diff --git a/abuild b/abuild
index 574a70cfc8f9cfe947b56f27763f5c04f15622c4..f46bcfe93d2de9c5afedeb14f2119423da7e166e 100755
--- a/abuild
+++ b/abuild
@@ -23,8 +23,7 @@ pkgrel=0
 SRCDEST=${SRCDEST:-$startdir}
 PKGDEST=${PKGDEST:-$startdir}
 
-default_cmds="sanitycheck makedepcheck clean fetch md5check unpack rootpkg"
-all_cmds="checksum fetch unpack rootpkg build package cleancache clean srcpkg"
+default_cmds="sanitycheck builddeps clean fetch md5check unpack rootpkg"
 
 # functions
 msg() {
@@ -66,18 +65,6 @@ sanitycheck() {
 	return 0
 }
 
-# check if we have needed packages to build this thing
-makedepcheck() {
-	local i
-	local missing=
-	for i in $makedepends; do
-		apk_info -e $i || missing="$missing $i"
-	done
-	[ -z "$missing" ] && return 0
-	warning "Missing makedepends: $missing"
-	return 1
-}
-
 md5check() {
 	if [ -z "$source" ]; then
 		return 0
@@ -203,7 +190,7 @@ package_apk() {
 	local name=${subpkgname:-$pkgname}
 	[ -z "${name##* *}" ] && die "package name contains spaces"
 	local dir=${subpkgdir:-$pkgdir}
-	local pkg="$name-$pkgver-$pkgrel.apk"
+	local pkg="$name-$pkgver-r$pkgrel.apk"
 	
 	[ ! -d "$dir" ] && die "Missing $dir"
 	cd "$dir"
@@ -218,7 +205,7 @@ package_apk() {
 	echo "# $(date -u)" >> .PKGINFO
 	cat >> .PKGINFO <<EOF
 pkgname = $name
-pkgver = $pkgver-$pkgrel
+pkgver = $pkgver-r$pkgrel
 pkgdesc = $pkgdesc
 url = $url
 builddate = $builddate
@@ -342,12 +329,46 @@ up2date() {
 	return 0
 }
 
+# note: this must run in a subshell
+find_aport() {
+	local i
+	cd ../..
+	for i in */*/APKBUILD; do
+		. $i
+		local j
+		for j in $pkgname $subpackages; do
+			if [ "${j%%:*}" = "$1" ]; then
+				echo "$PWD/${i%/APKBUILD}/$1-$pkgver-r$pkgrel.apk"
+				return 0
+			fi
+		done
+	done
+	return 1
+}
+
+# recursively build and install dependencies
+builddeps() {
+	local dep pkg
+	for dep in $depends $makedepends; do
+		apk_info -e $dep && continue
+		[ -z "$recursive" ] && die "Missing dependency $dep. Use -r to build recursively"
+		# sudo apk_add $dep && continue
+		pkg=$(find_aport $dep) || die "failed to find dependency $dep"
+		# recursively build deps
+		msg "entering ${pkg%/*}"
+		cd ${pkg%/*} 
+		$0 -r || return 1
+		sudo apk_add $pkg
+	done
+}
+
 usage() {
 	echo "$(basename $0) $myver"
 	echo "usage: $0 [options] [cmd] ..."
 	echo "Options:"
 	echo " -h  Show this help"
 	echo " -f  Force specified cmd, even if they are already done"
+	echo " -r  Recursively build and install dependencies (using sudo)"
 	echo " -q  Quiet"
 	echo ""
 	echo "Commands:"
@@ -379,11 +400,12 @@ checksum() {
 
 APKBUILD="${APKBUILD:-./APKBUILD}"
 
-while getopts "hfq" opt; do
+while getopts "hfqr" opt; do
 	case $opt in
 		'h') usage;;
 		'f') force=1;;
 		'q') quiet=1;;
+		'r') recursive=1;;
 	esac
 done
 shift $(( $OPTIND - 1 ))