diff --git a/subr/ex_pkg.subr b/subr/ex_pkg.subr
index 8df0e17..a5dcd0b 100644
--- a/subr/ex_pkg.subr
+++ b/subr/ex_pkg.subr
@@ -8,17 +8,20 @@
 # @_pkg_disabled:	list of disabled packages
 # @_pkg_finished:	list of finished packages
 # @_pkg_name:		single package name
+# @_pkg_names:		list of package names
 # @_pkg_wait:		list of in-progress packages
 #
 # Return:		zero (0) given no outstanding dependencies, non-zero (>0) otherwise
 #
 ex_pkg_check_depends() {
-	local	_checkfl="${1}" _pkg_disabled="${2}" _pkg_finished="${3}" _pkg_name="${4}" _pkg_wait="${5}"\
+	local	_checkfl="${1}" _pkg_disabled="${2}" _pkg_finished="${3}" _pkg_name="${4}" _pkg_names="${5}" _pkg_wait="${6}"\
 		_dependfl=0 _pkg_depends="" _pkg_name_depend="";
 	if [ "${_checkfl:-0}" -eq 1 ]\
 	&& _pkg_depends="$(rtl_uniq $(rtl_lunfold_depends 'PKG_${_name}_DEPENDS' $(rtl_get_var_unsafe -u "PKG_"${_pkg_name}"_DEPENDS")))"; then
 		for _pkg_name_depend in $(rtl_uniq ${_pkg_depends}); do
-			if ! rtl_lmatch "${_pkg_disabled}" "${_pkg_name_depend}"\
+			if ! rtl_lmatch "${_pkg_names}" "${_pkg_name_depend}"; then
+				rtl_log_msg fatalexit "Error: dependency \`%s' of \`%s' unknown." "${_pkg_name_depend}" "${_pkg_name}";
+			elif ! rtl_lmatch "${_pkg_disabled}" "${_pkg_name_depend}"\
 			&& ! rtl_lmatch "${_pkg_finished}" "${_pkg_name_depend}"; then
 				_dependfl=1; break;
 			elif rtl_lmatch "${_pkg_wait}" "${_pkg_name_depend}"; then
diff --git a/subr/ex_pkg_dispatch.subr b/subr/ex_pkg_dispatch.subr
index 669357c..f399700 100644
--- a/subr/ex_pkg_dispatch.subr
+++ b/subr/ex_pkg_dispatch.subr
@@ -158,9 +158,9 @@ exp_pkg_dispatch_package() {
 # Return:			zero (0) on success, non-zero (>0) on failure, ${EXP_PKG_DISPATCH_NJOBS}, ${EXP_PKG_DISPATCH_COUNT}, ${EX_PKG_NAMES}, and ${EX_PKG_DISPATCH_WAIT} may be mutated post-return.
 #
 exp_pkg_dispatch_packages() {
-	local	_build_steps_default="${1}" _build_vars_default="${2}" _checkfl="${3}"		\
-		_dispatch_fn="${4}" _group_name="${5}" _njobs_max="${6}" _pipe_path="${7}"	\
-		_pkg_disabled="${8}" _pkg_finished="${9}" _restart_at="${10}" _workdir="${11}"	\
+	local	_build_steps_default="${1}" _build_vars_default="${2}" _checkfl="${3}"\
+		_dispatch_fn="${4}" _group_name="${5}" _njobs_max="${6}" _pipe_path="${7}"\
+		_pkg_disabled="${8}" _pkg_finished="${9}" _restart_at="${10}" _workdir="${11}"\
 		_foundfl=0 _njob=0 _pkg_depends="" _pkg_name="";
 	while [ "${EXP_PKG_DISPATCH_NJOBS:-0}" -lt "${_njobs_max}" ]; do
 		_foundfl=0;
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ exp_pkg_dispatch_packages() {
 			&& ! rtl_lmatch "${_pkg_finished}" "${_pkg_name}"\
 			&& ! rtl_lmatch "${EX_PKG_DISPATCH_WAIT}" "${_pkg_name}"\
 			&& ex_pkg_check_depends "${_checkfl}" "${_pkg_disabled}" "${_pkg_finished}"	\
-					"${_pkg_name}" "${EX_PKG_DISPATCH_WAIT}"; then
+					"${_pkg_name}" "${EX_PKG_NAMES}" "${EX_PKG_DISPATCH_WAIT}"; then
 				exp_pkg_dispatch_package "${_build_steps_default}"			\
 					"${_build_vars_default}" "${_dispatch_fn}"			\
 					"${_group_name}" "${_pkg_name}" "${_restart_at}"		\