diff --git a/wp-admin/includes/wp-config.ms b/wp-admin/includes/wp-config.ms
index 1a014f2ae..7b9f2ae1d 100644
--- a/wp-admin/includes/wp-config.ms
+++ b/wp-admin/includes/wp-config.ms
@@ -77,10 +77,6 @@ $table_prefix  = 'wp_';
  */
 define ('WPLANG', '');
 
-// double check $base
-if( $base == 'BASE' )
-	die( 'Problem in wp-config.php - $base is set to BASE when it should be the path like "/" or "/blogs/"! Please fix it!' );
-
 // uncomment this to enable WP_CONTENT_DIR/sunrise.php support
 //define( 'SUNRISE', 'on' );
 
diff --git a/wp-includes/ms-settings.php b/wp-includes/ms-settings.php
index ceaa59deb..40ad0baaf 100644
--- a/wp-includes/ms-settings.php
+++ b/wp-includes/ms-settings.php
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@
  * @subpackage Multisite
  */
 
+// $base sanity check.
+if ( 'BASE' == $base )
+	die( 'Configuration error in <code>wp-config.php<code>. <code>$base</code> is set to "BASE" when it should be the path like "/" or "/blogs/".' );
+
 /** Include Multisite initialization functions */
 require( ABSPATH . WPINC . '/ms-load.php' );
 require( ABSPATH . WPINC . '/ms-default-constants.php' );