diff --git a/src/bsys.c b/src/bsys.c
index 91444f72..ce9bd3a1 100644
--- a/src/bsys.c
+++ b/src/bsys.c
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ int bsys_dep_tree(bsys_t const* bsys, int argc, char* argv[]) {
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int bsys_build_deps(bsys_t const* bsys) {
+static int do_build_deps(bsys_t const* bsys) {
 	if (bsys->dep_tree == NULL || bsys->build_deps == NULL) {
 		return 0;
 	}
@@ -94,15 +94,13 @@ static int bsys_build_deps(bsys_t const* bsys) {
 	return rv;
 }
 
-int bsys_build(bsys_t const* bsys, char const* preinstall_prefix) {
+int bsys_build(bsys_t const* bsys, char const* preinstall_prefix, bool build_deps) {
 	if (bsys->build == NULL) {
 		LOG_WARN("%s build system does not have a build step; nothing to build!", bsys->name);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	// Install dependencies.
-
-	if (bsys_build_deps(bsys) < 0) {
+	if (build_deps && do_build_deps(bsys) < 0) {
 		return -1;
 	}
 
@@ -187,7 +185,7 @@ static int install(bsys_t const* bsys, bool to_tmp_prefix) {
 
 	// Run build step.
 
-	if (bsys_build(bsys, path) < 0) {
+	if (bsys_build(bsys, path, true) < 0) {
 		return -1;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/bsys.h b/src/bsys.h
index 7b465ac1..d1121f72 100644
--- a/src/bsys.h
+++ b/src/bsys.h
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ static bsys_t const* const BSYS[] = {
 
 bsys_t const* bsys_identify(void);
 int bsys_dep_tree(bsys_t const* bsys, int argc, char* argv[]);
-int bsys_build(bsys_t const* bsys, char const* preinstall_prefix);
+int bsys_build(bsys_t const* bsys, char const* preinstall_prefix, bool build_deps);
 int bsys_run(bsys_t const* bsys, int argc, char* argv[]);
 int bsys_sh(bsys_t const* bsys, int argc, char* argv[]);
 int bsys_install(bsys_t const* bsys);
diff --git a/src/deps.c b/src/deps.c
index 2ae2fc7d..21f97092 100644
--- a/src/deps.c
+++ b/src/deps.c
@@ -28,7 +28,12 @@ static bool build_task(void* data) {
 	// XXX If the dependency wants to use a different output path, we should probably add a function in the Bob build script to set the output path to something else instead of having an -o switch.
 
 	cmd_t CMD_CLEANUP cmd = {0};
-	cmd_create(&cmd, init_name, "-t", tmp_install_prefix, "-p", install_prefix, "-C", path, "build", NULL);
+	cmd_create(&cmd, init_name, "-p", install_prefix, "-C", path, NULL);
+
+	cmd_add(&cmd, "-t");
+	cmd_add(&cmd, tmp_install_prefix);
+
+	cmd_add(&cmd, "build-no-deps");
 
 	int const rv = cmd_exec(&cmd);
 
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index e8dfdc81..5c56da21 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -273,12 +273,20 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
 
 	char const* const instr = *argv++;
 
+	// If we explicitly set a temporary installation prefix, we're probably intending to preinstall to that prefix, even when just building.
+
+	char* const build_prefix = tmp_install_prefix_set ? tmp_install_prefix : NULL;
+
 	if (strcmp(instr, "build") == 0) {
-		// If we explicitly set a temporary installation prefix, we're probably intending to preinstall to that prefix, even when just building.
+		if (bsys_build(bsys, build_prefix, true) == 0) {
+			rv = EXIT_SUCCESS;
+		}
+	}
 
-		char* const prefix = tmp_install_prefix_set ? tmp_install_prefix : NULL;
+	// This is intentionally undocumented, as it's only used when the dependencies of this process are already being managed by another.
 
-		if (bsys_build(bsys, prefix) == 0) {
+	else if (strcmp(instr, "build-no-deps") == 0) {
+		if (bsys_build(bsys, build_prefix, false) == 0) {
 			rv = EXIT_SUCCESS;
 		}
 	}
@@ -301,7 +309,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// This is purposefully undocumented, as it's really only used for communication between Bob parent processes and their Bob children processes.
+	// This is intentionally undocumented, as it's really only used for communication between Bob parent processes and their Bob children processes.
 
 	else if (strcmp(instr, "dep-tree") == 0) {
 		LOG_WARN("This command is internal and isn't meant for direct use. A correct consumer of this command should be able to discard this message by reading the contents within the dependency tree tags.");