diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 3b0f09674..08ebc575b 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 AM_CPPFLAGS =  $(INCLUDES) -I$(top_builddir)/src/obj \
   -I$(top_srcdir)/src/leveldb/include -I$(top_srcdir)/src/leveldb/helpers \
-  -I$(builddir) $(BOOST_INCLUDES)
+  -I$(builddir) $(BOOST_INCLUDES) $(BDB_CPPFLAGS)
 AM_LDFLAGS = $(PTHREAD_CFLAGS)
 
 noinst_LIBRARIES = libbitcoin.a
diff --git a/src/Makefile.include b/src/Makefile.include
index d002e8ed6..352471061 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.include
+++ b/src/Makefile.include
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
-.PHONY: FORCE
+# Helper for rules and subdir Makefiles to find parent targets.
+# Flags and other non-target variables should not be set here.
 
 LIBBITCOIN=$(top_builddir)/src/libbitcoin.a
 LIBLEVELDB=$(top_builddir)/src/leveldb/libleveldb.a
 LIBMEMENV=$(top_builddir)/src/leveldb/libmemenv.a
 LIBBITCOINQT=$(top_builddir)/src/qt/libbitcoinqt.a
 
-INCLUDES += $(BDB_CPPFLAGS)
-LIBBITCOIN += $(BDB_LIBS)
-
 $(LIBBITCOIN):
 	$(MAKE) -C $(top_builddir)/src $(@F)
 
diff --git a/src/qt/Makefile.am b/src/qt/Makefile.am
index 33c5825eb..248dcba0e 100644
--- a/src/qt/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/qt/Makefile.am
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS =  $(INCLUDES) -I$(top_builddir)/src/obj \
   -I$(top_srcdir)/src/leveldb/include -I$(top_srcdir)/src \
   -I$(top_srcdir)/src/leveldb/helpers -I$(top_builddir)/src/qt \
   -I$(top_builddir)/src/qt/forms $(BOOST_INCLUDES) $(PROTOBUF_CFLAGS) \
-  $(QR_CFLAGS)
+  $(QR_CFLAGS) $(BDB_CPPFLAGS)
 AM_LDFLAGS = $(PTHREAD_CFLAGS)
 bin_PROGRAMS = bitcoin-qt
 noinst_LIBRARIES = libbitcoinqt.a
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ bitcoin_qt_CPPFLAGS = $(AM_CPPFLAGS) $(QT_INCLUDES) \
   -I$(top_srcdir)/src/qt/forms
 bitcoin_qt_SOURCES = bitcoin.cpp
 bitcoin_qt_LDADD = libbitcoinqt.a $(LIBBITCOIN) $(LIBLEVELDB) $(LIBMEMENV) \
-  $(BOOST_LIBS) $(QT_LIBS) $(QT_DBUS_LIBS) $(QR_LIBS) $(PROTOBUF_LIBS)
+  $(BOOST_LIBS) $(QT_LIBS) $(QT_DBUS_LIBS) $(QR_LIBS) $(PROTOBUF_LIBS) $(BDB_LIBS)
 
 # forms/foo.h -> forms/ui_foo.h
 QT_FORMS_H=$(join $(dir $(QT_FORMS_UI)),$(addprefix ui_, $(notdir $(QT_FORMS_UI:.ui=.h))))
diff --git a/src/qt/test/Makefile.am b/src/qt/test/Makefile.am
index f51ac9bd6..f8fe97462 100644
--- a/src/qt/test/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/qt/test/Makefile.am
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS =  $(INCLUDES) -I$(top_builddir)/src/obj \
   -I$(top_srcdir)/src/leveldb/include -I$(top_srcdir)/src \
   -I$(top_srcdir)/src/leveldb/helpers -I$(top_srcdir)/src/qt \
   -I$(top_builddir)/src/qt $(BOOST_INCLUDES) $(PROTOBUF_CFLAGS) \
-    $(QR_CFLAGS)
+    $(QR_CFLAGS) $(BDB_CPPFLAGS)
 AM_LDFLAGS = $(PTHREAD_CFLAGS)
 bin_PROGRAMS = test_bitcoin-qt
 TESTS = test_bitcoin-qt
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ test_bitcoin_qt_SOURCES = test_main.cpp uritests.cpp paymentservertests.cpp $(TE
 nodist_test_bitcoin_qt_SOURCES = $(TEST_QT_MOC_CPP)
 test_bitcoin_qt_LDADD = $(LIBBITCOINQT) $(LIBBITCOIN) $(LIBLEVELDB) \
   $(LIBMEMENV) $(BOOST_LIBS) $(QT_LIBS) $(QT_DBUS_LIBS) $(QT_TEST_LIBS) \
-  $(QR_LIBS) $(PROTOBUF_LIBS)
+  $(QR_LIBS) $(PROTOBUF_LIBS) $(BDB_LIBS)
 
 CLEANFILES = $(BUILT_SOURCES) *.gcda *.gcno
 
diff --git a/src/test/Makefile.am b/src/test/Makefile.am
index d193b729f..a859eb1de 100644
--- a/src/test/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/test/Makefile.am
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ include $(top_srcdir)/src/Makefile.include
 
 AM_CPPFLAGS =  $(INCLUDES) -I$(top_builddir)/src/obj \
   -I$(top_srcdir)/src/leveldb/include -I$(top_srcdir)/src/leveldb/helpers \
-  -I$(top_srcdir)/src $(BOOST_INCLUDES)
+  -I$(top_srcdir)/src $(BOOST_INCLUDES) $(BDB_CPPFLAGS)
 
 AM_LDFLAGS = $(PTHREAD_CFLAGS)
 
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ BUILT_SOURCES = $(JSON_TEST_FILES:.json=.json.h) $(RAW_TEST_FILES:.raw=.raw.h)
 # test_bitcoin binary #
 test_bitcoin_CPPFLAGS = $(AM_CPPFLAGS) $(TESTDEFS)
 test_bitcoin_LDADD = $(LIBBITCOIN) $(LIBLEVELDB) $(LIBMEMENV) \
-  $(BOOST_LIBS) $(BOOST_UNIT_TEST_FRAMEWORK_LIB)
+  $(BOOST_LIBS) $(BOOST_UNIT_TEST_FRAMEWORK_LIB) $(BDB_LIBS)
 test_bitcoin_SOURCES = accounting_tests.cpp alert_tests.cpp \
   allocator_tests.cpp base32_tests.cpp base58_tests.cpp base64_tests.cpp \
   bignum_tests.cpp bloom_tests.cpp canonical_tests.cpp checkblock_tests.cpp \