diff --git a/scripts/build.py b/scripts/build.py
index fd4ec283..ba3234b5 100644
--- a/scripts/build.py
+++ b/scripts/build.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import pwd
 import argparse
 import time
 import datetime
+import re
 
 all_deps = Set()
 dep_tree = {}
@@ -44,15 +45,22 @@ def read_deps(cur, prereq_type):
         dep_cache[prereq_type] = {}
     path = find_proj_path(cur)
     os.chdir(path)
-        # ignoring prereq_type, as it has never been anything but BUILD, now
-        # only looking for PREREQ without anything
-    p = subprocess.Popen("LD_LIBRARY_PATH= make echo-prereq | sed '/PREREQ " + " *=/ !d; s/.*=//'", shell=True, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
+    # ignoring prereq_type, as it has never been anything but BUILD, now
+    # only looking for PREREQ without anything
+    # p = subprocess.Popen("LD_LIBRARY_PATH= make echo-prereq | sed '/PREREQ " + " *=/ !d; s/.*=//'", shell=True, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
+    p = subprocess.Popen("LD_LIBRARY_PATH= make echo-prereq", shell=True, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
     p.wait()
-    if p.returncode: # FIXME: doesn't work, because sed kills make's return code
+    if p.returncode:
         raise Exception("failed to get " + prereq_type + " prerequisites from " + path)
     r = Set()
-    for d in p.stdout.read().split():
-        r.add(d)
+    pattern = re.compile(r'^ *PREREQ.*=')
+    for line in iter(p.stdout.readline,''):
+        if not pattern.match(line):
+            continue
+        for d in re.sub(pattern, '', line) .split():
+            r.add(d)
+#    for d in p.stdout.read().split():
+#        r.add(d)
     if cur in r:
         r.remove(cur)
     debug('inserting', prereq_type, "prerequisites of", cur, ":", ' '.join(r))
@@ -87,10 +95,18 @@ def calculate_order(order, modules, prereq_type):
     return 1
 
 def run_make(module, target):
+    make_cmd = "make " + target + " 2>&1"
     path = find_proj_path(module)
-    print("========= running make " + target + " in " + path)
+    print(',---------- running ' + make_cmd + ' in ' + path + ' -------------------------- >')
     os.chdir(path)
-    if subprocess.call(["make", target]):
+    p = subprocess.Popen(make_cmd, shell=True, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
+    p.wait()
+    for line in iter(p.stdout.readline,''):
+        sys.stdout.write('| ' + line) # avoid extra newlines from print()
+    sys.stdout.flush()
+    print('`---------- running ' + make_cmd + ' in ' + path + ' -------------------------- <')
+    if p.returncode:
+        print(make_cmd + ' failed')
         raise Exception(time.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M") + ": failed to make target " + target + " in module " + module + " below base " + proj_base)
 
 def build(modules, order, target):