diff --git a/require-ess/tools/driver.makefile b/require-ess/tools/driver.makefile
index a36150cf20d4308606e4afd5f6f9e49cb1f6f286..0688c37734fd1f7b3af869e395baa359f3adf51e 100644
--- a/require-ess/tools/driver.makefile
+++ b/require-ess/tools/driver.makefile
@@ -435,13 +435,13 @@ 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 = $(call --select,$(wordlist 2,2147483647,$2),$(firstword $2),3,$1,$3)
---select = $(if $1,$(if $(call exec,$5,$(call list2param,$(wordlist 1,$2,$1))), $(call pick,$4,$1))$(call --select,$(wordlist $3,2147483647,$1),$2,$3,$4,$5))
+-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))
 
 str-eq = $(if $(subst x$1,,x$2),,t)
 
 define fetch_deps
-2 $(shell cat $(E3_SITEMODS_PATH)/$1/$($1_VERSION)/lib/$(T_A)/$1.dep | sed '1d')
+$(shell cat $(E3_SITEMODS_PATH)/$1/$($1_VERSION)/lib/$(T_A)/$1.dep | sed '1d')
 endef
 
 define update_dep_versions