diff --git a/elks/Makefile-rules b/elks/Makefile-rules
index 861c42216..ce2e25a76 100644
--- a/elks/Makefile-rules
+++ b/elks/Makefile-rules
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ########################################################################
 #                                                                      #
-# Standard rulesets for use when compiling and installing this system. #
+# Standard rulesets for use when compiling the ELKS kernel.            #
 #                                                                      #
 ########################################################################
 
diff --git a/elkscmd/Makefile-rules b/elkscmd/Makefile-rules
index 4f676ee7f..95cfe4f9a 100644
--- a/elkscmd/Makefile-rules
+++ b/elkscmd/Makefile-rules
@@ -1,28 +1,11 @@
-# ***** IMPORTANT NOTE *****
-#
-# This file has been revised to remove the requirement that the elkscmd
-# and elks trees are located under /usr/src on the developer's system.
-# This requires that the variable BASEDIR be defined in every Makefile
-# that includes this header file, prior to including it, and the value
-# given to BASEDIR is required to be the relative path from the directory
-# containing that Makefile to the directory containing this file.
-#
-# In addition, if there are any local definitions that need including in
-# the CFLAGS value, those should be assigned to LOCALFLAGS before including
-# this file.
-#
-# So as to ensure this, it is recommended that the following three lines
-# be used as the first three lines of each Makefile including this file:
-#
-#	BASEDIR = ...
-#
-#	LOCALFLAGS = ...
-#
-#	include $(BASEDIR)/Make.defs
-#
-# This ensures that the correct value is assigned by using it to include
-# this file.
-#
+##############################################################################
+#                                                                            #
+# Standard rulesets for use when compiling ELKS applications.                #
+#                                                                            #
+# This file should be included in every Makefile below elkscmd/ via e.g.:    #
+#   BASEDIR=..                                                               #
+#   include $(BASEDIR)/Makefile-rules                                        #
+#                                                                            #
 ##############################################################################
 
 ifndef TOPDIR
@@ -42,11 +25,6 @@ ELKSCMD_DIR=$(TOPDIR)/elkscmd
 
 INCLUDES=-I$(TOPDIR)/include -I$(TOPDIR)/libc/include -I$(ELKS_DIR)/include
 
-# temporarily turn off typical non-K&R warnings for now
-WARNINGS = -Wno-implicit-int
-# temporarily turn off suggesting parenthesis around assignment used as truth value
-WARNINGS += -Wno-parentheses
-
 ##############################################################################
 #
 # Determine the ELKS kernel version.
@@ -77,6 +55,11 @@ ifeq ($(CONFIG_APPS_FTRACE), y)
     CLBASE += -finstrument-functions-simple -maout-symtab
 endif
 
+# temporarily turn off typical non-K&R warnings for now
+WARNINGS = -Wno-implicit-int
+# temporarily turn off suggesting parenthesis around assignment used as truth value
+WARNINGS += -Wno-parentheses
+
 CC=ia16-elf-gcc
 AS=ia16-elf-as
 LD=ia16-elf-gcc