diff --git a/environment.mk b/environment.mk
index 412dd46..a9ad5d3 100644
--- a/environment.mk
+++ b/environment.mk
@@ -36,6 +36,17 @@ export ENV_LOADED
 SHELL = /bin/sh
 export SHELL
 
+# User-defined configuration file
+SITE_ENV ?= content/site-env
+SITE_ENV ::= $(strip ${site_env})
+
+ifeq ($(strip $(shell [ -r ${SITE_ENV} ] && echo ${SITE_ENV})),)
+  $(info Generate a site configuration file first via `make configure`)
+  $(error Configuration file ${site_env} not readable.)
+else
+  include ${SITE_ENV}
+endif
+
 # Base/root directory of the build system. Allows us to use absolute paths.
 MAKO_DIR ?= ${CURDIR}
 export MAKO_DIR
@@ -45,17 +56,6 @@ CONTENT ?= ${MAKO_DIR}/content
 CONTENT ::= $(strip ${CONTENT})
 export CONTENT
 
-# User-defined configuration file
-site_env ?= ${CONTENT}/site-env
-site_env ::= $(strip ${site_env})
-
-ifeq ($(strip $(shell [ -r ${site_env} ] && echo ${site_env})),)
-  $(info Generate a site configuration file first via `make configure`)
-  $(error Configuration file ${site_env} not readable.)
-else
-  include ${site_env}
-endif
-
 # Place for intermediate files
 WORKING ?= ${MAKO_DIR}/workspace
 WORKING ::= $(strip ${WORKING})