diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/App.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/App.py
index 32a4db97..8ee0f687 100644
--- a/src/python/jw/pkg/App.py
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/App.py
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ class App(Base):
         buf: list[str],
         visited: set[str],
         spec: str,
-        section: str,
+        sections: list[str],
         key: str,
         add_self: bool,
         scope: Scope,
@@ -230,29 +230,33 @@ class App(Base):
                 f'Unmet dependency on {mod}: the -{needed_subpackage} package '
                 f'of project {name} is not installed'
             )
-        vals = self.get_value(name, section, key)
-        log(
-            DEBUG,
-            (
-                f'name={name}, section={section}, key={key}, deps={vals}, '
-                f'scope={scope.name}, visited={visited}'
-            ),
-        )
-        vals_list = vals.split(',') if vals else []
+        vals_list: list[str] = []
+        for section in sections:
+            vals = self.get_value(name, section, key)
+            log(
+                DEBUG,
+                (
+                    f'name={name}, section={section}, key={key}, deps={vals}, '
+                    f'scope={scope.name}, visited={visited}'
+                ),
+            )
+            if not vals:
+                continue
+            for val in vals.split(','):
+                val = val.strip()
+                if (len(val)) and (val not in vals_list):
+                    vals_list.append(val)
         match scope:
             case Scope.Self:
                 buf += vals_list
             case Scope.One | Scope.Subtree:
                 subscope = scope.Self if scope == Scope.One else scope
                 for val in vals_list:
-                    val = val.strip()
-                    if not (len(val)):
-                        continue
                     self.__get_project_refs(
                         buf,
                         visited,
                         val,
-                        section,
+                        sections,
                         key,
                         add_self = True,
                         scope = subscope,
@@ -559,18 +563,17 @@ class App(Base):
         if isinstance(keys, str):
             keys = [keys]
         ret: list[str] = []
-        for section in sections:
-            for key in keys:
-                visited: set[str] = set()
-                for name in projects:
-                    rr: list[str] = []
-                    self.__get_project_refs(
-                        rr, visited, name, section, key, add_self, scope, names_only
-                    )
-                    # TODO: this looks like a performance hogger
-                    for m in rr:
-                        if m not in ret:
-                            ret.append(m)
+        for key in keys:
+            visited: set[str] = set()
+            for name in projects:
+                rr: list[str] = []
+                self.__get_project_refs(
+                    rr, visited, name, sections, key, add_self, scope, names_only
+                )
+                # TODO: this looks like a performance hogger
+                for m in rr:
+                    if m not in ret:
+                        ret.append(m)
         return ret
 
     def get_libname(self, spec: str) -> str | None: