diff --git a/configure/tools/makeIocCdCommands.pl b/configure/tools/makeIocCdCommands.pl
index bf041dcaf..3d5b3f523 100644
--- a/configure/tools/makeIocCdCommands.pl
+++ b/configure/tools/makeIocCdCommands.pl
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ print OUT "appbin = \"$appbin\"\n";
 
 $top = $cwd;
 $top =~ s/\/iocBoot.*//;
+$applications{TOP} = $top;
 print OUT "top = \"$top\"\n";
 $topbin = "${top}/bin/${arch}";
 #skip check that top/bin/${arch} exists; src may not have been builT
diff --git a/src/makeBaseApp/makeBaseApp.pl b/src/makeBaseApp/makeBaseApp.pl
index 7f0a504bf..6692ad0eb 100755
--- a/src/makeBaseApp/makeBaseApp.pl
+++ b/src/makeBaseApp/makeBaseApp.pl
@@ -173,6 +173,7 @@ sub get_commandline_opts { #no args
 	    $top = $epics_base . "/templates/makeBaseApp/top";
 	}
     }
+	$top=~s'^\$\(TOP\)\/'';
     "$top" or Cleanup(1, "Cannot find template top directory");
 	$app_top = $top;
 	$app_top=~s'^\.\.'$(TOP)/..';