diff --git a/configure/CONFIG_COMMON b/configure/CONFIG_COMMON
index 653c52bee..d465532ac 100644
--- a/configure/CONFIG_COMMON
+++ b/configure/CONFIG_COMMON
@@ -79,8 +79,8 @@ INSTALL_JAVA                = $(INSTALL_LOCATION)/javalib
 # Directory for OS independant build created files
 COMMON_DIR = ../O.Common
 
-# The IOC's path to $(TOP), may be overridden inside the application
-IOCS_APPL_TOP               = $(INSTALL_LOCATION)
+# IOC's absolute path to $(TOP), may be overridden inside the application
+IOCS_APPL_TOP               = $(shell $(FULLPATHNAME) $(INSTALL_LOCATION))
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------
 # Make echo output - suppress echoing if make's '-s' flag is set
diff --git a/configure/RULES.Db b/configure/RULES.Db
index c697f675c..9b8a7751c 100644
--- a/configure/RULES.Db
+++ b/configure/RULES.Db
@@ -368,16 +368,14 @@ $(foreach file, $(DB_INSTALLS), $(eval $(call DB_INSTALLS_template, $(file))))
 
 ##################################################### register record,device,driver support
 
-IOC_INST_TOP := $(shell $(PERL) $(TOOLS)/fullPathName.pl $(IOCS_APPL_TOP) )
-
 %_registerRecordDeviceDriver.cpp: $(COMMON_DIR)/%.dbd 
 	@$(RM) $@ $*.tmp
-	$(REGISTERRECORDDEVICEDRIVER) $< $(basename $@) $(IOC_INST_TOP) > $*.tmp
+	$(REGISTERRECORDDEVICEDRIVER) $< $(basename $@) $(IOCS_APPL_TOP) > $*.tmp
 	$(MV) $*.tmp $@
 
 %_registerRecordDeviceDriver.cpp: %.dbd 
 	@$(RM) $@ $*.tmp
-	$(REGISTERRECORDDEVICEDRIVER) $< $(basename $@) $(IOC_INST_TOP) > $*.tmp
+	$(REGISTERRECORDDEVICEDRIVER) $< $(basename $@) $(IOCS_APPL_TOP) > $*.tmp
 	$(MV) $*.tmp $@
 
 .PRECIOUS: %_registerRecordDeviceDriver.cpp
diff --git a/configure/RULES.ioc b/configure/RULES.ioc
index cf74343b2..6b2150fcb 100644
--- a/configure/RULES.ioc
+++ b/configure/RULES.ioc
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ endif
 
 cdCommands envPaths dllPath.bat: $(wildcard $(TOP)/configure/RELEASE*) \
     $(wildcard $(TOP)/configure/CONFIG_SITE*) $(INSTALL_BIN)
-	$(PERL) $(TOOLS)/convertRelease.pl -a $(ARCH) -t $(IOCS_APPL_TOP) $@
+	$(CONVERTRELEASE) -a $(ARCH) -t $(IOCS_APPL_TOP) $@
 
 realclean:
 	$(RM) cdCommands envPaths dllPath.bat
diff --git a/src/makeBaseApp/top/configure/CONFIG_SITE b/src/makeBaseApp/top/configure/CONFIG_SITE
index 72b399d43..92156d971 100644
--- a/src/makeBaseApp/top/configure/CONFIG_SITE
+++ b/src/makeBaseApp/top/configure/CONFIG_SITE
@@ -13,21 +13,19 @@
 # Normally CHECK_RELEASE should be set to YES.
 # Set CHECK_RELEASE to NO to disable checking completely.
 # Set CHECK_RELEASE to WARN to perform consistency checking but
-#   continue building anyway if conflicts are found.
+#   continue building even if conflicts are found.
 CHECK_RELEASE = YES
 
 # Set this when you only want to compile this application
 #   for a subset of the cross-compiled target architectures
 #   that Base is built for.
-#CROSS_COMPILER_TARGET_ARCHS = vxWorks-68040
+#CROSS_COMPILER_TARGET_ARCHS = vxWorks-ppc32
 
 # To install files into a location other than $(TOP) define
 #   INSTALL_LOCATION here.
-#INSTALL_LOCATION=</path/name/to/install/top>
+#INSTALL_LOCATION=</absolute/path/to/install/top>
 
-# Set this when your IOC and the host use different paths
-#   to access the application. This will be needed to boot
-#   from a Microsoft FTP server or with some NFS mounts.
-# You must rebuild in the iocBoot directory for this to
-#   take effect.
-#IOCS_APPL_TOP = </IOC/path/to/application/top>
+# Set this when the IOC and build host use different paths
+#   to the install location. This may be needed to boot from
+#   a Microsoft FTP server say, or on some NFS configurations.
+#IOCS_APPL_TOP = </IOC's/absolute/path/to/install/top>
diff --git a/src/tools/convertRelease.pl b/src/tools/convertRelease.pl
index 586e5ee35..5b0890425 100644
--- a/src/tools/convertRelease.pl
+++ b/src/tools/convertRelease.pl
@@ -52,9 +52,14 @@ if ($opt_T) {
 if ($opt_t) {
     $iocroot = $opt_t;
     $root = $top;
-    while (substr($iocroot, -1, 1) eq substr($root, -1, 1)) {
-        chop $iocroot;
-        chop $root;
+    if ($iocroot eq $root) {
+        # Identical paths, -t not needed
+        undef $opt_t;
+    } else {
+        while (substr($iocroot, -1, 1) eq substr($root, -1, 1)) {
+            chop $iocroot;
+            chop $root;
+        }
     }
 }