diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ed0f292..019970b 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ test_adapter
 .gnupg
 .pEp*
 lib
-local.conf
+build.conf
 build/
 # Default ignored files
 ?idea/
diff --git a/DEPENDENCIES b/DEPENDENCIES
index 8f87b5f..9017b17 100644
--- a/DEPENDENCIES
+++ b/DEPENDENCIES
@@ -1,12 +1,4 @@
 # 1st Party Dependencies
 ## Prefer git tags instead of SHA hashes when possible.
 
-# Change:
-# libpEpAdapter does not specify any dependencies atm.
-# libpEpAdapter is always being used as part of an adapter
-# This adapter has to specify the pEpEngine version .e.g
-
-
-# fdik: dep graph has to be taken from DEP file
-# fdik: dependencies need to be resolved recursively from top to bottom
-# fdik: stack then needs to be built from the bottom up
+libpEpCxx11=3.3.0-RC0
diff --git a/Makefile.conf b/Makefile.conf
index c69f453..60768c1 100644
--- a/Makefile.conf
+++ b/Makefile.conf
@@ -3,7 +3,24 @@
 # This file may be used under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 3
 # see LICENSE.txt
 
-HERE:=$(dir $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
+# BUILD_CONF must be specified relative to the repo root or must be an absolute path
+# BUILD_CONF defaults to ./build.conf
+REPO_ROOT_REL:=$(dir $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
+ifndef BUILD_CONF
+    BUILD_CONF=$(REPO_ROOT_REL)/build.conf
+    -include $(BUILD_CONF)
+else
+    BUILD_CONF_EFF=$(BUILD_CONF)
+    ifeq ($(dir $(BUILD_CONF)),./)
+        BUILD_CONF_EFF=$(REPO_ROOT_REL)/$(BUILD_CONF)
+    endif
+    ifeq ($(wildcard $(BUILD_CONF_EFF)),)
+        $(info BUILD_CONF must be specified relative to the repo root or must be an absolute path)
+        $(error file specified using BUILD_CONF ($(BUILD_CONF)) not found)
+    endif
+    include $(BUILD_CONF_EFF)
+endif
+
 
 TARGET=libpEpAdapter.a
 
@@ -12,9 +29,6 @@ TARGET=libpEpAdapter.a
 DEBUG=1
 PREFIX?=$(HOME)
 
-# Overrides
--include $(HERE)local.conf
-
 # Constants
 CXXFLAGS+=-std=c++11 -fPIC
 CXXFLAGS+=-Wall -pedantic-errors -Wno-unused-parameter -Wno-reorder-ctor
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 536bd19..4663db2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -3,15 +3,24 @@
 
 ## Build Configuration
 
-The build configuration file is called `local.conf`.
-Use the file `local.conf.example` as a template.
+The build configuration file is called `build.conf` or can be specified (relative to repo root) using 
+the env var `BUILD_CONF`.
+
+Use the file `build.conf.example` as a template.
 
 ```bash
-cp local.conf.example local.conf
+cp build.conf.example build.conf
 ```
 
 Then, tweak it to your needs.
 
+## Build Dependencies 
+
+The aim of libpEpAdapter is to stay 3rd party dependency free.
+The 1st party direct dependencies are specified in the DEPENDENCIES file. 
+
+Please note: The tests require the testframework PityTest11 to be installed in the PREFIX specified.
+
 ## Make Targets
 The default make target is `src`.
 
diff --git a/local.conf.example b/build.conf.example
similarity index 73%
rename from local.conf.example
rename to build.conf.example
index f53ff09..5c79d84 100644
--- a/local.conf.example
+++ b/build.conf.example
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-# This is an Example build config file (local.conf)
+# This is an Example build config file (build.conf)
 # you might not need this file, but if the defaults dont work for you
 # You can override them here.
-# Tweak the values to your needs and rename it to local.conf
+# Tweak the values to your needs and rename it to build.conf
 
 ######### C++ Compiler #########
 # Should work with clang and g++
diff --git a/scripts/centos8/build_libpEpAdapter.sh b/scripts/centos8/build_libpEpAdapter.sh
index 1f4a6c5..b5b6b89 100755
--- a/scripts/centos8/build_libpEpAdapter.sh
+++ b/scripts/centos8/build_libpEpAdapter.sh
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env sh
 set -exo
 
-echo "ENGINE_LIB_PATH=${INSTPREFIX}/lib" >> local.conf
-echo "ENGINE_INC_PATH=${INSTPREFIX}/include" >> local.conf
+echo "ENGINE_LIB_PATH=${INSTPREFIX}/lib" >> build.conf
+echo "ENGINE_INC_PATH=${INSTPREFIX}/include" >> build.conf
 
 make
 make install PREFIX="${INSTPREFIX}"
diff --git a/scripts/debian10/build_libpEpAdapter.sh b/scripts/debian10/build_libpEpAdapter.sh
index 1f4a6c5..b5b6b89 100755
--- a/scripts/debian10/build_libpEpAdapter.sh
+++ b/scripts/debian10/build_libpEpAdapter.sh
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env sh
 set -exo
 
-echo "ENGINE_LIB_PATH=${INSTPREFIX}/lib" >> local.conf
-echo "ENGINE_INC_PATH=${INSTPREFIX}/include" >> local.conf
+echo "ENGINE_LIB_PATH=${INSTPREFIX}/lib" >> build.conf
+echo "ENGINE_INC_PATH=${INSTPREFIX}/include" >> build.conf
 
 make
 make install PREFIX="${INSTPREFIX}"