diff --git a/src/installtransaction.cpp b/src/installtransaction.cpp
index 6cc058a..232860d 100644
--- a/src/installtransaction.cpp
+++ b/src/installtransaction.cpp
@@ -336,11 +336,16 @@ const {
 	    time_t pkgMtime = statData.st_mtime;
 	    time_t pfMtime = fstatData.st_mtime;
 	    if ( ( difftime(pkgMtime,pfMtime) > 0 ) and 
-	    (parser->pkgmkArgs().find("-fr") == string::npos) ) { 
+	    (parser->pkgmkArgs().find(" -f") == string::npos) ) { 
 		    cmd = "/bin/true"; }
     }
 
     string args = "-d " + parser->pkgmkArgs();
+    if ( parser->pkgmkArgs().find(" -f") != string::npos &&
+         find( parser->otherArgs().begin(), parser->otherArgs().end(),
+		 package->name() ) == parser->otherArgs().end() ) {
+	    StringHelper::replaceAll(args," -f","");
+    }
     Process makeProc( cmd, args, fdlog );
     if ( makeProc.executeShell() ) {
         result = PKGMK_FAILURE;
@@ -648,8 +653,9 @@ bool InstallTransaction::calcDependencies( )
         }
     }
 
-    if ( validPackages and (!calculateDependencies()) ) {
+    if ( (!validPackages) or !calculateDependencies() ) {
         cout << "Could not resolve dependencies for this transaction" << endl;
+	cout << "  (dependency cycle or no valid packages)" << endl;
     }
     return validPackages;
 }
diff --git a/src/prtget.cpp b/src/prtget.cpp
index 2bd24a5..2055cd3 100644
--- a/src/prtget.cpp
+++ b/src/prtget.cpp
@@ -565,16 +565,19 @@ void PrtGet::install( bool dependencies ) {
                                            m_repo, m_pkgDB, m_config );
         bool depck = depTransaction.calcDependencies();
 
-	// early exit when dependencies cannot be satisfied
+	// early exit if no valid targets,
+	// or if a dependency cycle was created
 	if (!depck) { return; }
 
+	// we have valid targets, so arrange them in the correct order
         list<string> deps = depTransaction.dependencies();
+
+	// append all missing ports at the end of the queue, for the
+	// post-transaction summary (FS#1843). Exempt any ports that were
+	// installed manually or from repos that have since been deactivated.
 	const list< pair<string,string> >& depMissing = depTransaction.missing();
 	list< pair<string,string> >::const_iterator it = depMissing.begin();
 
-	// ensure that missing ports are retained for the 
-	// post-transaction summary (FS#1843). Exempt any ports that were
-	// installed manually or from repos that have since been deactivated.
 	for (; it != depMissing.end(); ++it) {
 	    if (! m_pkgDB->isInstalled(it->first)) {
 		    deps.push_back(it->first);