diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 7c9b134..b1f3bae 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# Makefile.in: primary common build logic.
+# this file is covered by COPYING.SOFORT.
+
 PACKAGE 		= @package@
 NICKNAME 		= @nickname@
 PROJECT_DIR 		= @project_dir@
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 619ab6f..98a77db 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
+# project-agnostic ./configure script, written by hand.
+# this file is covered by COPYING.SOFORT.
+
 set -eu
 
 trap config_failure 1 2 EXIT
diff --git a/sofort/ccenv/ccenv.sh b/sofort/ccenv/ccenv.sh
index 2f61736..a376eb7 100644
--- a/sofort/ccenv/ccenv.sh
+++ b/sofort/ccenv/ccenv.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 # ccenv.sh: sofort's tool-finding bits,
 # invoked from within the project-agnostic configure script.
 
+# this file is covered by COPYING.SOFORT.
+
 # invocation and names of binary tools:
 # agnostic names (ar, nm, objdump, ...);
 # target-prefixed agnostic names (x86_64-nt64-midipix-ar, ...);
diff --git a/sofort/core/flavor.mk b/sofort/core/flavor.mk
index bd9ab06..85c41a2 100644
--- a/sofort/core/flavor.mk
+++ b/sofort/core/flavor.mk
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# flavor.mk: top-level handling of build flavors.
+# this file is covered by COPYING.SOFORT.
+
 ifneq ($(OS_DSO_EXRULES),)
 include $(PROJECT_DIR)/sofort/exrules/$(OS_DSO_EXRULES).mk
 endif
diff --git a/sofort/core/pkgconf.mk b/sofort/core/pkgconf.mk
index f266b9f..4f6c865 100644
--- a/sofort/core/pkgconf.mk
+++ b/sofort/core/pkgconf.mk
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# pkgconf.mk: rules for pkgconf manifest generation.
+# this file is covered by COPYING.SOFORT.
+
 ifeq ($(PKGCONF),no)
 
 install-pkgconf:
diff --git a/sofort/core/version.mk b/sofort/core/version.mk
index 5ef0ee2..eb6c2f2 100644
--- a/sofort/core/version.mk
+++ b/sofort/core/version.mk
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# version.mk: handling of shared library versioning schemes.
+# this file is covered by COPYING.SOFORT.
+
 include $(PROJECT_DIR)/project/tagver.mk
 
 CFLAGS_VERSION	+= -D$(VER_NAMESPACE)_TAG_VER_MAJOR=$(VER_MAJOR)
diff --git a/sofort/exrules/default.mk b/sofort/exrules/default.mk
index ad1c11c..b830cd0 100644
--- a/sofort/exrules/default.mk
+++ b/sofort/exrules/default.mk
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# default.mk: default shared library rules.
+# this file is covered by COPYING.SOFORT.
+
 DSO_REF_VER      = $(SHARED_LIB)
 DSO_REF_SONAME   = $(SHARED_SONAME)
 DSO_REF_SOLINK   = $(SHARED_SOLINK)
diff --git a/sofort/exrules/pe-common.mk b/sofort/exrules/pe-common.mk
index be19ab3..3e132a9 100644
--- a/sofort/exrules/pe-common.mk
+++ b/sofort/exrules/pe-common.mk
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# pe-common.mk: common PE shared library rules.
+# this file is covered by COPYING.SOFORT.
+
 DSO_REF_VER      = $(IMPLIB_VER)
 DSO_REF_SONAME   = $(IMPLIB_SONAME)
 DSO_REF_SOLINK   = $(IMPLIB_SOLINK)
diff --git a/sofort/exrules/pe-dlltool.mk b/sofort/exrules/pe-dlltool.mk
index 6694ed5..0fc1adf 100644
--- a/sofort/exrules/pe-dlltool.mk
+++ b/sofort/exrules/pe-dlltool.mk
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# pe-dlltool.mk: PE shared library rules for targets using dlltool.
+# this file is covered by COPYING.SOFORT.
+
 include $(PROJECT_DIR)/sofort/exrules/pe-common.mk
 
 $(IMPLIB_VER):		$(IMPLIB_DEF)
diff --git a/sofort/exrules/pe-mdso.mk b/sofort/exrules/pe-mdso.mk
index b5e2dba..9a3b941 100644
--- a/sofort/exrules/pe-mdso.mk
+++ b/sofort/exrules/pe-mdso.mk
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# pe-mdso.mk: PE shared library rules for targets using mdso.
+# this file is covered by COPYING.SOFORT.
+
 include $(PROJECT_DIR)/sofort/exrules/pe-common.mk
 
 $(IMPLIB_VER):		$(IMPLIB_DEF)
diff --git a/sofort/exrules/pe-version.mk b/sofort/exrules/pe-version.mk
index 38714b4..97ad4ca 100644
--- a/sofort/exrules/pe-version.mk
+++ b/sofort/exrules/pe-version.mk
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+# pe-version.mk: handling of PE shared library versioning schemes.
+# this file is covered by COPYING.SOFORT.
+
 ifeq ($(AVOID_VERSION),yes)
 
 package-implib-soname:
diff --git a/sofort/tools/pkgconf.sh b/sofort/tools/pkgconf.sh
index e14517f..bcde970 100755
--- a/sofort/tools/pkgconf.sh
+++ b/sofort/tools/pkgconf.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
+# pkgconf.sh: generate a pkgconf manifest file.
+# this file is covered by COPYING.SOFORT.
+
 set -eu
 
 # prefix, exec_prefix
diff --git a/sofort/tools/version.sh b/sofort/tools/version.sh
index 41e120a..8c49cb3 100755
--- a/sofort/tools/version.sh
+++ b/sofort/tools/version.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
+# version.sh: detect git repository info, output defs as a C header.
+# this file is covered by COPYING.SOFORT.
+
 set -eu
 
 usage()