diff --git a/Basic/Makefile.PL b/Basic/Makefile.PL
index 8c4dca4ba..db9c922e8 100644
--- a/Basic/Makefile.PL
+++ b/Basic/Makefile.PL
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 use strict;
 use warnings;
-use 5.014;
 use ExtUtils::MakeMaker;
 use File::Spec::Functions;
+use Config;
+use lib qw(lib);
+use PDL::Core::Dev;
 eval { require Devel::CheckLib; Devel::CheckLib->import; };
 
 my $pdlroot = catfile qw(script pdl);
@@ -77,6 +79,7 @@ my @BUILD_BASIC = qw(Compression FFT IO/Misc IO/Pnm ImageND ImageRGB);
 WriteMakefile(
   NAME	=> 'PDL',
   VERSION_FROM => 'lib/PDL/Core.pm',
+  MIN_PERL_VERSION => '5.014',
   EXE_FILES => \@exe_files,
   XSMULTI => 1,
   XSBUILD => {
diff --git a/Makefile.PL b/Makefile.PL
index c71278b89..3e4ee9e51 100644
--- a/Makefile.PL
+++ b/Makefile.PL
@@ -5,12 +5,10 @@ eval { require Devel::CheckLib; Devel::CheckLib->import; };
 use 5.014;
 use ExtUtils::MakeMaker;
 use ExtUtils::MakeMaker::Config;
-use File::Spec;
+use File::Spec::Functions qw(rel2abs catdir);
 
-# this will make PDL::Core::Dev's functions available
-# in Makefile.PL files in all subdirectories
-require "./Basic/lib/PDL/Core/Dev.pm"; PDL::Core::Dev->import();
-$INC{'PDL/Core/Dev.pm'} = 1; # so require P:C:Dev will report success after
+use lib rel2abs catdir qw(Basic lib);
+use PDL::Core::Dev;
 
 my @cpan_deps = my @prereq = (
   'Data::Dumper'        => 2.121,     # for PDL::IO::Dumper