Copy.pm
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@
 # in file LICENSE that is included with this distribution.
 #*************************************************************************
 
-use Carp;
-
 # Copy directories and files from a template
 
 sub copyTree {
@@ -15,7 +13,7 @@ sub copyTree {
     # $Rtextsubs contains substitutions for file content.
 
     opendir my $FILES, $src
-        or croak "opendir failed while copying $src: $!\n";
+        or die "opendir failed while copying $src: $!\n";
     my @entries = readdir $FILES;
     closedir $FILES;
 
@@ -36,9 +34,9 @@ sub copyTree {
             print "." unless $opt_d;
             copyFile($srcName, $dstName, $Rtextsubs);
         } elsif (-l $srcName) {
-            carp "\nSoft link in template, ignored:\n\t$srcName\n";
+            warn "\nSoft link in template, ignored:\n\t$srcName\n";
         } else {
-            carp "\nUnknown file type in template, ignored:\n\t$srcName\n";
+            warn "\nUnknown file type in template, ignored:\n\t$srcName\n";
         }
     }
 }
@@ -46,11 +44,11 @@ sub copyTree {
 sub copyDir {
     my ($src, $dst, $Rnamesubs, $Rtextsubs) = @_;
     if (-e $dst && ! -d $dst) {
-        carp "\nTarget exists but is not a directory, skipping:\n\t$dst\n";
+        warn "\nTarget exists but is not a directory, skipping:\n\t$dst\n";
         return;
     }
     print "Creating directory '$dst'\n" if $opt_d;
-    mkdir $dst, 0777 or croak "Can't create $dst: $!\n"
+    mkdir $dst, 0777 or die "Can't create $dst: $!\n"
         unless -d $dst;
     copyTree($src, $dst, $Rnamesubs, $Rtextsubs);
 }
@@ -61,7 +59,7 @@ sub copyFile {
     print "Creating file '$dst'\n" if $opt_d;
     open(my $SRC, '<', $src)
         and open(my $DST, '>', $dst)
-        or croak "$! copying $src to $dst\n";
+        or die "$! copying $src to $dst\n";
     while (<$SRC>) {
         # Substitute any @VARS@ in the text
         s{@(\w+?)@}
diff --git a/src/tools/EPICS/Release.pm b/src/tools/EPICS/Release.pm
index 98f18514b..6ae0dbd9a 100644
--- a/src/tools/EPICS/Release.pm
+++ b/src/tools/EPICS/Release.pm
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@
 # in file LICENSE that is included with this distribution.
 #*************************************************************************
 
-use Carp;
-
 #
 # Parse all relevent configure/RELEASE* files and includes
 #
@@ -51,7 +49,7 @@ sub readRelease {
             "discovered in $file\n";
     }
 
-    open(my $IN, '<', $file) or croak "Can't open $file: $!\n";
+    open(my $IN, '<', $file) or die "Can't open $file: $!\n";
     $Ractive->{$file}++;
     while (<$IN>) {
         chomp;
@@ -79,7 +77,7 @@ sub readRelease {
         if (-e $path) {
             &readRelease($path, $Rmacros, $Rapps, $Ractive);
         } elsif ($op eq "include") {
-            carp "EPICS/Release.pm: Include file '$path' not found\n";
+            warn "EPICS/Release.pm: Include file '$path' not found\n";
         }
     }
     $Ractive->{$file}--;
@@ -101,17 +99,18 @@ sub expandMacros {
 }
 
 #
-# Expand all (possibly nested) macros in dictionary
+# Expand all (possibly nested) macros in a dictionary
 #
 sub expandRelease {
-    my ($Rmacros) = @_;
+    my ($Rmacros, $warn) = @_;
     # $Rmacros is a reference to a hash
+    $warn = '' unless defined $warn;
 
     while (my ($macro, $val) = each %$Rmacros) {
         while (my ($pre,$var,$post) = $val =~ m/ (.*) \$\( (\w+) \) (.*) /x) {
-            carp "EPICS/Release.pm: Undefined macro \$($var) used\n"
+            warn "EPICS/Release.pm: Undefined macro \$($var) used $warn\n"
                 unless exists $Rmacros->{$var};
-            croak "EPICS/Release.pm: Circular definition of macro $macro\n"
+            die "EPICS/Release.pm: Circular definition of macro $var $warn\n"
                 if $macro eq $var;
             $val = $pre . $Rmacros->{$var} . $post;
             $Rmacros->{$macro} = $val;
diff --git a/src/tools/convertRelease.pl b/src/tools/convertRelease.pl
index e2f13a556..5900612f3 100644
--- a/src/tools/convertRelease.pl
+++ b/src/tools/convertRelease.pl
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ sub checkRelease {
         my @order = ();
         my $relfile = "$path/configure/RELEASE";
         readReleaseFiles($relfile, \%check, \@order, $arch);
-        expandRelease(\%check);
+        expandRelease(\%check, "while checking module\n\t$app = $path");
         delete $check{TOP};
         delete $check{EPICS_HOST_ARCH};