diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a8381b487..78d3f9c2b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ $(BUILDDIR)/build.ninja: Makefile
 else
 
 $(MAKECMDGOALS): $(BUILDDIR)/rules.mk
-	@make -r -f $(BUILDDIR)/rules.mk $@ \
+	+@make -r -f $(BUILDDIR)/rules.mk $@ \
 		$(MAKEFLAGS) \
 		OBJDIR=$(OBJDIR) \
 		BINDIR=$(BINDIR) \
diff --git a/build.lua b/build.lua
index 9db83f5cd..200744a4c 100644
--- a/build.lua
+++ b/build.lua
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ vars.cflags = {
 vars.ackcflags = {
 	"-O"
 }
+vars.plats = {
+	"pc86"
+}
 
 installable {
 	name = "ack",
diff --git a/first/ackbuilder.lua b/first/ackbuilder.lua
index 49937d168..1330f53cd 100644
--- a/first/ackbuilder.lua
+++ b/first/ackbuilder.lua
@@ -30,9 +30,13 @@ end
 
 local function concat(...)
 	local r = {}
-	for k, t in ipairs({...}) do
-		for _, v in ipairs(t) do
-			r[#r+1] = v
+	for _, t in ipairs({...}) do
+		if (type(t) == "table") and not t.is then
+			for _, v in ipairs(t) do
+				r[#r+1] = v
+			end
+		else
+			r[#r+1] = t
 		end
 	end
 	return r
@@ -413,6 +417,10 @@ local typeconverters = {
 		end
 		return i
 	end,
+
+	object = function(propname, i)
+		return i
+	end,
 }
 	
 local function definerule(rulename, types, cb)
diff --git a/first/build.lua b/first/build.lua
index 6a8bc4c93..192f512e1 100644
--- a/first/build.lua
+++ b/first/build.lua
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ definerule("clibrary",
 		srcs = { type="targets", default={} },
 		hdrs = { type="targets", default={} },
 		deps = { type="targets", default={} },
+		_cfile = { type="object", default=cfile },
 		commands = {
 			type="strings",
 			default={
@@ -155,16 +156,13 @@ definerule("clibrary",
 		}
 	},
 	function (e)
-		local csrcs = filenamesof(e.srcs, "%.c$")
-		local hsrcs = filenamesof(e.srcs, "%.h$")
-
 		local ins = {}
-		for _, csrc in fpairs(csrcs) do
-			local n = basename(csrc):gsub("%.%w*$", "")
-			ins[#ins+1] = cfile {
+		for _, src in fpairs(e.srcs) do
+			local n = basename(src):gsub("%.%w*$", "")
+			ins[#ins+1] = e._cfile {
 				name = e.name.."/"..n,
 				cwd = e.cwd,
-				srcs = {csrc, unpack(hsrcs)},
+				srcs = {src},
 				deps = e.deps,
 				vars = {
 					["+cflags"] = { "-I"..e.cwd, },
diff --git a/lang/cem/cpp.ansi/build.lua b/lang/cem/cpp.ansi/build.lua
index ee3275a51..85d92b925 100644
--- a/lang/cem/cpp.ansi/build.lua
+++ b/lang/cem/cpp.ansi/build.lua
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ normalrule {
 	}
 }
 
-llgen {
+local llgen = llgen {
 	name = "llgen",
 	srcs = {
 		"+tokenfile_g",
@@ -80,13 +80,13 @@ tabgen {
 
 cprogram {
 	name = "cpp",
-	srcs = {
+	srcs = concat(
 		"./*.c",
-		"+llgen",
+		filenamesof(llgen, "%.c$"),
 		"+next_c",
 		"+symbol2str_c",
-		"+tabgen_c",
-	},
+		"+tabgen_c"
+	),
 	deps = {
 		"+llgen",
 		"+macro_h",
diff --git a/mach/i86/libend/build.lua b/mach/i86/libend/build.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ca5a13c65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mach/i86/libend/build.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+for _, plat in ipairs(vars.plats) do
+	acklibrary {
+		name = "lib_"..plat,
+		srcs = { "./*.s" },
+		vars = { plat = plat },
+	}
+end
+
diff --git a/mach/proto/as/build.lua b/mach/proto/as/build.lua
index 39e491813..89731351c 100644
--- a/mach/proto/as/build.lua
+++ b/mach/proto/as/build.lua
@@ -30,15 +30,15 @@ definerule("build_as",
 
 		return cprogram {
 			name = e.name,
-			srcs = {
+			srcs = concat(
 				"mach/proto/as/*.c",
-				yaccfiles, -- for .c file
-			},
+				filenamesof(yaccfiles, "%.c$")
+			),
 			deps = {
 				"h+emheaders",
 				"modules/src/object+lib",
 				archlib,
-				yaccfiles, -- for .h file
+				yaccfiles
 			}
 		}
 	end
diff --git a/plat/build.lua b/plat/build.lua
index b8b457c0d..7febb9ada 100644
--- a/plat/build.lua
+++ b/plat/build.lua
@@ -25,11 +25,33 @@ definerule("ackfile",
 	end
 )
 
+definerule("acklibrary",
+	{
+		srcs = { type="targets", default={} },
+		hdrs = { type="targets", default={} },
+		deps = { type="targets", default={} },
+	},
+	function (e)
+		return clibrary {
+			name = e.name,
+			srcs = e.srcs,
+			hdrs = e.hdrs,
+			deps = {
+				"util/arch+pkg",
+				unpack(e.deps)
+			},
+			_cfile = ackfile,
+			commands = {
+				"ACKDIR=$(INSDIR) $(INSDIR)/bin/aal q %{outs[1]} %{ins}"
+			}
+		}
+	end
+)
 
 definerule("build_plat_tools",
 	{
-		arch = { type = "string" },
-		plat = { type = "string" },
+		arch = { type="string" },
+		plat = { type="string" },
 	},
 	function(e)
 		local descr = "plat/"..e.plat.."/descr"
@@ -54,3 +76,20 @@ definerule("build_plat_tools",
 		}
 	end
 )
+
+definerule("build_plat_libs",
+	{
+		arch = { type="string" },
+		plat = { type="string" },
+	},
+	function(e)
+		return installable {
+			name = e.name,
+			map = {
+				["$(PLATIND)/"..e.plat.."/libend.a"] = "mach/"..e.arch.."/libend+lib_"..e.plat
+			}
+		}
+	end
+)
+
+
diff --git a/plat/pc86/build.lua b/plat/pc86/build.lua
index baef77e7e..c293a4ea6 100644
--- a/plat/pc86/build.lua
+++ b/plat/pc86/build.lua
@@ -12,10 +12,17 @@ ackfile {
 	vars = { plat = "pc86" }
 }
 
+build_plat_libs {
+	name = "libs",
+	arch = "i86",
+	plat = "pc86",
+}
+
 installable {
 	name = "pkg",
 	map = {
 		"+tools",
+		"+libs",
 		["$(PLATIND)/pc86/boot.o"] = "+boot"
 	}
 }
diff --git a/util/ack/build.lua b/util/ack/build.lua
index dc46d44a8..4394484b4 100644
--- a/util/ack/build.lua
+++ b/util/ack/build.lua
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ cprogram {
 	name = "ack",
 	srcs = {
 		"./*.c",
-		"./*.h",
 		"+tables",
 	},
 	deps = {
diff --git a/util/data/build.lua b/util/data/build.lua
index 784e1d6ac..5c9f0b3f8 100644
--- a/util/data/build.lua
+++ b/util/data/build.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-normalrule {
+local generated = normalrule {
 	name = "generated",
 	ins = {
 		"./new_table",
@@ -22,10 +22,10 @@ normalrule {
 
 clibrary {
 	name = "em_data",
-	srcs = {
+	srcs = concat(
 		"./em_ptyp.c",
-		"+generated", -- so we build the C files
-	},
+		filenamesof(generated, "%.c$")
+	),
 	hdrs = {
 		"+generated" -- so we export the H files
 	},
diff --git a/util/ncgg/build.lua b/util/ncgg/build.lua
index e583963a2..57d9e4753 100644
--- a/util/ncgg/build.lua
+++ b/util/ncgg/build.lua
@@ -5,18 +5,18 @@ local cggparser = yacc {
 	srcs = { "./cgg.y" }
 }
 
-flex {
+local cgglexer = flex {
 	name = "cgglexer",
 	srcs = { "./scan.l" }
 }
 
 normalrule {
 	name = "keywords",
-	ins = {
+	ins = concat(
 		"./cvtkeywords",
 		"./keywords",
-		unpack(filenamesof({cggparser}, "%.h$"))
-	},
+		filenamesof({cggparser}, "%.h$")
+	),
 	outleaves = { "enterkeyw.c" },
 	commands = {
 		"%{ins[1]} %{ins[2]} %{ins[3]} %{outs[1]}"
@@ -25,12 +25,12 @@ normalrule {
 
 cprogram {
 	name = "ncgg",
-	srcs = {
+	srcs = concat(
 		"./*.c",
-		"+cggparser", -- for .c file
-		"+cgglexer", -- for .c file
-		"+keywords",
-	},
+		filenamesof({cggparser}, "%.c$"),
+		filenamesof({cgglexer}, "%.c$"),
+		"+keywords"
+	),
 	deps = {
 		"+cggparser", -- for .h file
 		"+cgglexer", -- for .h file