diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 9a8e2def..0943f39e 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ XMLTO		= @XMLTO@
 
 MAKENSIS	= makensis
 
-MKDIR		= mkdir
+MKDIR		= mkdir -p
 RM_F		= rm -f
 RM_RF		= rm -rf
 LN_S		= @LN_S@
@@ -277,6 +277,13 @@ asm/directbl.c: asm/directiv.dat nasmlib/perfhash.pl perllib/phash.ph
 
 perlreq: $(PERLREQ)
 
+# This rule is only used for RDOFF
+.$(O)$(X):
+	$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) -o $@ $< $(LDFLAGS) $(RDFLIB) $(NASMLIB) $(LIBS)
+
+RDFLN    = cd rdoff && ln -s
+RDFLNPFX =
+
 #-- Begin RDOFF Shared Rules --#
 
 RDFLIBOBJ = rdoff/rdoff.$(O) rdoff/rdfload.$(O) rdoff/symtab.$(O) \
@@ -291,31 +298,23 @@ RDF2BINLINKS = rdoff/rdf2com$(X) rdoff/rdf2ith$(X) \
 RDFLIB = rdoff/librdoff.$(A)
 RDFLIBS = $(RDFLIB) $(NASMLIB)
 
-# This rule is only used for rdoff, to allow common rules
-MAKERDF = $(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $< $(RDFLIB) $(NASMLIB) $(LIBS)
-
 rdoff/rdfdump$(X): rdoff/rdfdump.$(O) $(RDFLIBS)
-	$(MAKERDF)
 rdoff/ldrdf$(X): rdoff/ldrdf.$(O) $(RDFLIBS)
-	$(MAKERDF)
 rdoff/rdx$(X): rdoff/rdx.$(O) $(RDFLIBS)
-	$(MAKERDF)
 rdoff/rdflib$(X): rdoff/rdflib.$(O) $(RDFLIBS)
-	$(MAKERDF)
 rdoff/rdf2bin$(X): rdoff/rdf2bin.$(O) $(RDFLIBS)
-	$(MAKERDF)
 rdoff/rdf2com$(X): rdoff/rdf2bin$(X)
 	$(RM_F) rdoff/rdf2com$(X)
-	cd rdoff && $(LN_S) rdf2bin$(X) rdf2com$(X)
+	$(RDFLN) $(RDFLNPFX)rdf2bin$(X) $(RDFLNPFX)rdf2com$(X)
 rdoff/rdf2ith$(X): rdoff/rdf2bin$(X)
 	$(RM_F) rdoff/rdf2ith$(X)
-	cd rdoff && $(LN_S) rdf2bin$(X) rdf2ith$(X)
+	$(RDFLN) $(RDFLNPFX)rdf2bin$(X) $(RDFLNPFX)rdf2ith$(X)
 rdoff/rdf2ihx$(X): rdoff/rdf2bin$(X)
 	$(RM_F) rdoff/rdf2ihx$(X)
-	cd rdoff && $(LN_S) rdf2bin$(X) rdf2ihx$(X)
+	$(RDFLN) $(RDFLNPFX)rdf2bin$(X) $(RDFLNPFX)rdf2ihx$(X)
 rdoff/rdf2srec$(X): rdoff/rdf2bin$(X)
 	$(RM_F) rdoff/rdf2srec$(X)
-	cd rdoff && $(LN_S) rdf2bin$(X) rdf2srec$(X)
+	$(RDFLN) $(RDFLNPFX)rdf2bin$(X) $(RDFLNPFX)rdf2srec$(X)
 
 #-- End RDOFF Shared Rules --#
 
@@ -345,10 +344,10 @@ nsis: nsis/nasm.nsi nsis/arch.nsh nsis/version.nsh
 manpages: nasm.1 ndisasm.1
 
 install: nasm$(X) ndisasm$(X)
-	$(MKDIR) -p $(DESTDIR)$(bindir)
+	$(MKDIR) $(DESTDIR)$(bindir)
 	$(INSTALL_PROGRAM) nasm$(X) $(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/nasm$(X)
 	$(INSTALL_PROGRAM) ndisasm$(X) $(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/ndisasm$(X)
-	$(MKDIR) -p $(DESTDIR)$(mandir)/man1
+	$(MKDIR) $(DESTDIR)$(mandir)/man1
 	$(INSTALL_DATA) $(srcdir)/nasm.1 $(DESTDIR)$(mandir)/man1/nasm.1
 	$(INSTALL_DATA) $(srcdir)/ndisasm.1 $(DESTDIR)$(mandir)/man1/ndisasm.1
 
@@ -397,7 +396,7 @@ cscope:
 	cscope -b -f cscope.out
 
 rdf_install install_rdf install_rdoff:
-	$(MKDIR) -p $(DESTDIR)$(bindir)
+	$(MKDIR) $(DESTDIR)$(bindir)
 	for f in $(RDFPROGS); do \
 		$(INSTALL_PROGRAM) "$$f" '$(DESTDIR)$(bindir)'/ ; \
 	done
@@ -406,7 +405,7 @@ rdf_install install_rdf install_rdoff:
 		bn=`basename "$$f"` && $(RM_F) "$$bn" && \
 		$(LN_S) rdf2bin$(X) "$$bn" ; \
 	done
-	$(MKDIR) -p $(DESTDIR)$(mandir)/man1
+	$(MKDIR) $(DESTDIR)$(mandir)/man1
 	$(INSTALL_DATA) $(srcdir)/rdoff/*.1 $(DESTDIR)$(mandir)/man1/
 
 doc:
diff --git a/Mkfiles/msvc.mak b/Mkfiles/msvc.mak
index 430fa2d3..9aec80fc 100644
--- a/Mkfiles/msvc.mak
+++ b/Mkfiles/msvc.mak
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ RUNPERL         = $(PERL) $(PERLFLAGS)
 
 MAKENSIS        = makensis
 
-RM_F		= del /f
+RM_F		= -del /f
 LN_S		= copy
 
 # Binary suffixes
@@ -54,15 +54,11 @@ O               = obj
 A		= lib
 X               = .exe
 .SUFFIXES:
-.SUFFIXES: .c .i .s .$(O) .$(A) .exe .1 .man
+.SUFFIXES: $(X) .$(A) .$(O) .c .i .s .1 .man
 
 .c.obj:
 	$(CC) /c $(ALL_CFLAGS) /Fo$@ $<
 
-# This rule is only used for rdoff
-.obj.exe:
-	$(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) /Fe$@ $< $(LDFLAGS) $(RDFLIB) $(NASMLIB) $(LIBS)
-
 #-- Begin File Lists --#
 # Edit in Makefile.in, not here!
 NASM =	asm\nasm.$(O)
@@ -252,6 +248,13 @@ asm\directbl.c: asm\directiv.dat nasmlib\perfhash.pl perllib\phash.ph
 
 perlreq: $(PERLREQ)
 
+# This rule is only used for RDOFF
+.obj.exe:
+	$(CC) /Fe$@ $< $(LDFLAGS) $(RDFLIB) $(NASMLIB) $(LIBS)
+
+RDFLN = copy
+RDFLNPFX = rdoff^\
+
 #-- Begin RDOFF Shared Rules --#
 # Edit in Makefile.in, not here!
 
@@ -267,31 +270,23 @@ RDF2BINLINKS = rdoff\rdf2com$(X) rdoff\rdf2ith$(X) \
 RDFLIB = rdoff\librdoff.$(A)
 RDFLIBS = $(RDFLIB) $(NASMLIB)
 
-# This rule is only used for rdoff, to allow common rules
-MAKERDF = $(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $< $(RDFLIB) $(NASMLIB) $(LIBS)
-
 rdoff\rdfdump$(X): rdoff\rdfdump.$(O) $(RDFLIBS)
-	$(MAKERDF)
 rdoff\ldrdf$(X): rdoff\ldrdf.$(O) $(RDFLIBS)
-	$(MAKERDF)
 rdoff\rdx$(X): rdoff\rdx.$(O) $(RDFLIBS)
-	$(MAKERDF)
 rdoff\rdflib$(X): rdoff\rdflib.$(O) $(RDFLIBS)
-	$(MAKERDF)
 rdoff\rdf2bin$(X): rdoff\rdf2bin.$(O) $(RDFLIBS)
-	$(MAKERDF)
 rdoff\rdf2com$(X): rdoff\rdf2bin$(X)
 	$(RM_F) rdoff\rdf2com$(X)
-	cd rdoff && $(LN_S) rdf2bin$(X) rdf2com$(X)
+	$(RDFLN) $(RDFLNPFX)rdf2bin$(X) $(RDFLNPFX)rdf2com$(X)
 rdoff\rdf2ith$(X): rdoff\rdf2bin$(X)
 	$(RM_F) rdoff\rdf2ith$(X)
-	cd rdoff && $(LN_S) rdf2bin$(X) rdf2ith$(X)
+	$(RDFLN) $(RDFLNPFX)rdf2bin$(X) $(RDFLNPFX)rdf2ith$(X)
 rdoff\rdf2ihx$(X): rdoff\rdf2bin$(X)
 	$(RM_F) rdoff\rdf2ihx$(X)
-	cd rdoff && $(LN_S) rdf2bin$(X) rdf2ihx$(X)
+	$(RDFLN) $(RDFLNPFX)rdf2bin$(X) $(RDFLNPFX)rdf2ihx$(X)
 rdoff\rdf2srec$(X): rdoff\rdf2bin$(X)
 	$(RM_F) rdoff\rdf2srec$(X)
-	cd rdoff && $(LN_S) rdf2bin$(X) rdf2srec$(X)
+	$(RDFLN) $(RDFLNPFX)rdf2bin$(X) $(RDFLNPFX)rdf2srec$(X)
 
 #-- End RDOFF Shared Rules --#
 
@@ -384,21 +379,21 @@ dep: msvc.dep
 
 # Include and/or generate msvc.dep as needed. This is too complex to
 # use the include-command feature, but we can open-code it here.
-!IF $(EXTERNAL_DEPENDENCIES) == 1
-!IFDEF MKDEP
+MKDEP=0
+!IF $(EXTERNAL_DEPENDENCIES) == 1 && $(MKDEP) == 0
 !IF EXISTS(msvc.dep)
 !INCLUDE msvc.dep
-!ENDIF
 !ELSEIF [$(MAKE) /c MKDEP=1 /f Mkfiles\msvc.mak msvc.dep] == 0
 !INCLUDE msvc.dep
 !ELSE
 !ERROR Unable to rebuild dependencies file msvc.dep
 !ENDIF
+!ENDIF
 
 #-- Magic hints to mkdep.pl --#
 # @object-ending: ".$(O)"
 # @path-separator: "\"
-# @exclude: "config/config.h"
+# @exclude: "config\config.h"
 # @external: "msvc.dep"
 # @selfrule: "1"
 #-- Everything below is generated by mkdep.pl - do not edit --#
diff --git a/tools/mkdep.pl b/tools/mkdep.pl
index e84cc358..8c89f39a 100755
--- a/tools/mkdep.pl
+++ b/tools/mkdep.pl
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ $barrier = "#-- Everything below is generated by mkdep.pl - do not edit --#\n";
 # This converts from filenames to full pathnames for our dependencies
 %dep_path = {};
 
+# List of files that cannot be found; these *must* be excluded
+@must_exclude = ();
+
 #
 # Scan files for dependencies
 #
@@ -70,7 +73,8 @@ sub scandeps($) {
 	if ( $line =~ /^\s*\#\s*include\s+\"(.*)\"\s*$/ ) {
 	    my $nf = $1;
 	    if (!defined($dep_path{$nf})) {
-		die "$0: cannot determine path for dependency: $file -> $nf\n";
+		push(@must_exclude, $nf);
+		next;
 	    }
 	    $nf = $dep_path{$nf};
 	    $mdeps{$nf}++;
@@ -138,7 +142,7 @@ sub _insert_deps($$) {
     my $selfrule = 0;
     my $do_external = 0;
     my $maxline = 78;		# Seems like a reasonable default
-    my @exclude = ();		# Don't exclude anything
+    my %exclude = ();		# Don't exclude anything
     my @genhdrs = ();
     my $external = undef;
     my $raw_output = 0;
@@ -165,7 +169,7 @@ sub _insert_deps($$) {
 	    } elsif ( $parm eq 'continuation' ) {
 		$cont = $val;
 	    } elsif ( $parm eq 'exclude' ) {
-		@exclude = split(/\,/, $val);
+		$excludes{$val}++;
 	    } elsif ( $parm eq 'include-command' ) {
 		$include_command = $val;
 	    } elsif ( $parm eq 'external' ) {
@@ -201,10 +205,6 @@ sub _insert_deps($$) {
     }
 
     my $e;
-    my %do_exclude = ();
-    foreach $e (@exclude) {
-	$do_exclude{$e} = 1;
-    }
 
     foreach my $dfile ($external, sort(keys(%deps)) ) {
 	my $ofile;
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ sub _insert_deps($$) {
 	    my $len = length($ofile);
 	    print $out $ofile;
 	    foreach my $dep (@deps) {
-		unless ($do_exclude{$dep}) {
+		unless ($excludes{$dep}) {
 		    my $str = convert_file($dep, $sep);
 		    my $sl = length($str)+1;
 		    if ( $len+$sl > $maxline-2 ) {