diff --git a/configure/E3/CONFIG_CELL b/configure/E3/CONFIG_CELL
index 4dafb395cb505e6ece363821c17f714cfaf02548..742bd0762bc7ec14c720d1050c0a2a4e4d34faf6 100644
--- a/configure/E3/CONFIG_CELL
+++ b/configure/E3/CONFIG_CELL
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # TOP is e3-MODULENAME
 ifneq (,$(findstring cell,$(MAKECMDGOALS)))
 ## Default is e3-MODULENAME/cellMods
-E3_CELL_PATH=$(TOP)/cellMods
+E3_CELL_PATH?=$(TOP)/cellMods
 ##
 ## Allow local file in $(TOP)/configure
 ##       local file in $(TOP)/../
diff --git a/require-ess/tools/driver.makefile b/require-ess/tools/driver.makefile
index 28b28a119c326654add51065a92c55c7d8fde5b1..98462eece686b54d259fd545d82439b65cc4b198 100644
--- a/require-ess/tools/driver.makefile
+++ b/require-ess/tools/driver.makefile
@@ -869,7 +869,7 @@ ${DEPFILE}: ${LIBOBJS} $(USERMAKEFILE)
 # Check dependencies on other module headers.
 	cat *.d 2>/dev/null | sed 's/ /\n/g' | grep -v '$(EPICS_BASE)/include' | sed -n '$(DEP_PARSER)' >> $@.tmp
 # Manully added dependencies: ${REQ}
-	@$(foreach m,${REQ},echo "$m $(or $(and $(wildcard $(E3_SITEMODS_PATH)/$m/$($m_VERSION)),$($m_VERSION)),$(error REQUIRED module '$m' version '$($m_VERSION)' does not exist))" >> $@.tmp;)
+	@$(foreach m,${REQ},echo "$m $(or $(and $(or $(wildcard $(EPICS_MODULES)/$m/$($m_VERSION)),$(wildcard $(E3_SITEMODS_PATH)/$m/$($m_VERSION))),$($m_VERSION)),$(error REQUIRED module '$m' version '$($m_VERSION)' does not exist))" >> $@.tmp;)
 	cat $@.tmp | sort -u >> $@
 
 endif # In O.* directory