diff --git a/scripts/projects.py b/scripts/projects.py
index fac2b00e..557709d1 100644
--- a/scripts/projects.py
+++ b/scripts/projects.py
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import sys
 import argparse
 from sets import Set
 from os.path import expanduser
+from os.path import basename
+from os.path import realpath
 import re
 
 def re_section(name):
@@ -36,53 +38,47 @@ def get_section(path, section):
     return r.rstrip()
  
 def get_value(name, section, key):
-    proj_root = proj_dir(name)
-    dirs = []
-    if topdir:
-        dirs.append(topdir)
-    dirs.append(projs_root + '/' + name)
-    if section == 'version':
-        for d in dirs:
-            with open(d + '/VERSION', 'r') as file:
-                r=file.read().replace('\n', '').replace('-dev', '')
-                file.close()
-                return r
-        raise Exception("failed to find version of " + name)
+    if topdir and name == basename(realpath(topdir)):
+        proj_root = topdir
+    else:
+        proj_root = projs_root + '/' + name
 
-    dirs = []
-    if topdir:
-        dirs.append(topdir)
-    dirs.append(projs_root + '/' + name)
+    if section == 'version':
+        file = open(proj_root + '/VERSION', 'r')
+        r=file.read().replace('\n', '').replace('-dev', '')
+        file.close()
+        return r
+
+    r = ()
     for conf in [ '/make/project.conf', '/doc/share/project.txt' ]:
-        for d in dirs:
-            path = d + conf
-            r = ()
-            try:
-                file = open(path)
-            except:
-                continue
-            if not len(section):
-                for line in file:
+        path = proj_root + conf
+        try:
+            file = open(path)
+        except:
+            continue
+        if not len(section):
+            for line in file:
+                r = re.findall('^ *' + key + ' *= *(.*)', line)
+                if (len(r) > 0):
+                    break
+        else:
+            in_section = False
+            pat = '[' + section + ']'
+            for line in file:
+                if (line.rstrip() == pat):
+                    in_section = True
+                    continue
+                if in_section:
+                    if len(line) and line[0] == '[':
+                        break
                     r = re.findall('^ *' + key + ' *= *(.*)', line)
                     if (len(r) > 0):
                         break
-            else:
-                in_section = False
-                pat = '[' + section + ']'
-                for line in file:
-                    if (line.rstrip() == pat):
-                        in_section = True
-                        continue
-                    if in_section:
-                        if len(line) and line[0] == '[':
-                            break
-                        r = re.findall('^ *' + key + ' *= *(.*)', line)
-                        if (len(r) > 0):
-                            break
-            file.close()
-            if len(r):
-                return r[0]
-            return ''
+        file.close()
+
+    if len(r):
+        return r[0]
+    return ''
 
     return None
 
@@ -90,13 +86,16 @@ def get_value(name, section, key):
 # scope 1: children
 # scope 2: recursive
 
-def add_modules_from_project_txt(buf, spec, section, key, add_self, scope,
+def add_modules_from_project_txt(buf, visited, spec, section, key, add_self, scope,
         names_only):
     name = strip_module_from_spec(spec)
     if names_only:
         spec = name
     if spec in buf:
         return
+    if spec in visited:
+        return
+    visited.add(spec)
     deps = get_value(name, section, key)
     if deps and scope > 0:
         if scope == 1:
@@ -105,7 +104,7 @@ def add_modules_from_project_txt(buf, spec, section, key, add_self, scope,
             subscope = 2
         deps = deps.split(',')
         for dep in deps:
-            add_modules_from_project_txt(buf, dep,
+            add_modules_from_project_txt(buf, visited, dep,
                     section, key, add_self=True, scope=subscope,
                     names_only=names_only)
     if add_self:
@@ -115,8 +114,9 @@ def get_modules_from_project_txt(names, section, key, add_self, scope,
         names_only = True):
     #r = Set()
     r = []
+    visited = Set()
     for name in names:
-        add_modules_from_project_txt(r, name, section, key, add_self, scope,
+        add_modules_from_project_txt(r, visited, name, section, key, add_self, scope,
                 names_only)
     return r