diff --git a/configure/CONFIG_PVXS_MODULE b/configure/CONFIG_PVXS_MODULE
index 07a19a0..8c27bad 100644
--- a/configure/CONFIG_PVXS_MODULE
+++ b/configure/CONFIG_PVXS_MODULE
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 # auto-compute.  avoid need to standardize configure/RELEASE name
 _PVXS := $(dir $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
 
+# as we're appending, must be idempotent
+ifeq (,$(_PVXS_INCLUDED))
+_PVXS_INCLUDED := YES
+
 ifdef T_A
 
 # use custom libevent2 install prefix by:
@@ -35,3 +39,5 @@ LIB_SYS_LIBS += $(LIBEVENT_SYS_LIBS)
 
 
 endif # T_A
+
+endif # _PVXS_INCLUDED
diff --git a/example/Makefile b/example/Makefile
index 8d7a537..9fa1f05 100644
--- a/example/Makefile
+++ b/example/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 TOP=..
 
 include $(TOP)/configure/CONFIG
+# cfg/ sometimes isn't correctly included due to a Base bug
+# so we do here (maybe again) as workaround
+include $(TOP)/configure/CONFIG_PVXS_MODULE
+include $(TOP)/configure/CONFIG_PVXS_VERSION
 #----------------------------------------
 #  ADD MACRO DEFINITIONS AFTER THIS LINE
 #=============================
diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
index ba25c80..d31df03 100644
--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 TOP=..
 
 include $(TOP)/configure/CONFIG
+# cfg/ sometimes isn't correctly included due to a Base bug
+# so we do here (maybe again) as workaround
+include $(TOP)/configure/CONFIG_PVXS_MODULE
+include $(TOP)/configure/CONFIG_PVXS_VERSION
 #----------------------------------------
 #  ADD MACRO DEFINITIONS AFTER THIS LINE
 #=============================
diff --git a/test/Makefile b/test/Makefile
index 49c6539..ec33dca 100644
--- a/test/Makefile
+++ b/test/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 TOP=..
 
 include $(TOP)/configure/CONFIG
+# cfg/ sometimes isn't correctly included due to a Base bug
+# so we do here (maybe again) as workaround
+include $(TOP)/configure/CONFIG_PVXS_MODULE
+include $(TOP)/configure/CONFIG_PVXS_VERSION
 #----------------------------------------
 #  ADD MACRO DEFINITIONS AFTER THIS LINE
 #=============================
diff --git a/tools/Makefile b/tools/Makefile
index dd52011..cee8428 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile
+++ b/tools/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 TOP=..
 
 include $(TOP)/configure/CONFIG
+# cfg/ sometimes isn't correctly included due to a Base bug
+# so we do here (maybe again) as workaround
+include $(TOP)/configure/CONFIG_PVXS_MODULE
+include $(TOP)/configure/CONFIG_PVXS_VERSION
 #----------------------------------------
 #  ADD MACRO DEFINITIONS AFTER THIS LINE
 #=============================