diff --git a/sys/src/ape/cmd/diff/config.h b/sys/src/ape/cmd/diff/config.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0ac773eea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sys/src/ape/cmd/diff/config.h
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+/* config.h for diffutils on Plan9/APE */
+
+/* Package info */
+#define PACKAGE "diffutils"
+#define PACKAGE_NAME "GNU diffutils"
+#define PACKAGE_VERSION "3.10"
+#define VERSION "3.10"
+
+/* Standard POSIX/APE capabilities */
+#define HAVE_FORK 1
+#define HAVE_WORKING_FORK 1
+#define HAVE_SIGACTION 1
+#define HAVE_SIGINTERRUPT 1
+#define HAVE_GETEUID 1
+#define HAVE_GETUID 1
+
+/* struct stat fields present on Plan9/APE */
+#define HAVE_STRUCT_STAT_ST_BLKSIZE 1
+#define HAVE_STRUCT_STAT_ST_RDEV 1
+#undef HAVE_STRUCT_STAT_ST_BIRTHTIMESPEC_TV_NSEC
+#define HAVE_STRUCT_DIRENT_D_TYPE 1
+#define HAVE_TM_GMTOFF 1
+
+/* c-stack / sigsegv: we don't have stack overflow recovery */
+#undef HAVE_GETRLIMIT
+#undef HAVE_SIGALTSTACK
+#undef HAVE_SIGSEGV_RECOVERY
+#undef HAVE_STACKVMA
+#undef HAVE_STACK_OVERFLOW_RECOVERY
+
+/* locale */
+#define LOCALEDIR "/sys/lib/ape/locale"
diff --git a/sys/src/ape/cmd/diff/mkfile b/sys/src/ape/cmd/diff/mkfile
index 9de79133e..cad67478b 100644
--- a/sys/src/ape/cmd/diff/mkfile
+++ b/sys/src/ape/cmd/diff/mkfile
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ RPLS= -Drpl_malloc=malloc -Drpl_free=free -Drpl_getopt_long=getopt_long\
 	-Drpl_optarg=optarg -Drpl_optind=optind
 
 CC=pcc -c
-CFLAGS=-B -p -D_POSIX_SOURCE -DREGEX_MALLOC -I$DIFFSRC/src -I$DIFFSRC/lib \
+CFLAGS=-B -p -D_POSIX_SOURCE -DREGEX_MALLOC -I. -I$DIFFSRC/src -I$DIFFSRC/lib \
 	-DHAVE_CONFIG_H -DDIFF_PROGRAM="/bin/diff" $RPLS\
 
 %.$O: $DIFFSRC/src/%.c
diff --git a/sys/src/ape/cmd/patch/config.h b/sys/src/ape/cmd/patch/config.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..086655850
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sys/src/ape/cmd/patch/config.h
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+/* config.h for GNU patch on Plan9/APE */
+
+/* Package info */
+#define PACKAGE "patch"
+#define PACKAGE_NAME "GNU patch"
+#define PACKAGE_VERSION "2.7.6"
+#define VERSION "2.7.6"
+
+/* Standard POSIX/APE capabilities */
+#define HAVE_FORK 1
+#define HAVE_WORKING_FORK 1
+#define HAVE_SIGACTION 1
+#define HAVE_SIGFILLSET 1
+#define HAVE_GETEUID 1
+#define HAVE_GETUID 1
+#undef HAVE_SETMODE_DOS
+
+/* c-stack: no stack overflow recovery on Plan9 */
+#undef HAVE_GETRLIMIT
+#undef HAVE_SIGALTSTACK
+#undef HAVE_SIGSEGV_RECOVERY
+#undef HAVE_STACKVMA
+#undef HAVE_STACK_OVERFLOW_RECOVERY
+
+/* Enable merge mode (passed via -DENABLE_MERGE in CFLAGS too) */
+#define ENABLE_MERGE 1
+
+/* locale */
+#define LOCALEDIR "/sys/lib/ape/locale"
diff --git a/sys/src/ape/cmd/patch/mkfile b/sys/src/ape/cmd/patch/mkfile
index 434ced71c..5db36e12e 100644
--- a/sys/src/ape/cmd/patch/mkfile
+++ b/sys/src/ape/cmd/patch/mkfile
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ BIN=$APEXPROOT/$objtype/bin/ape
 
 CC=pcc -c
 CFLAGS=-B -p -D_POSIX_SOURCE \
-	-D_BSD_EXTENSION -I$PTCHSRC \
+	-D_BSD_EXTENSION -I. -I$PTCHSRC \
 	-I$PTCHSRC/src -I$PTCHSRC/lib \
 	-DHAVE_CONFIG_H -DENABLE_MERGE\
 	-Ded_PROGRAM="/bin/ed"\