diff --git a/driver/main.c b/driver/main.c
index 96997d437..d53e3ab4c 100644
--- a/driver/main.c
+++ b/driver/main.c
@@ -967,6 +967,15 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
       fclose(defines_file);
       defines_file = 0;
 
+	/* If we are planning on opening a dependencies file, then
+	   open and truncate it here. The other phases of compilation
+	   will append to the file, so this is necessray to make sure
+	   it starts out empty. */
+      if (depfile) {
+	    FILE*fd = fopen(depfile, "w");
+	    fclose(fd);
+      }
+
       if (source_count == 0 && !version_flag) {
 	    fprintf(stderr, "%s: no source files.\n\n%s\n", argv[0], HELP);
 	    return 1;
diff --git a/ivlpp/main.c b/ivlpp/main.c
index 5a3e3ee84..df9d1b811 100644
--- a/ivlpp/main.c
+++ b/ivlpp/main.c
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ int main(int argc, char*argv[])
       }
 
       if(dep_path) {
-	      depend_file = fopen(dep_path, "w");
+	      depend_file = fopen(dep_path, "a");
 	      if (depend_file == 0) {
 		  perror(dep_path);
 		  exit(1);
diff --git a/load_module.cc b/load_module.cc
index 862d205be..e8606e628 100644
--- a/load_module.cc
+++ b/load_module.cc
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ bool load_module(const char*type)
 
 	    if(depend_file) {
 		  fprintf(depend_file, "%s\n", path);
+		  fflush(depend_file);
 	    }
 
 	    if (ivlpp_string) {