diff --git a/sys/unix/Makefile.doc b/sys/unix/Makefile.doc
index d1c3c1831..a30787e5a 100644
--- a/sys/unix/Makefile.doc
+++ b/sys/unix/Makefile.doc
@@ -39,10 +39,13 @@ ONEPAGECMD = $(ONEPAGE_PREFORMAT) | nroff -c -Tascii | $(COLCMD) \
 
 # Only generate output for the current configuration:
 NHGREP = $(MAKEDEFS) --grep --input - --output -
+NEEDMAKEDEFS = $(MAKEDEFS)
 # Generate output for all configurations:
 #NHGREP = $(MAKEDEFS) --grep --input - --output - --grep-define ALLDOCS
+#NEEDMAKEDEFS = $(MAKEDEFS)
 # Fallback:
 #NHGREP = cat
+#NEEDMAKEDEFS =
 
 GUIDE_PREFORMAT = cat Guidebook.mn | $(NHGREP) | tbl tmac.n -
 # for Guidebook.dat, unpaginated version of Guidebook.txt
@@ -50,21 +53,27 @@ ONEPAGE_PREFORMAT = cat Gbk-1pg-pfx.mn Guidebook.mn Gbk-1pg-sfx.mn \
 	| $(NHGREP) | tbl tmac.n -
 
 # the basic guidebook
-Guidebook:	Guidebook.mn tmac.n tmac.nh
+Guidebook	: Guidebook.mn tmac.n tmac.nh $(NEEDMAKEDEFS)
 	$(GUIDECMD) > Guidebook
 
 # Fancier output for those with ditroff, psdit and a PostScript printer.
-Guidebook.ps:	Guidebook.mn tmac.n tmac.nh
+Guidebook.ps	: Guidebook.mn tmac.n tmac.nh $(NEEDMAKEDEFS)
 	$(GUIDE_PREFORMAT) | $(PSCMD) > Guidebook.ps
 
 # Guidebook.tex is the same as Guidebook.mn but formatted with LaTeX.
 # - The invocation command for LaTeX may vary in different installations.
 # - To print Guidebook.dvi you need to use a suitable dvi-driver.
 # - LaTeX needs to be run twice; second pass uses Guidebook.aux made by first.
-Guidebook.dvi:	Guidebook.tex
+Guidebook.dvi	: Guidebook.tex
 	latex Guidebook.tex
 	latex Guidebook.tex
 
+# makedefs has more dependencies than these; this is mainly to cope with the
+# case where it hasn't been built yet since it is usually needed for $(NHGREP)
+# (note: 'make makedefs', not 'make $(MAKEDEFS)')
+$(MAKEDEFS)	: ../util/makedefs.c ../include/config.h ../src/mdlib.c \
+		  ../util/mdgrep.h
+	( cd ../util ; make makedefs )
 
 GAME	= nethack
 MANDIR	= /usr/man/man6
@@ -94,9 +103,10 @@ DISTRIB = Guidebook.txt nethack.txt recover.txt \
 distrib: $(DISTRIB)
 	@echo "Plain text documentation is up to date."
 
-Guidebook.txt	: Guidebook.mn tmac.n tmac.nh
+Guidebook.txt	: Guidebook.mn tmac.n tmac.nh $(NEEDMAKEDEFS)
 	$(GUIDECMD) > Guidebook.txt
-Guidebook.dat	: Gbk-1pg-pfx.mn Gbk-1pg-sfx.mn Guidebook.mn tmac.n tmac.nh
+Guidebook.dat	: Gbk-1pg-pfx.mn Gbk-1pg-sfx.mn Guidebook.mn tmac.n tmac.nh \
+		  $(NEEDMAKEDEFS)
 	$(ONEPAGECMD) > Guidebook.dat
 
 MAN2TXT = $(NHGREP) | nroff -man - | $(COLCMD)
diff --git a/sys/unix/Makefile.src b/sys/unix/Makefile.src
index 153b3ebc2..bb3e175ce 100644
--- a/sys/unix/Makefile.src
+++ b/sys/unix/Makefile.src
@@ -710,7 +710,8 @@ $(MAKEDEFS): $(FIRSTOBJ) \
 		../include/patchlevel.h
 	@( cd ../util ; $(MAKE) makedefs )
 
-#	Source files created by 'makedefs' at build time.
+#	Source files formerly created by 'makedefs' at build time
+#	but no longer used.
 #	Each is given an artificial dependency upon the one before
 #	so that parallel makes will have to build them sequentially.
 #	(More for documentation than effect; 'make' should know not
@@ -771,7 +772,8 @@ clean:
 spotless: clean
 	-rm -f a.out core $(GAMEBIN) Sys*
 	-rm -f ../include/nhlua.h
-	-rm -f ../include/date.h ../include/onames.h ../include/pm.h
+	-rm -f ../include/date.h #created but no longer used, at least by core
+	-rm -f ../include/onames.h ../include/pm.h #obsolete generated files
 	-rm -f tile.c *.moc
 	-rm -f ../win/gnome/gn_rip.h
 
diff --git a/sys/unix/Makefile.utl b/sys/unix/Makefile.utl
index 1998e3c2b..57b1fcec3 100644
--- a/sys/unix/Makefile.utl
+++ b/sys/unix/Makefile.utl
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2018 by Robert Patrick Rankin
 # NetHack may be freely redistributed.  See license for details.
 
+#
+# Note: as of nethack 3.7, 'lev_comp' and 'dgn_comp' are no longer present
+#	so use of yacc and lex to build them is no longer required.
+#
+
 # Root of source tree:
 NHSROOT=..
 
@@ -206,12 +211,18 @@ TARGET_CXXFLAGS = $(CXXFLAGS)
 makedefs:	$(MAKEOBJS) mdgrep.h
 	$(CLINK) $(LFLAGS) -o makedefs $(MAKEOBJS)
 
-makedefs.o: makedefs.c ../src/mdlib.c $(CONFIG_H) ../include/permonst.h \
-		../include/objclass.h ../include/sym.h ../include/defsym.h \
+
+# note: the headers listed here are maintained manually rather than via
+#	'make depend'; only the ones which are directly included by
+#	makedefs.c are listed, without various nested ones that they include;
+#	for makedefs (but not for nethack's core), mdlib.c gets included
+#	rather than be compiled separately
+makedefs.o: makedefs.c ../src/mdlib.c $(CONFIG_H) \
+		../include/permonst.h ../include/objclass.h \
 		../include/artilist.h ../include/dungeon.h ../include/obj.h \
 		../include/monst.h ../include/monsters.h ../include/objects.h \
-		../include/you.h ../include/flag.h ../include/dlb.h \
-		../include/patchlevel.h
+		../include/you.h ../include/context.h ../include/flag.h \
+		../include/dlb.h ../include/patchlevel.h mdgrep.h
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c makedefs.c -o $@
 
 # Don't require perl to build; that is why mdgrep.h is spelled wrong below.