diff --git a/config.d/build_control.m4 b/config.d/build_control.m4
index 558ded93e..dc914970a 100644
--- a/config.d/build_control.m4
+++ b/config.d/build_control.m4
@@ -426,17 +426,21 @@ AC_SUBST(VID_TARGETS)
 
 QF_DEPS(BSP2IMG,
 	[],
-	[$(top_builddir)/libs/image/libQFimage.la $(top_builddir)/libs/util/libQFutil.la],
+	[$(top_builddir)/libs/image/libQFimage.la
+	 $(top_builddir)/libs/util/libQFutil.la],
 	[$(WIN32_LIBS)],
 )
 QF_DEPS(QFBSP,
 	[-I$(top_srcdir)/tools/qfbsp/include],
-	[$(top_builddir)/libs/models/libQFmodels.la $(top_builddir)/libs/image/libQFimage.la $(top_builddir)/libs/util/libQFutil.la],
+	[$(top_builddir)/libs/models/libQFmodels.la
+	 $(top_builddir)/libs/image/libQFimage.la
+	 $(top_builddir)/libs/util/libQFutil.la],
 	[$(WIN32_LIBS)],
 )
 QF_DEPS(QFCC,
 	[-I$(top_srcdir)/tools/qfcc/include],
-	[$(top_builddir)/libs/gamecode/libQFgamecode.la $(top_builddir)/libs/util/libQFutil.la],
+	[$(top_builddir)/libs/gamecode/libQFgamecode.la
+	 $(top_builddir)/libs/util/libQFutil.la],
 	[$(WIN32_LIBS)],
 )
 QF_DEPS(QFLIGHT,
@@ -446,7 +450,8 @@ QF_DEPS(QFLIGHT,
 )
 QF_DEPS(QFLMP,
 	[],
-	[$(top_builddir)/libs/image/libQFimage.la $(top_builddir)/libs/util/libQFutil.la],
+	[$(top_builddir)/libs/image/libQFimage.la
+	 $(top_builddir)/libs/util/libQFutil.la],
 	[$(WIN32_LIBS)],
 )
 QF_DEPS(QFMODELGEN,
@@ -461,12 +466,16 @@ QF_DEPS(QFVIS,
 )
 QF_DEPS(QWAQ,
 	[],
-	[$(top_builddir)/libs/ruamoko/libQFruamoko.la $(top_builddir)/libs/gamecode/libQFgamecode.la $(top_builddir)/libs/util/libQFutil.la],
+	[$(top_builddir)/libs/ruamoko/libQFruamoko.la
+	 $(top_builddir)/libs/gamecode/libQFgamecode.la
+	 $(top_builddir)/libs/util/libQFutil.la],
 	[$(WIN32_LIBS)],
 )
 QF_DEPS(CARNE,
 	[],
-	[$(top_builddir)/libs/gib/libQFgib.la $(top_builddir)/libs/gamecode/libQFgamecode.la $(top_builddir)/libs/util/libQFutil.la],
+	[$(top_builddir)/libs/gib/libQFgib.la
+	 $(top_builddir)/libs/gamecode/libQFgamecode.la
+	 $(top_builddir)/libs/util/libQFutil.la],
 	[$(WIN32_LIBS)],
 )
 QF_DEPS(PAK,
@@ -476,7 +485,8 @@ QF_DEPS(PAK,
 )
 QF_DEPS(WAD,
 	[],
-	[$(top_builddir)/libs/image/libQFimage.la $(top_builddir)/libs/util/libQFutil.la],
+	[$(top_builddir)/libs/image/libQFimage.la
+	 $(top_builddir)/libs/util/libQFutil.la],
 	[$(WIN32_LIBS)],
 )
 QF_DEPS(WAV,
diff --git a/m4/quakeforge.m4 b/m4/quakeforge.m4
index fcb7b8616..bbf22e939 100644
--- a/m4/quakeforge.m4
+++ b/m4/quakeforge.m4
@@ -79,9 +79,9 @@ fi])
 
 
 AC_DEFUN([QF_DEPS], [
-$1_INCS='$2'
-$1_DEPS='$3'
-$1_LIBS='$3 $4 '
+$1_INCS='m4_normalize($2)'
+$1_DEPS='m4_normalize($3)'
+$1_LIBS='m4_normalize($3) m4_normalize($4)'
 AC_SUBST($1_INCS)
 AC_SUBST($1_DEPS)
 AC_SUBST($1_LIBS)