diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7985268..d6e8fe6 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 CABAL?=cabal
 
+DEBDEPS=gnupg ghc cabal-install libghc-missingh-dev libghc-ansi-terminal-dev libghc-ifelse-dev libghc-unix-compat-dev libghc-hslogger-dev libghc-network-dev libghc-quickcheck2-dev libghc-mtl-dev libghc-monadcatchio-transformers-dev
+
 run: deps build
 	./propellor
 
@@ -10,7 +12,7 @@ build: dist/setup-config
 	ln -sf dist/build/propellor-config/propellor-config propellor
 
 deps:
-	@if [ $$(whoami) = root ]; then apt-get --no-upgrade --no-install-recommends -y install gnupg ghc cabal-install libghc-missingh-dev libghc-ansi-terminal-dev libghc-ifelse-dev libghc-unix-compat-dev libghc-hslogger-dev libghc-network-dev libghc-quickcheck2-dev libghc-mtl-dev libghc-monadcatchio-transformers-dev; fi || true
+	@if [ $$(whoami) = root ]; then apt-get --no-upgrade --no-install-recommends -y install $(DEBDEPS) || (apt-get update && apt-get --no-upgrade --no-install-recommends -y install $(DEBDEPS)); fi || true
 	@if [ $$(whoami) = root ]; then apt-get --no-upgrade --no-install-recommends -y install libghc-async-dev || (cabal update; cabal install async); fi || true
 
 dist/setup-config: propellor.cabal