diff --git a/build/make/Makefile.in b/build/make/Makefile.in
index 8951afbd379..dd648ea3b57 100644
--- a/build/make/Makefile.in
+++ b/build/make/Makefile.in
@@ -536,13 +536,11 @@ debug-check:
 #
 # Positional arguments:
 #     $(1): package name
+#     $(2): empty or one of "build_", "check_"
 pkg_deps = \
 	$(if $(filter gcc,$(1)),,$$(GCC_DEP))\
-	$(foreach dep,$(build_deps_$(1)),\
-            $(if $(value inst_$(dep)),$$(inst_$(dep)),$(dep)))\
-	$(if $(check_deps_$(1)),$$(and $$(filter-out no,$$(SAGE_CHECK_$(1))),\
-            $(foreach dep,$(check_deps_$(1)),\
-                $(if $(value inst_$(dep)),$$(inst_$(dep)),$(dep)))))
+	$(foreach dep,$($(2)deps_$(1)),\
+            $(if $(value inst_$(dep)),$$(inst_$(dep)),$(dep)))
 
 # ============================= normal packages ==============================
 # Generate build rules for 'normal' packages; this template is used to generate
@@ -590,57 +588,68 @@ pkg_deps = \
 # Positional arguments:
 #     $(1): package name
 #     $(2): package version
-#     $(3): package dependencies
-#     $(4): package tree variable
+#     $(3): package build dependencies
+#     $(4): package dependencies
+#     $(5): package check dependencies
+#     $(6): package tree variable
 
 define NORMAL_PACKAGE_templ ##########################################
 
 $(1)-build-deps: $(3)
 
-$$($(4))/$(SPKG_INST_RELDIR)/$(1)-$(2): $(3)
-	+$(MAKE_REC) $(1)-$(4)-no-deps
+$(1)-deps: $(1)-build-deps $(4)
 
-$(1): $$($(4))/$(SPKG_INST_RELDIR)/$(1)-$(2)
+$$($(6))/$(SPKG_INST_RELDIR)/$(1)-$(2): $(4) $(3) $(if $(check_deps_$(1)),$$(and $$(filter-out no,$$(SAGE_CHECK_$(1))),$(5)))
+	+$(MAKE_REC) $(1)-$(6)-no-deps
 
-$(1)-ensure: $(inst_$(1))
+$(1): $$($(6))/$(SPKG_INST_RELDIR)/$(1)-$(2)
 
-$(1)-$(4)-no-deps:
-	+@if [ -z '$$($(4))' ]; then \
-	    echo "Error: The installation tree $(4) has been disabled" 2>&1; \
-	    echo "$$($(4)_DISABLED_MESSAGE)" 2>&1; \
+$(1)-ensure: $$(inst_$(1))
+
+$(1)-$(6)-build-no-deps:
+	+@if [ -z '$$($(6))' ]; then \
+	    echo "Error: The installation tree $(6) has been disabled" 2>&1; \
+	    echo "$$($(6)_DISABLED_MESSAGE)" 2>&1; \
 	    exit 1; \
-	else \
-	    sage-logger -p 'SAGE_CHECK=$$(SAGE_CHECK_$(1)) PATH=$$(SAGE_SRC)/bin:$$($(4))/bin:$$$$PATH $$(SAGE_SPKG) $$(SAGE_SPKG_OPTIONS) \
-		$(if $(filter $(1),$(TOOLCHAIN_DEPS)),--keep-existing) \
-		$(1)-$(2) $$($(4))' '$$(SAGE_LOGS)/$(1)-$(2).log'; \
 	fi
 
-$(1)-no-deps: $(1)-$(4)-no-deps
+$(1)-build-no-deps: $(1)-$(6)-build-no-deps
 
-$(1)-$(4)-uninstall:
-	if [ -d '$$($(4))' ]; then \
+$(1)-$(6)-no-deps: $(1)-$(6)-build-no-deps
+	+@sage-logger -p 'SAGE_CHECK=$$(SAGE_CHECK_$(1)) PATH=$$(SAGE_SRC)/bin:$$($(6))/bin:$$$$PATH $$(SAGE_SPKG) $$(SAGE_SPKG_OPTIONS) \
+		$(if $(filter $(1),$(TOOLCHAIN_DEPS)),--keep-existing) \
+		$(1)-$(2) $$($(6))' '$$(SAGE_LOGS)/$(1)-$(2).log'; \
+
+$(1)-no-deps: $(1)-$(6)-no-deps
+
+$(1)-$(6)-uninstall:
+	if [ -d '$$($(6))' ]; then \
 	    sage-spkg-uninstall $(if $(filter $(1),$(TOOLCHAIN_DEPS)),--keep-files) \
-		$(1) '$$($(4))'; \
+		$(1) '$$($(6))'; \
 	fi
 
-$(1)-uninstall: $(1)-$(4)-uninstall
+$(1)-uninstall: $(1)-$(6)-uninstall
 
 $(1)-clean: $(1)-uninstall
 
-.PHONY: $(1) $(1)-$(4)-uninstall $(1)-uninstall $(1)-clean $(1)-build-deps $(1)-no-deps
+.PHONY: $(1) $(1)-$(6)-uninstall $(1)-uninstall $(1)-clean $(1)-build-deps $(1)-no-deps
 endef #################################################################
 
 $(foreach pkgname, $(NORMAL_PACKAGES),\
     $(foreach tree, $(trees_$(pkgname)), \
 	$(eval $(call NORMAL_PACKAGE_templ,$(pkgname),$(vers_$(pkgname)),\
-	                                   $(call pkg_deps,$(pkgname)),$(tree)))))
+	                                   $(call pkg_deps,$(pkgname),build_),\
+	                                   $(call pkg_deps,$(pkgname)),\
+	                                   $(call pkg_deps,$(pkgname),check_),$(tree)))))
 
 ifdef DEBUG_RULES
 $(info # Rules for standard packages)
 $(foreach pkgname, $(NORMAL_PACKAGES),\
     $(foreach tree, $(trees_$(pkgname)), \
 	$(info $(call NORMAL_PACKAGE_templ,$(pkgname),$(vers_$(pkgname)),\
-	                                   $(call pkg_deps,$(pkgname)),$(tree)))))
+	                                   $(call pkg_deps,$(pkgname),build_),\
+	                                   $(call pkg_deps,$(pkgname)),\
+	                                   $(call pkg_deps,$(pkgname),check_),$(tree)))))
 endif
 
 # ================================ pip packages ===============================
@@ -655,14 +664,17 @@ endif
 
 # Positional arguments:
 #     $(1): package name
-#     $(2): package dependencies
+#     $(2): package build dependencies
+#     $(3): package dependencies
 define PIP_PACKAGE_templ
 $(1)-build-deps: $(2)
 
-$(1): $(2)
+$(1)-deps: $(1)-build-deps $(3)
+
+$(1): $(3) $(2)
 	+$(MAKE_REC) $(1)-no-deps
 
-$(1)-ensure: $(inst_$(1))
+$(1)-ensure: $$(inst_$(1))
 
 $(1)-no-deps:
 	$(AM_V_at)sage-logger -p 'sage --pip install -r "$$(SAGE_ROOT)/build/pkgs/$(1)/requirements.txt"' '$$(SAGE_LOGS)/$(1).log'
@@ -676,12 +688,14 @@ $(1)-clean: $(1)-uninstall
 endef
 
 $(foreach pkgname,$(PIP_PACKAGES),\
-	$(eval $(call PIP_PACKAGE_templ,$(pkgname),$(call pkg_deps,$(pkgname)))))
+	$(eval $(call PIP_PACKAGE_templ,$(pkgname),$(call pkg_deps,$(pkgname),build_),\
+	                                           $(call pkg_deps,$(pkgname)))))
 
 ifdef DEBUG_RULES
 $(info # Rules for pip packages)
 $(foreach pkgname,$(PIP_PACKAGES),\
-	$(info $(call PIP_PACKAGE_templ,$(pkgname),$(call pkg_deps,$(pkgname)))))
+	$(info $(call PIP_PACKAGE_templ,$(pkgname),$(call pkg_deps,$(pkgname),build_),\
+	                                           $(call pkg_deps,$(pkgname)))))
 endif
 
 # ============================= script packages ==============================
@@ -813,13 +827,13 @@ endef
 
 $(foreach pkgname,$(SCRIPT_PACKAGES),\
     $(foreach tree, $(trees_$(pkgname)), \
-	$(eval $(call SCRIPT_PACKAGE_templ,$(pkgname),$(vers_$(pkgname)),$(call pkg_deps,$(pkgname)),$(tree)))))
+	$(eval $(call SCRIPT_PACKAGE_templ,$(pkgname),$(vers_$(pkgname)),$(call pkg_deps,$(pkgname),build_),$(tree)))))
 
 ifdef DEBUG_RULES
 $(info # Rules for script packages)
 $(foreach pkgname,$(SCRIPT_PACKAGES),\
     $(foreach tree, $(trees_$(pkgname)), \
-	$(info $(call SCRIPT_PACKAGE_templ,$(pkgname),$(vers_$(pkgname)),$(call pkg_deps,$(pkgname)),$(tree)))))
+	$(info $(call SCRIPT_PACKAGE_templ,$(pkgname),$(vers_$(pkgname)),$(call pkg_deps,$(pkgname),build_),$(tree)))))
 endif
 
 # sagelib depends on this so that its install script is always executed
diff --git a/m4/sage_spkg_collect.m4 b/m4/sage_spkg_collect.m4
index 2ba272eef4a..b2a072162f9 100644
--- a/m4/sage_spkg_collect.m4
+++ b/m4/sage_spkg_collect.m4
@@ -358,6 +358,7 @@ AC_DEFUN([SAGE_SPKG_FINALIZE], [dnl
     ], [dnl
         dnl No 'dependencies_build' file, so reuse 'dependencies' for that
         AS_VAR_COPY([BUILD_DEPS], [DEPS])
+        AS_VAR_SET([DEPS], [])
     ])
     AS_IF([test -f "$DIR/dependencies_optional"], [dnl
         for a in $(sed 's/^ *//; s/ *#.*//; q' "$DIR/dependencies_optional"); do