diff --git a/src/base/context.lua b/src/base/context.lua
index 8b1e753f..52059670 100644
--- a/src/base/context.lua
+++ b/src/base/context.lua
@@ -98,6 +98,21 @@
 	end
 
 
+
+--
+-- Merges the list of terms from an existing context.
+--
+-- @param ctx
+--    The context to receive the copied terms.
+-- @param src
+--    The context containing the terms to copy.
+--
+
+	function context.mergeFilters(ctx, src)
+		ctx.terms = table.merge(ctx.terms, table.deepcopy(src.terms))
+	end
+
+
 --
 -- Sets the base directory for path token expansion in non-path fields; such
 -- values will be made relative to this path.
diff --git a/src/base/fileconfig.lua b/src/base/fileconfig.lua
index 79897393..e783b174 100644
--- a/src/base/fileconfig.lua
+++ b/src/base/fileconfig.lua
@@ -43,11 +43,24 @@
 --
 
 	function fileconfig.new(fname, prj)
-		local fcfg = {}
+		local environ = { }
+		local fcfg = context.new(prj, environ)
+		context.copyFilters(fcfg, prj)
+		context.addFilter(fcfg, "files", fname:lower())
+
+		for key, value in pairs(prj.environ) do
+			environ[key] = value
+		end
+
+		environ.file = fcfg
+		context.compile(fcfg)
+
 		fcfg.project = prj
 		fcfg.configs = {}
 		fcfg.abspath = fname
 
+		context.basedir(fcfg, prj.location)
+
 		-- Most of the other path properties are computed on demand
 		-- from the file's absolute path.
 
@@ -86,7 +99,7 @@
 		local environ = {}
 		local fsub = context.new(prj, environ)
 		context.copyFilters(fsub, cfg)
-		context.addFilter(fsub, "files", fcfg.abspath:lower())
+		context.mergeFilters(fsub, fcfg)
 
 		fcfg.configs[cfg] = fsub
 
@@ -98,9 +111,9 @@
 			environ[key] = value
 		end
 
-		-- Make the context being built here accessible to tokens
-
-		environ.file = fsub
+		for key, value in pairs(fcfg.environ) do
+			environ[key] = value
+		end
 
 		-- finish the setup
 
@@ -204,15 +217,16 @@
 
 --
 -- The indexer for the file configurations. If I have a path building function
--- to fulfill the request, call it. Else this is a missing index so return nil.
+-- to fulfill the request, call it. Else fall back to the context's own value lookups.
 --
 
 	local fcfg_mt = fileconfig.fcfg_mt
 
-	fcfg_mt.__index = function(file, key)
+	fcfg_mt.__index = function(fcfg, key)
 		if type(fcfg_mt[key]) == "function" then
-			return fcfg_mt[key](file)
+			return fcfg_mt[key](fcfg)
 		end
+		return context.__mt.__index(fcfg, key)
 	end
 
 
@@ -222,8 +236,11 @@
 -- TODO: Would be great if this didn't require inside knowledge of context.
 --
 
-	fileconfig.fsub_mt.__index = function(fcfg, key)
-		return fcfg_mt.__index(fcfg, key) or context.__mt.__index(fcfg, key)
+	fileconfig.fsub_mt.__index = function(fsub, key)
+		if type(fcfg_mt[key]) == "function" then
+			return fcfg_mt[key](fsub)
+		end
+		return context.__mt.__index(fsub, key)
 	end