diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/mkfile b/sys/src/cmd/mkfile
index 08de8cc51..9310e6b76 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/mkfile
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/mkfile
@@ -1,137 +1,74 @@
 </$objtype/mkfile
 
-TARG=`{ls *.[cy] | sed '/\.tab\.c$/d;s/..$//'}
+YTARG=`{ls | sed -n '/\.y$/s/\.y$//p'}
+TARG=$YTARG `{ls | sed -n '/^cp\.c$/d; /^yacc\.c$/d; /\.c$/s/\.c$//p'}
 HFILES=/$objtype/include/u.h /sys/include/libc.h /sys/include/bio.h
+
 BIN=/$objtype/bin
-PROGS=${TARG:%=$O.%}
 LDFLAGS=
 YFLAGS=-d
 
-NOTSYS=sml|dup|.+\..+
-PCONLY=|vmx
-NOMK=$NOTSYS`{~ $objtype (386 amd64) || echo $PCONLY}
+PCONLY=vmx
+POWERLESS=dtracy  # until someone fixes the build for power
+NOMK=`{~ $objtype (386 amd64) || echo $PCONLY} `{~ $objtype power && echo $POWERLESS}
+DIRS=`{echo */mkfile | sed 's,/mkfile *,\n,g' | grep -v '-e^'^('' $NOMK)^'$'}
 
-cpuobjtype=`{sed -n 's/^O=//p' /$cputype/mkfile}
-DIRS=`{echo */mkfile | sed 's,/mkfile *,\n,g' | grep -v '^('$NOMK')$'}
-APEDIRS=bzip2 compress cvs eqn grap gs links-ape lp pic postscript spin \
-	tex troff
+usage:VQ:
+	echo 'usage: mk all, all.cpus, cmds, $O.$cmd'
+	echo '	install, install.cpus, $cmd.install, $cmd.install.cpus'
+	echo '	clean, nuke'
 
-none:VQ:
-	echo usage: mk cmds, dirs, all, install, installall, '$O'.cmd, cmd.install, or cmd.installall
+%.c %.tab.h:D: %.y
+	yacc $YFLAGS -o $stem.c -s $stem $stem.y
 
-cmds:V:	$PROGS
+%.$O: $HFILES
 
-ape:V: $APE
-	for(i in $APEDIRS) @{
-		cd $i
-		echo mk $i
-		mk $MKFLAGS all
-	}
+%.$O: %.c
+	$CC $CFLAGS $stem.c
 
-dirs:V:
-	for(i in cc $DIRS) @{
-		cd $i
-		echo mk $i
-		mk $MKFLAGS all
-	}
+$O.%: %.$O
+	$LD $LDFLAGS -o $target $stem.$O
 
-all:V:	$PROGS dirs
+$BIN/%: $O.%
+	cp $O.$stem $target
 
-^([$OS])\.(.*):R:	\2.\1
-	$stem1^l $LDFLAGS -o $target $stem2.$stem1
+$BIN/cp: $O.cp
+	`{if(~ $objtype $cputype) echo ./$O.cp; if not echo cp} $prereq $target
 
-.*\.[$OS]:R:	$HFILES
+$BIN/init: $O.init  # hack, install location is not target
+	cp $O.init /$objtype/init
 
-(.*)\.([$OS])'$':R:	\1.c
-	$stem2^c $CFLAGS $stem1.c
+%.acid: %.c $HFILES
+	$CC $CFLAGS -a $stem.c >$target
 
-&:n:	$O.&
-	mv $O.$stem $stem
+%.cpus:V:
+	for(objtype in $CPUS) mk $MKFLAGS $stem
 
-%.tab.h %.tab.c:D:	%.y
-	$YACC $YFLAGS -s $stem $prereq
-
-%.install:V: $BIN/%
-
-$cpuobjtype._cp:	/bin/cp
-	cp $prereq $target
-
-%.safeinstall:	$O.% $cpuobjtype._cp
-	test -e $BIN/$stem && mv $BIN/$stem $BIN/_$stem
-	./$cpuobjtype._cp $O.$stem $BIN/$stem
-
-%.safeinstallall:
-	for(objtype in $CPUS)
-		mk $stem.safeinstall
-	mk $stem.clean
-
-$BIN/%:	$O.% $cpuobjtype._cp
-	./$cpuobjtype._cp $O.$stem $BIN/$stem
-
-%.directories:V:
+%.dirs:V:
 	for(i in $DIRS) @{
 		cd $i
 		echo mk $i
 		mk $MKFLAGS $stem
 	}
 
-clean:V:	cleanfiles clean.directories
+cmds:V: $O.cp $O.yacc ${TARG:%=$O.%}
 
-nuke:V:		cleanfiles nuke.directories
+all:V: cmds
+	mk $MKFLAGS all.dirs
 
-directories:V:	install.directories
+%.install:V: $BIN/%
 
-cleanfiles:V:
-	rm -f [$OS].out *.[$OS] y.tab.? y.debug y.output [$OS].$TARG [$OS].units.tab $TARG bc.c bc.tab.h units.tab.h units.c mpc.c mpc.tab.h [$OS]._cp
-
-%.clean:V:
-	rm -f [$OS].$stem $stem.[$OS]
-
-install:V:
-	test -e $cpuobjtype._cp || cp /bin/cp $cpuobjtype._cp
+install:V: cp.install
+	mk $MKFLAGS yacc.install
 	mk $MKFLAGS $TARG.install
-	mk $MKFLAGS directories
+	mk $MKFLAGS install.dirs
 
-installall:V:
-	for(objtype in $CPUS)
-		mk $MKFLAGS install
+installall:V: install.cpus
 
-%.installall:	%.c
-	test -e $cpuobjtype._cp || cp /bin/cp $cpuobjtype._cp
-	for (objtype in $CPUS) {
-		rfork e
-		mk $stem.install &
-	}
-	wait
-	rm -f $stem.[$OS] y.tab.? $stem.tab.? y.debug y.output [$OS].$stem bc.c bc.tab.h units.c mpc.c
+cleancmds:V:
+	rm -f *.[$OS] [$OS].* y.tab.? y.debug y.output $YTARG.c *.tab.h
 
-%.acid: %.$O $HFILES
-	$CC $CFLAGS -a $stem.c >$target
+clean:V: cleancmds clean.dirs
 
-(bc|units|mpc|pc).c:R:	\1.tab.c
-	mv $stem1.tab.c $stem1.c
-
-$BIN/init:	$O.init
-	cp $prereq /$objtype/init
-
-$O.cj:	cj.$O
-	$LD $LDFLAGS -o $O.cj cj.$O /$objtype/lib/libjpg.a
-
-%.update:V:
-	update $stem.c /386/bin/$stem
-
-compilers:V:
-	for(i in ?c)
-		if(! ~ $i cc rc) @{
-			cd $i
-			mk clean
-			objtype=$cputype mk install
-			mk clean
-		}
-	for(i in ?c)
-		if(! ~ $i cc rc) @{
-			cd $i
-			mk clean
-			mk installall
-			mk clean
-		}
+nuke:V: cleancmds nuke.dirs
+	rm -f *.acid