diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ed9ef527719aa199d96c5db3765b2758428d29a5..34f922297e9c5e7617390cedcbd467e97d7584ae 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 *~
 /target
-/local.conf
+/build.conf
 /_build
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d4503fd34e178f3d366d1927090221e74883444f..5ef41efd5556a209b319351ceb7f56fcf016e7df 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -3,8 +3,24 @@
 # This file may be used under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 3
 # see COPYING
 
-BUILD_CONF?=./build.conf
--include $(BUILD_CONF)
+# BUILD_CONF must be specified relative to the repo root or must be an absolute path
+# BUILD_CONF defaults to ./build.conf
+REPO_ROOT_REL:=$(dir $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
+ifndef BUILD_CONF
+    BUILD_CONF=$(REPO_ROOT_REL)/build.conf
+    -include $(BUILD_CONF)
+else
+    BUILD_CONF_EFF=$(BUILD_CONF)
+    ifeq ($(dir $(BUILD_CONF)),./)
+        BUILD_CONF_EFF=$(REPO_ROOT_REL)/$(BUILD_CONF)
+    endif
+    ifeq ($(wildcard $(BUILD_CONF_EFF)),)
+        $(info BUILD_CONF must be specified relative to the repo root or must be an absolute path)
+        $(error file specified using BUILD_CONF ($(BUILD_CONF)) not found)
+    endif
+    include $(BUILD_CONF_EFF)
+endif
+
 
 # Build config defaults
 DEBUG?=debug
diff --git a/build.conf.example b/build.conf.example
index f255f17637487264648340d945213a0e78c5e96c..0b1ab0595bd51f0ba1998b5e947137a50614c779 100644
--- a/build.conf.example
+++ b/build.conf.example
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-# This is an Example build config (local.conf)
+# This is an Example build config (build.conf)
 # The values here reflect the defaults.
 # If needed, copy this file into a file called
-# `local.conf` and adjust the values
+# `build.conf` and adjust the values
 
 # The dir where the build artifacts get installed into
 # PREFIX=/usr/local