diff --git a/require-ess/tools/driver.makefile b/require-ess/tools/driver.makefile
index 98462eece686b54d259fd545d82439b65cc4b198..f9a13412ae9753ff241fc39946b3302e9524ff1e 100644
--- a/require-ess/tools/driver.makefile
+++ b/require-ess/tools/driver.makefile
@@ -862,9 +862,10 @@ s%$(EPICS_MODULES)/*\([^/]*\)/\([^/]*\)/.*%\1 \2%p
 endef
 
 # Create dependency file for recursive requires.
+.PHONY: ${DEPFILE}
 ${DEPFILE}: ${LIBOBJS} $(USERMAKEFILE)
 	@echo "Collecting dependencies"
-	$(RM) $@
+	$(RM) $@.tmp
 	@echo "# Generated file. Do not edit." > $@
 # Check dependencies on other module headers.
 	cat *.d 2>/dev/null | sed 's/ /\n/g' | grep -v '$(EPICS_BASE)/include' | sed -n '$(DEP_PARSER)' >> $@.tmp