diff --git a/.ci/build.sh b/.ci/build.sh
index 4448cf5b7..9f6fae6ad 100755
--- a/.ci/build.sh
+++ b/.ci/build.sh
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ source "${CI_DIR}/common.sh"
 
 # Build.
 cmd=(make all)
-if [[ -d base/build ]]; then
+if [[ -d build ]]; then
     cmd+=(--assume-old=base)
 fi
 "${cmd[@]}"
diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 3884a12c8..12d6cc7ae 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -54,15 +54,15 @@ jobs:
       # Restore / setup caches. {{{
       - run:
           name: Generate cache key
-          command: make -C base TARGET= cache-key
+          command: make TARGET= cache-key
       - restore_cache:
           name: Restore build directory
           keys:
-            - &CACHE_KEY_BUILD_DIR '<< pipeline.parameters.cache_epoch >>-{{ .Environment.CIRCLE_JOB }}-build-{{ arch }}-{{ checksum "base/cache-key" }}'
+            - &CACHE_KEY_BUILD_DIR '<< pipeline.parameters.cache_epoch >>-{{ .Environment.CIRCLE_JOB }}-build-{{ arch }}-{{ checksum "cache-key" }}'
       - restore_cache:
           name: Restore build cache
           keys:
-            - &CACHE_KEY_BUILD_CACHE '<< pipeline.parameters.cache_epoch >>-{{ .Environment.CIRCLE_JOB }}-ccache-{{ arch }}-{{ checksum "base/cache-key" }}'
+            - &CACHE_KEY_BUILD_CACHE '<< pipeline.parameters.cache_epoch >>-{{ .Environment.CIRCLE_JOB }}-ccache-{{ arch }}-{{ checksum "cache-key" }}'
             - '<< pipeline.parameters.cache_epoch >>-{{ .Environment.CIRCLE_JOB }}-ccache-{{ arch }}-'
       - run:
           name: Setup build cache
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ jobs:
           command: |
             set -x
             # Trim the build directory.
-            rm -rf base/build/{cmake,staging,thirdparty}
+            rm -rf build/{cmake,staging,thirdparty}
             ccache --cleanup >/dev/null
             ccache --show-stats --verbose
       - save_cache:
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ jobs:
           name: Save build directory
           key: *CACHE_KEY_BUILD_DIR
           paths:
-            - base/build
+            - build
       # }}}
       # Tests / coverage. {{{
       # Our lovely unit tests.
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index ae239f476..805a186a8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -92,14 +92,14 @@ jobs:
       # Restore / setup caches. {{{
 
       - name: Generate cache key
-        run: make -C base TARGET= cache-key
+        run: make TARGET= cache-key
 
       - name: Restore build directory
         id: build-restore
         uses: actions/cache/restore@v4
         with:
-          path: base/build
-          key: ${{ env.CACHE_EPOCH }}-${{ runner.os }}-${{ runner.arch }}-build-${{ hashFiles('base/cache-key') }}
+          path: build
+          key: ${{ env.CACHE_EPOCH }}-${{ runner.os }}-${{ runner.arch }}-build-${{ hashFiles('cache-key') }}
 
       - name: Restore build cache
         id: ccache-restore
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/cache/restore@v4
         with:
           path: /Users/runner/Library/Caches/ccache
-          key: ${{ env.CACHE_EPOCH }}-${{ runner.os }}-${{ runner.arch }}-ccache-${{ hashFiles('base/cache-key') }}
+          key: ${{ env.CACHE_EPOCH }}-${{ runner.os }}-${{ runner.arch }}-ccache-${{ hashFiles('cache-key') }}
           restore-keys: ${{ env.CACHE_EPOCH }}-${{ runner.os }}-${{ runner.arch }}-ccache-
 
       - name: Install ccache
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           set -x
           # Trim the build directory.
-          rm -rf base/build/{cmake,staging,thirdparty}
+          rm -rf build/{cmake,staging,thirdparty}
           ccache --cleanup >/dev/null
           ccache --show-stats --verbose
 
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/cache/save@v4
         if: steps.build-restore.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
         with:
-          path: base/build
+          path: build
           key: ${{ steps.build-restore.outputs.cache-primary-key }}
 
       # }}}
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 3a53a4f97..d901fc157 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-PHONY = all android-ndk android-sdk base clean coverage doc fetchthirdparty po pot static-check test testfront
+PHONY = all android-ndk android-sdk base clean coverage distclean doc fetchthirdparty po pot re static-check test testfront
+SOUND = $(INSTALL_DIR)/%
 
 # koreader-base directory
-KOR_BASE?=base
+KOR_BASE ?= base
 
 include $(KOR_BASE)/Makefile.defs
 
@@ -51,12 +52,7 @@ WIN32_DIR=$(PLATFORM_DIR)/win32
 INSTALL_FILES=reader.lua setupkoenv.lua frontend resources defaults.lua datastorage.lua \
 		l10n tools README.md COPYING
 
-ifeq ($(abspath $(OUTPUT_DIR)),$(OUTPUT_DIR))
-  ABSOLUTE_OUTPUT_DIR = $(OUTPUT_DIR)
-else
-  ABSOLUTE_OUTPUT_DIR = $(KOR_BASE)/$(OUTPUT_DIR)
-endif
-OUTPUT_DIR_ARTIFACTS = $(ABSOLUTE_OUTPUT_DIR)/!(cache|cmake|history|staging|thirdparty)
+OUTPUT_DIR_ARTIFACTS = $(abspath $(OUTPUT_DIR))/!(cache|cmake|history|staging|thirdparty)
 
 all: base
 	install -d $(INSTALL_DIR)/koreader
@@ -99,8 +95,7 @@ ifneq (,$(IS_RELEASE))
 	rm -rf $(INSTALL_DIR)/koreader/data/{cr3.ini,desktop,devices,dict,manual,tessdata}
 endif
 
-base:
-	$(MAKE) -C $(KOR_BASE)
+base: base-all
 
 $(INSTALL_DIR)/koreader/.busted: .busted
 	$(SYMLINK) .busted $@
@@ -128,6 +123,9 @@ coverage: $(INSTALL_DIR)/koreader/.luacov
 		+$$(($$(grep -nm1 -e "^Summary$$" luacov.report.out|cut -d: -f1)-1)) \
 		luacov.report.out
 
+ifeq (,$(wildcard $(KOR_BASE)/Makefile))
+$(KOR_BASE)/Makefile: fetchthirdparty
+endif
 ifeq (,$(wildcard $(KOR_BASE)/Makefile.defs))
 $(KOR_BASE)/Makefile.defs: fetchthirdparty
 endif
@@ -149,21 +147,18 @@ else
 endif
 	$(MAKE) -C $(KOR_BASE) fetchthirdparty
 
-VERBOSE ?= @
-Q = $(VERBOSE:1=)
-clean:
+clean: base-clean
 	rm -rf $(INSTALL_DIR)
-	$(Q:@=@echo 'MAKE -C base clean'; &> /dev/null) \
-		$(MAKE) -C $(KOR_BASE) clean
 ifeq ($(TARGET), android)
 	$(MAKE) -C $(CURDIR)/platform/android/luajit-launcher clean
 endif
 
-dist-clean: clean
-	rm -rf $(INSTALL_DIR)
-	$(MAKE) -C $(KOR_BASE) dist-clean
+distclean: clean base-distclean
 	$(MAKE) -C doc clean
 
+re: clean
+	$(MAKE) all
+
 # Include target specific rules.
 ifneq (,$(wildcard make/$(TARGET).mk))
   include make/$(TARGET).mk
@@ -208,7 +203,4 @@ doc:
 .NOTPARALLEL:
 .PHONY: $(PHONY)
 
-LEFTOVERS = $(filter-out $(PHONY) $(INSTALL_DIR)/%,$(MAKECMDGOALS))
-.PHONY: $(LEFTOVERS)
-$(LEFTOVERS):
-	$(MAKE) -C $(KOR_BASE) $@
+include $(KOR_BASE)/Makefile
diff --git a/base b/base
index 0d6abcf61..29f042578 160000
--- a/base
+++ b/base
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 0d6abcf6113f6d9c0ebd1de2db3bad085f37ed89
+Subproject commit 29f0425780767830895f9a225534d669d001379c