diff --git a/bin/.distr b/bin/.distr
index e43bf824..96768b1a 100644
--- a/bin/.distr
+++ b/bin/.distr
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@ do_resolve
 lint-lib.ack
 lint-lib.unix
 mk_manpage
+rm_deps
diff --git a/bin/rm_deps b/bin/rm_deps
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..33e4a7d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/rm_deps
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+: $Header$
+
+: remove dependencies from a makefile, write result on standard output.
+: we cannot do this directly in a makefile because some make versions
+: have # start a comment, always.
+
+sed -e '/^#DEPENDENCIES/,$d' $1
+echo '#DEPENDENCIES'