> The first time you build a freshly cloned repository, this is indeed
> so.  Thereafter, you need "bootstrap".

But that's exactly the case where I get the fail: a freshly cloned repo, and doing just "make". While a freshly cloned repo and "make bootstrap" has moved me a bit farther.

> So I would first try removing the Git's cmd directory from your MSYS
> Bash's PATH.

I'll try that.