diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 37ed83e416..8c9498cdb9 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -101,6 +101,11 @@ export TAR
 export PATCH
 export SED
 export NM
+export FIND
+export BASENAME
+export DIRNAME
+export XMLLINT
+export XMLSTARLET
 
 # makeopts is required unless the goal is just {dist{-}}clean
 ifeq ($(MAKECMDGOALS),clean)
diff --git a/build_tools/get_sourceable_makeopts b/build_tools/get_sourceable_makeopts
deleted file mode 100755
index fbf4c38fc6..0000000000
--- a/build_tools/get_sourceable_makeopts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,54 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-PROGNAME="${0##*/}"
-
-if [ "$1" = "-h"  ] || [ "$1" = "--help" ] ; then
-	cat <<-EOF
-		Usage: ${PROGNAME}: [ <input_file> ] [ <output_file> ]
-
-		This script takes an Asterisk makeopts file, or any file containing
-		"make" style variable assignments, and converts it into a format
-		that can be directly 'sourced' by shell scripts.
-
-		* Any spaces around the equals sign are removed.
-		* The variable value is quoted.
-		* The "make" "or" command is evaluated.
-
-		Both input and output files are optional and will default to
-		stdin and stdout respectively.
-
-		NOTE: This script relies on NO external commands and only POSIX
-		constructs.  It should be runnable by any shell.
-	EOF
-	exit 1
-fi
-
-input_file="/dev/stdin"
-if [ "$1" != "" ] ; then
-	input_file="$1"
-fi
-
-output_file="/dev/stdout"
-if [ "$2" != "" ] ; then
-	output_file="$2"
-fi
-
-# orfunc is a code fragment to be added to the outp[ut file.
-# We don't WANT the variables evaluated.
-# shellcheck disable=SC2016
-orfunc='or (){ before="${1%,*}" ; after="${1#*,}" ; if [ "$before" = "" ] ; then echo "${after}" ; else echo "${before}" ; fi ; }'
-echo "${orfunc}" >"${output_file}"
-
-while read -r LINE ; do
-	var="${LINE%%=*}"
-	if [ "${var}" != "" ] ; then
-		val="${LINE#*=}"
-		if [ "${val}" != "${var}" ] ; then
-			if [ "${val%% *}" = "" ] ; then
-				echo "${var% *}=\"${val#* }\""
-			else
-				echo "${var% *}=\"${val}\""
-			fi
-		fi
-	fi
-done <"${input_file}"  >>"${output_file}"
-
diff --git a/build_tools/make_xml_documentation b/build_tools/make_xml_documentation
index 54144ce8a7..3446fff0c8 100755
--- a/build_tools/make_xml_documentation
+++ b/build_tools/make_xml_documentation
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/sh
-# The GREP, SED, FIND, etc variables are all set at run time from
-# makeopts.
 # shellcheck disable=SC2154
 
 PROGNAME="${0##*/}"
-PROGDIR="${0%/*}"
 
 # Fail on errors
 set -e
@@ -111,36 +108,25 @@ if [ ! -d "${source_tree}" ] ; then
 	exit 1
 fi
 
-if [ ! -f "${source_tree}/Makefile" ] ; then
-	echo "There's no 'Makefile' in '${source_tree}'."
-	exit 1
-fi
-
 if [ ! -f "${source_tree}/makeopts" ] ; then
 	echo "There's no 'makeopts' in '${source_tree}'.  Maybe you need to run ./configure?"
 	exit 1
 fi
 
-# This will get the paths to the utilities we need, all
-# of which will be in makeopts.  We need to convert the
-# format so it's sourceable.
-tmpname="/tmp/ast_makeopts.$$.env"
-trap 'rm "$tmpname" >/dev/null 2>&1' INT QUIT TERM EXIT
-"${PROGDIR}/get_sourceable_makeopts" "${source_tree}/makeopts" >"${tmpname}"
-# The file to be sourced is generated at run time and can't be checked.
-# shellcheck disable=SC1090
-. "${tmpname}"
-rm "${tmpname}" > /dev/null 2>&1 || :
-trap - INT QUIT TERM EXIT
-
-# Make sure we have everything we need.
-for c in GREP FIND AWK DIRNAME BASENAME SED CAT ; do
-	bin=$(eval "echo \${${c}}")
-	if [ "${bin}" = "" ] ; then
-		echo "The '${c}' utility was not found."
-		exit 1
-	fi
-done
+# This script is normally run from the top-level Makefile which
+# will set the tools variables to actual paths, or ':' if
+# the tool isn't found.  If this script is run from the
+# command line for testing purposes however, we'll need to
+# set some sane defaults.
+if [ "${GREP}" = "" ] ; then GREP="grep" ; fi
+if [ "${FIND}" = "" ] ; then FIND="find" ; fi
+if [ "${AWK}" = "" ] ; then AWK="awk" ; fi
+if [ "${DIRNAME}" = "" ] ; then DIRNAME="dirname" ; fi
+if [ "${BASENAME}" = "" ] ; then BASENAME="basename" ; fi
+if [ "${SED}" = "" ] ; then SED="sed" ; fi
+if [ "${CAT}" = "" ] ; then CAT="cat" ; fi
+if [ "${XMLLINT}" = "" ] ; then XMLLINT="xmllint" ; fi
+if [ "${XMLSTARLET}" = "" ] ; then XMLSTARLET="xmlstarlet" ; fi
 
 if [ "${for_wiki}" -eq "1" ] || [ "${validate}" -eq "1" ]; then
 	if [ "${XMLLINT}${XMLSTARLET}" = "::" ] ; then