diff --git a/configure/CONFIG_BASE b/configure/CONFIG_BASE
index 78d4bc993..2cc909231 100644
--- a/configure/CONFIG_BASE
+++ b/configure/CONFIG_BASE
@@ -53,22 +53,33 @@ BASE_CPPFLAGS += $(OSITHREAD_DEFAULT_STACK_FLAGS_$(OSITHREAD_USE_DEFAULT_STACK))
 #---------------------------------------------------------------
 # Where to find the installed build tools
 
-EPICS_BASE_TOOLS_BIN_HOST = $(EPICS_BASE_BIN)
-EPICS_BASE_TOOLS_BIN_CROSS = $(EPICS_BASE_HOST_BIN)
-EPICS_BASE_TOOLS_BIN = $(EPICS_BASE_TOOLS_BIN_$(BUILD_CLASS))
+TOOLS = $(EPICS_BASE_HOST_BIN)
 
 #---------------------------------------------------------------
 # Epics base build tools and tool flags
 
-MAKEBPT                    = $(call PATH_FILTER, $(EPICS_BASE_TOOLS_BIN)/makeBpt$(HOSTEXE))
-DBEXPAND                   = $(call PATH_FILTER, $(EPICS_BASE_TOOLS_BIN)/dbExpand$(HOSTEXE))
-DBTORECORDTYPEH            = $(call PATH_FILTER, $(EPICS_BASE_TOOLS_BIN)/dbToRecordtypeH$(HOSTEXE))
-DBTOMENUH                  = $(call PATH_FILTER, $(EPICS_BASE_TOOLS_BIN)/dbToMenuH$(HOSTEXE))
-REGISTERRECORDDEVICEDRIVER = $(PERL) $(EPICS_BASE_TOOLS_BIN)/registerRecordDeviceDriver.pl
+MAKEBPT                    = $(call PATH_FILTER, $(TOOLS)/makeBpt$(HOSTEXE))
+DBEXPAND                   = $(call PATH_FILTER, $(TOOLS)/dbExpand$(HOSTEXE))
+DBTORECORDTYPEH            = $(call PATH_FILTER, $(TOOLS)/dbToRecordtypeH$(HOSTEXE))
+DBTOMENUH                  = $(call PATH_FILTER, $(TOOLS)/dbToMenuH$(HOSTEXE))
+REGISTERRECORDDEVICEDRIVER = $(PERL) $(TOOLS)/registerRecordDeviceDriver.pl
+CONVERTRELEASE=$(PERL) $(firstword $(wildcard $(TOOLS)/convertRelease.pl $(TOP)/src/tools/convertRelease.pl))
 
+#-------------------------------------------------------
+# tools for installing libraries and products
+INSTALL = $(PERL) $(TOOLS)/installEpics.pl
+INSTALL_PRODUCT = $(INSTALL)
+INSTALL_LIBRARY = $(INSTALL)
+
+#---------------------------------------------------------------
+# tools for making header dependancies and variable replacement
+MKMF                       = $(PERL) $(TOOLS)/mkmf.pl
+REPLACEVAR                 = $(PERL) $(TOOLS)/replaceVAR.pl
+
+#---------------------------------------------------------------
 # private versions of lex/yacc from EPICS
-EYACC = $(call PATH_FILTER, $(EPICS_BASE_TOOLS_BIN)/antelope$(HOSTEXE))
-ELEX = $(call PATH_FILTER, $(EPICS_BASE_TOOLS_BIN)/e_flex$(HOSTEXE)) -S$(EPICS_BASE)/include/flex.skel.static
+EYACC = $(call PATH_FILTER, $(TOOLS)/antelope$(HOSTEXE))
+ELEX = $(call PATH_FILTER, $(TOOLS)/e_flex$(HOSTEXE)) -S$(EPICS_BASE)/include/flex.skel.static
 
 YACC  = $(EYACC)
 LEX   = $(ELEX)
diff --git a/configure/CONFIG_COMMON b/configure/CONFIG_COMMON
index 704c2b3ac..7b4d2b045 100644
--- a/configure/CONFIG_COMMON
+++ b/configure/CONFIG_COMMON
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ GNU_DIR = /usr
 # Directories
 
 INSTALL_LOCATION            = $(TOP)
-TOOLS                       = $(CONFIG)/tools
 
 INSTALL_LOCATION_LIB        = $(INSTALL_LOCATION)/lib
 INSTALL_LOCATION_BIN        = $(INSTALL_LOCATION)/bin
@@ -77,6 +76,7 @@ INSTALL_JAVA                = $(INSTALL_LOCATION)/javalib
 #Directory for OS independant build created files
 COMMON_DIR = ../O.Common
 
+#-------------------------------------------------------
 ifdef T_A
 
 INSTALL_LIB                 = $(INSTALL_LOCATION_LIB)/$(T_A)
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ SHRLIB_SEARCH_DIRS          = $(INSTALL_LIB)
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------
 # Ext, app, and module configure dir targets
-CONFIG_TARGETS += CONFIG_APP_INCLUDE RULES_INCLUDE
 CONFIG_INSTALLS += ../RULES_BUILD ../RELEASE*
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------
@@ -119,17 +118,6 @@ CMPLR_PREFIX=
 LIB_PREFIX=
 SHRLIB_PREFIX= $(LIB_PREFIX)
 
-#-------------------------------------------------------
-# tools for installing libraries and products
-INSTALL = $(PERL) $(TOOLS)/installEpics.pl
-INSTALL_PRODUCT = $(INSTALL)
-INSTALL_LIBRARY = $(INSTALL)
-
-#---------------------------------------------------------------
-# tools for making header dependancies and variable replacement
-MKMF                       = $(PERL) $(TOOLS)/mkmf.pl
-REPLACEVAR                 = $(PERL) $(TOOLS)/replaceVAR.pl
-
 #--------------------------------------------------
 # vpath directories
 GENERIC_SRC_DIRS = .. $(SRC_DIRS)
diff --git a/configure/RULES_ARCHS b/configure/RULES_ARCHS
index e76252311..353661e69 100644
--- a/configure/RULES_ARCHS
+++ b/configure/RULES_ARCHS
@@ -76,15 +76,15 @@ targetReleaseFiles = $(wildcard $(foreach arch, $(BUILD_ARCHS), \
 
 checkReleaseTargets = $(addprefix checkRelease, $(suffix $(targetReleaseFiles)))
 checkRelease: $(checkReleaseTargets)
-	$(PERL) $(TOOLS)/convertRelease.pl -h $(EPICS_HOST_ARCH) checkRelease
+	$(CONVERTRELEASE) -h $(EPICS_HOST_ARCH) checkRelease
 $(checkReleaseTargets):checkRelease.%:
-	$(PERL) $(TOOLS)/convertRelease.pl -h $(EPICS_HOST_ARCH) -a $* checkRelease
+	$(CONVERTRELEASE) -h $(EPICS_HOST_ARCH) -a $* checkRelease
 
 warnReleaseTargets = $(addprefix warnRelease, $(suffix $(targetReleaseFiles)))
 warnRelease: $(warnReleaseTargets)
-	-$(PERL) $(TOOLS)/convertRelease.pl -h $(EPICS_HOST_ARCH) checkRelease
+	-$(CONVERTRELEASE) -h $(EPICS_HOST_ARCH) checkRelease
 $(warnReleaseTargets):warnRelease.%:
-	-$(PERL) $(TOOLS)/convertRelease.pl -h $(EPICS_HOST_ARCH) -a $* checkRelease
+	-$(CONVERTRELEASE) -h $(EPICS_HOST_ARCH) -a $* checkRelease
 
 #
 # special clean rule