diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 1e7d0e3c..70b2359c 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -162,6 +162,8 @@ MAKETESTFLAGS =
 
 .PHONY: check-regression
 
+GMK_OUTDIR=..
+
 check-regression: tests/config-flags.pm
 	@if test -f '$(top_srcdir)/tests/run_make_tests'; then \
 	  ulimit -n 128; \
@@ -174,8 +176,8 @@ check-regression: tests/config-flags.pm
 		     rm -f tests/$$f; ln -s ../srctests/$$f tests; \
 		   done; fi ;; \
 	    esac; \
-	    echo "cd tests && $(PERL) $(PERLFLAGS) ./run_make_tests.pl -srcdir $(abs_top_srcdir) -make ../make$(EXEEXT) $(MAKETESTFLAGS)"; \
-	    cd tests && $(PERL) $(PERLFLAGS) ./run_make_tests.pl -srcdir '$(abs_top_srcdir)' -make '../make$(EXEEXT)' $(MAKETESTFLAGS); \
+	    echo "cd tests && $(PERL) $(PERLFLAGS) ./run_make_tests.pl -srcdir $(abs_top_srcdir) -make $(GMK_OUTDIR)/make$(EXEEXT) $(MAKETESTFLAGS)"; \
+	    cd tests && $(PERL) $(PERLFLAGS) ./run_make_tests.pl -srcdir '$(abs_top_srcdir)' -make '$(GMK_OUTDIR)/make$(EXEEXT)' $(MAKETESTFLAGS); \
 	  else \
 	    echo "Can't find a working Perl ($(PERL)); the test suite requires Perl."; \
 	  fi; \
diff --git a/maintMakefile b/maintMakefile
index 70350988..aa536aaf 100644
--- a/maintMakefile
+++ b/maintMakefile
@@ -253,8 +253,11 @@ mk-distcheck: distdir
 
 CFGCHECK_CONFIGFLAGS =
 CFGCHECK_BUILDFLAGS  =
-CFGCHECK_MAKEFLAGS   = CFLAGS='$(AM_CFLAGS)'
+# We can't use our mondo warnings as these are used to compile gnulib modules
+# as well, and that will fail.
+CFGCHECK_MAKEFLAGS   = # CFLAGS='$(AM_CFLAGS)'
 
+# This test can no longer be run: now that we rely on gnulib we must use C99+
 checkcfg.strict-c90:  CFGCHECK_CONFIGFLAGS = CFLAGS='-std=c90 -pedantic'
 checkcfg.strict-c90:  CFGCHECK_MAKEFLAGS   =
 
@@ -272,7 +275,6 @@ checkcfg.no-sync:     CFGCHECK_CONFIGFLAGS = CPPFLAGS=-DNO_OUTPUT_SYNC
 checkcfg.no-archives: CFGCHECK_CONFIGFLAGS = CPPFLAGS=-DNO_ARCHIVES
 
 CONFIG_CHECKS := \
-	checkcfg.strict-c90 \
 	checkcfg.no-jobserver \
 	checkcfg.no-load \
 	checkcfg.no-guile \
@@ -289,6 +291,18 @@ check-alt-config: $(CONFIG_CHECKS)
 NR_MAKE = $(MAKE)
 
 # Check builds both with build.sh and with make
+build.sh_SCRIPT = exec >>'checkcfg.$*.log' 2>&1; set -x; \
+		cd $(distdir)/_build \
+		&& OUTDIR=_bld ../build.sh $(CFGCHECK_BUILD_FLAGS) \
+		&& _bld/make GMK_OUTDIR=../_bld $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) check-local \
+		&& _bld/make GMK_OUTDIR=../_bld $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) clean
+
+nrmake_SCRIPT = exec >>'checkcfg.$*.log' 2>&1; set -x; \
+		cd $(distdir)/_build \
+		&& $(NR_MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) $(CFGCHECK_MAKEFLAGS) \
+		&& ./make $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) check \
+		&& ./make $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) clean
+
 $(CONFIG_CHECKS): checkcfg.%: distdir
 	@echo "Building $@ (output in checkcfg.$*.log)"
 	exec >'checkcfg.$*.log' 2>&1; \
@@ -298,16 +312,8 @@ $(CONFIG_CHECKS): checkcfg.%: distdir
 	&& cd $(distdir)/_build \
 	&& ../configure --srcdir=.. $(CFGCHECK_CONFIGFLAGS) \
 	       $(AM_DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS) $(DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS)
-	exec >>'checkcfg.$*.log' 2>&1; set -x; \
-	   cd $(distdir)/_build \
-	&& OUTDIR=_bld ../build.sh $(CFGCHECK_BUILD_FLAGS) \
-	&& _bld/make $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) check-local \
-	&& _bld/make $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) clean
-	exec >>'checkcfg.$*.log' 2>&1; set -x; \
-	   cd $(distdir)/_build \
-	&& $(NR_MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) $(CFGCHECK_MAKEFLAGS) \
-	&& ./make $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) check \
-	&& ./make $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) clean
+	$(build.sh_SCRIPT)
+	$(nrmake_SCRIPT)
 
 # Try using Basic.mk.  I can't test this on POSIX systems because it is only
 # used for non-POSIX systems; POSIX systems can just use normal
@@ -323,7 +329,7 @@ checkcfg.basicmk: checkcfg.% : distdir
 	       $(AM_DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS) $(DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS)
 	exec >>'checkcfg.$*.log' 2>&1; set -x; \
 	   cd $(distdir)/_build \
-	&& $(NR_MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) -f ../Basic.mk SRCDIR=.. CFLAGS='$(AM_CFLAGS)' \
+	&& $(NR_MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) -f ../Basic.mk SRCDIR=.. $(CFGCHECK_MAKEFLAGS)
 	&& ./make $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) -f ../Basic.mk SRCDIR=.. check \
 	&& ./make $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) -f ../Basic.mk SRCDIR=.. clean
 	exec >>'checkcfg.$*.log' 2>&1; \
@@ -332,7 +338,7 @@ checkcfg.basicmk: checkcfg.% : distdir
 	&& cd $(distdir) \
 	&& ./configure \
 	       $(AM_DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS) $(DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS) \
-	&& $(NR_MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) -f Basic.mk CFLAGS='$(AM_CFLAGS)' \
+	&& $(NR_MAKE) $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) -f Basic.mk $(CFGCHECK_MAKEFLAGS)' \
 	&& ./make $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) -f Basic.mk check \
 	&& ./make $(AM_MAKEFLAGS) -f Basic.mk clean
 
@@ -436,7 +442,7 @@ $(COV_BUILD_FILE): $(filter %.c %.h,$(DISTFILES))
 	cd '$(distdir)'/_build \
 	    && ../configure --srcdir=.. \
 		$(AM_DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS) $(DISTCHECK_CONFIGURE_FLAGS) \
-		CFLAGS='$(AM_CFLAGS)'
+		$(CFGCHECK_MAKEFLAGS)
 	PATH="$${COVERITY_PATH:+$$COVERITY_PATH/bin:}$$PATH"; \
 	    cd '$(distdir)'/_build \
 		&& cov-build --dir cov-int ../build.sh