diff --git a/make-rule.scm b/make-rule.scm
index da91555..0ac0615 100644
--- a/make-rule.scm
+++ b/make-rule.scm
@@ -86,51 +86,61 @@
   rule-cmd-index
   (make link shutdown))
 
-(define (rule-node/sort-msgs unsorted to-order)
-  (map (lambda (pos)
-	 (map (lambda (tmsg)
-		(let ((msg (tagged-msg-stripped tmsg))
-		      (sender (tagged-msg-tag tmsg)))
-		  (if (eq? sender pos)
-		      msg)))
-	      unsorted))
-       to-order))
+(define (position< maybe-lesser maybe-greater objects)
+  (if (null? objects) 
+      (error "position< has empty objects-list.")
+      (let search-objects ((current (car objects))
+			   (todo (cdr objects)))
+	(cond
+	 ((= (tagged-msg-tag maybe-lesser) current) #t)
+	 ((= (tagged-msg-tag maybe-greater) current) #f)
+	 ((null? todo) 
+	  (error "position< maybe-lesser or maybe-greater not found."))
+	 (else (search-objects (car todo) (cdr todo)))))))
 
-;;; send each prereq-thread a make command and the init-state
-;;; then wait for the results to return 
-;;; sort to the order they were sent and ciao
-(define (rule-node/get-prereqs-results rule connect-ch recipients init-state)
-  (rule-node/sort-msgs (map 
-			(lambda (recipient)
-			  (send&collect/send connect-ch 
-					     (make-tagged-msg recipient 
-							      (rule-cmd make)))
-			  (send&collect/receive connect-ch))
-			recipients)
-		       recipients))
+(define (rule-node/sort-msgs unsorted to-order)
+  (map tagged-msg-stripped
+       (sort (lambda (maybe-lesser maybe-greater) 
+	       (position< maybe-lesser maybe-greater to-order))
+	     unsorted (list))))
+
+(define (rule-node/prereqs-results rule connect-ch recipients)
+  (let ((unsorted-msgs (map (lambda (recipient) 
+			      (let ((tmsg (make-tagged-msg recipient
+							   (rule-cmd make))))
+				(send&collect/send connect-ch tmsg)
+				(send&collect/receive connect-ch)))
+			    recipients)))
+    (rule-node/sort-msgs unsorted-msgs recipients)))
 
 (define (rule-node/make rule listen-ch connect-ch recipients init-state)
-  (let* ((prereqs-results (rule-node/get-prereqs-results rule connect-ch
-							 recipients init-state))
-	 (wants-build?-result (apply (rule-wants-build? rule)
-				     (append prereqs-results (list init-state))))
-	 (build-required? (car wants-build?-result))
-	 (cooked-state (cdr wants-build?-result)))
-    (if build-required? 
-	(make-rule-result wants-build?-result
-			  (apply (rule-build-func rule)
-				 (append (list build-required?)
-					 prereqs-results 
-					 (list cooked-state))))
-	(make-rule-result wants-build?-result #f))))
+  (let ((prereqs-results (rule-node/prereqs-results rule connect-ch recipients)))
+    (let ((wants-build?-result (if (null? prereqs-results)
+				   ((rule-wants-build? rule) init-state)
+				   (apply (rule-wants-build? rule)
+					  (append prereqs-results 
+						  (list init-state))))))
+      (let ((build-required? (car wants-build?-result))
+	    (cooked-state (cdr wants-build?-result)))
+	(if build-required? 
+	    (if (null? prereqs-results)
+		(make-rule-result wants-build?-result
+				  ((rule-build-func rule)
+				   build-required? cooked-state))
+		(make-rule-result wants-build?-result
+				  (apply (rule-build-func rule) 
+					 (append (list build-required?)
+						 prereqs-results 
+						 (list cooked-state)))))
+	    (make-rule-result wants-build?-result #f))))))
 
 (define (rule-node/make-links rule connect-ch rule-set)
   (let ((listen-chs (map (lambda (r) 
-			   (cdr (assq r (rule-set-rules rule-set))))
-			 (rule-prereqs rule))))
+                           (cdr (assq r (rule-set-rules rule-set))))
+                         (rule-prereqs rule))))
     (map (lambda (listen-ch)
-	   (make-link connect-ch listen-ch))
-	 listen-chs)))
+           (make-link connect-ch listen-ch))
+         listen-chs)))
 
 (define (rule-node rule listen-ch init-state rule-set)
   (let ((connect-ch (send&collect/make-channel)))