diff --git a/require-ess/tools/driver.makefile b/require-ess/tools/driver.makefile
index 0688c37734fd1f7b3af869e395baa359f3adf51e..ea0392c1f2ea809655eb333b9de0648d67347c02 100644
--- a/require-ess/tools/driver.makefile
+++ b/require-ess/tools/driver.makefile
@@ -432,11 +432,8 @@ list2param = $(subst $(space),$(comma),$(strip $1))
 exec = $(eval -exec=$1)$(eval -exec:=$$(call -exec,$(call list2param,$2)))$(-exec)
 while = $(if $(call exec,$1),$(eval $2)$(call while,$1,$2,$3),$(eval $3))
 
-pick = $(foreach elem,$1,$(word $(elem),$2))
-
-select = $(strip $(call -select,$1,$(strip $2),$3))
--select = $(call --select,$2,$1,$3)
---select = $(if $1,$(if $(call exec,$3,$(call list2param,$(wordlist 1,2,$1))), $(call pick,$2,$1))$(call --select,$(wordlist 3,2147483647,$1),$2,$3))
+select = $(strip $(call -select,$(strip $2),$1,$3))
+-select = $(if $1,$(if $(call exec,$3,$(call list2param,$(wordlist 1,2,$1))), $(word $2,$1))$(call -select,$(wordlist 3,2147483647,$1),$2,$3))
 
 str-eq = $(if $(subst x$1,,x$2),,t)