diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 720fc673d..6efaeb7f2 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -19,4 +19,7 @@ src_DEPEND_DIRS = configure
 DIRS += test
 test_DEPEND_DIRS = src
 
+DIRS += modules
+modules_DEPEND_DIRS = src
+
 include $(TOP)/configure/RULES_TOP
diff --git a/modules/CONFIG_SITE.local b/modules/CONFIG_SITE.local
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..336fdf4d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/CONFIG_SITE.local
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# FIXME: for a non-local install of the bundle, this has to be changes for the submodules
+INSTALL_LOCATION = $(TOP)/../..
+
+# Do not install configuration from base submodules
+CONFIG_INSTALLS =
diff --git a/modules/Makefile b/modules/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3d988c771
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+#*************************************************************************
+# Copyright (c) 2017 The University of Chicago, as Operator of Argonne
+#     National Laboratory.
+# Copyright (c) 2017 The Regents of the University of California, as
+#     Operator of Los Alamos National Laboratory.
+# EPICS BASE is distributed subject to a Software License Agreement found
+# in file LICENSE that is included with this distribution.
+#*************************************************************************
+
+TOP = ..
+include $(TOP)/configure/CONFIG
+
+# Submodules for bundle build
+SUBMODULES += libcom ca database
+
+ca_DEPEND_DIRS = libcom
+database_DEPEND_DIRS = ca
+
+# Add any checked-out submodules to DIRS
+define SUBMODULE_template
+ifneq ($(wildcard $1/Makefile),)
+DIRS += $1
+endif
+endef
+$(foreach mod, $(SUBMODULES), \
+    $(eval $(call SUBMODULE_template,$(strip $(mod)))))
+
+include $(TOP)/configure/RULES_DIRS
diff --git a/modules/RELEASE.local b/modules/RELEASE.local
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..22075b88f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/RELEASE.local
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+EPICS_BASE = $(TOP)/../..