diff --git a/scripts/prt-auf b/scripts/prt-auf
index efd2791..d37494f 100755
--- a/scripts/prt-auf
+++ b/scripts/prt-auf
@@ -448,8 +448,8 @@ sub get_pkgfile_fields {
       close(ECHO);
   }
 
-  $Dependencies =~ s/, / /g; $Dependencies =~ s/,/ /g;
-  $SoftDeps =~ s/, / /g; $SoftDeps =~ s/,/ /g;
+  $Dependencies =~ s/,(| )/ /g;
+  $SoftDeps =~ s/,(| )/ /g;
   if (shift) {
     return $Name, $portpath, $Version, $Release, $descrip, $Dependencies,
     $url, $SoftDeps, $maintainer, $readme, $preInstall, $postInstall;
@@ -571,9 +571,9 @@ sub list_ports {
     if ($subset eq "orphans") {
         my %not_orphans = map { $_ => 0 } @searchspace;
         foreach my $port (@searchspace) {
-            map { $not_orphans{$_} = 1 } split(/[ ,]/, $DEPENDS{$port});
+            map { $not_orphans{$_} = 1 } split(/[ ,]+/, $DEPENDS{$port});
             if ($odepends{soft} == 1) {
-                map { $not_orphans{$_} = 1 } split(/[ ,]/, $SOFTDEPS{$port});
+                map { $not_orphans{$_} = 1 } split(/[ ,]+/, $SOFTDEPS{$port});
             }
         }
         @found = grep { $not_orphans{$_} eq 0 } keys %V_INST;
@@ -599,11 +599,11 @@ sub list_ports {
         $ind = ($V_INST{$seed}) ? "[i]" : "[ ]";
         print "$ind $seed\n" if ($odepends{tree}==1);
         $seen{$seed} = 1;
-        my @children = ($direction eq "fwd") ? split /[ ,]/, $DEPENDS{$sseed}:
+        my @children = ($direction eq "fwd") ? split /[ ,]+/, $DEPENDS{$sseed}:
         grep { " $DEPENDS{$_} " =~ / $sseed / } @searchspace;
         if ($odepends{soft}==1) {
             @fosters = ($direction eq "fwd") ?
-            grep { ($V_INST{$_}) } split /[ ,]/, $SOFTDEPS{$sseed}:
+            grep { ($V_INST{$_}) } split /[ ,]+/, $SOFTDEPS{$sseed}:
             grep { " $SOFTDEPS{$_} " =~ / $sseed / } @searchspace;
         }
 
@@ -619,11 +619,11 @@ sub list_ports {
             return if (($seen{$s}) and ($odepends{all} !=1));
             $seen{$s} = 1;
             my %curdeps = ($direction eq "fwd") ?
-            map {$_ => 0} split /[ ,]/, $DEPENDS{$s} :
+            map {$_ => 0} split /[ ,]+/, $DEPENDS{$s} :
             map {$_ => 0} grep { " $DEPENDS{$_} " =~ / $s / } @searchspace;
             if ($odepends{soft} == 1) {
                 my @optionals = ($direction eq "fwd") ?
-                   grep { ($V_INST{$_}) } split /[ ,]/, $SOFTDEPS{$s} :
+                   grep { ($V_INST{$_}) } split /[ ,]+/, $SOFTDEPS{$s} :
                    grep { " $SOFTDEPS{$_} " =~ / $s / } @searchspace;
                 map {$curdeps{$_} = 1} @optionals;
             }
@@ -717,13 +717,13 @@ sub deporder { # returns a sorted list of packages required.
       push(@treewalk, $s); $imark{$s}=1;
 
       # assemble the list of dependencies that must be visited next
-      %curdeps = map { $_ => $greedy } split /[ ,]/, $DEPENDS{$s};
+      %curdeps = map { $_ => $greedy } split /[ ,]+/, $DEPENDS{$s};
 
       # if the user toggles --softdeps, consider the optional dependencies 
       # that are already installed or are given on the command line
       if ($odepends{soft} == 1)  {
           foreach (grep { ($V_INST{$_}) or ($given{$_}) } 
-          split /[ ,]/, $SOFTDEPS{$s}) { $curdeps{$_} = 1; }
+          split /[ ,]+/, $SOFTDEPS{$s}) { $curdeps{$_} = 1; }
       }
       
       foreach my $sd (keys %curdeps) {