diff --git a/rex.project/x86_64/components/dependencies/awk-gawk.bash b/rex.project/x86_64/components/dependencies/awk-gawk.bash
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..ab9a8d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rex.project/x86_64/components/dependencies/awk-gawk.bash
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -u
+
+export LC_ALL=C
+
+app="awk"
+expected_target="gawk"
+
+sym_check $app $expected_target
+
+exit $?
diff --git a/rex.project/x86_64/components/dependencies/rectify_yacc-bison.bash b/rex.project/x86_64/components/dependencies/rectify_yacc-bison.bash
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..e08c4a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rex.project/x86_64/components/dependencies/rectify_yacc-bison.bash
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -u
+
+export LC_ALL=C
+
+app="yacc"
+symlink_target="bison"
+
+
+dialog \
+	--title "Symlink '${app}' to '${symlink_target}'?" \
+	--backtitle "Requirements Remediations" \
+	--yesno "Do you want to Symlink ${app} to ${symlink_target}?" 7 60
+
+response=$?
+
+# this is distro-specific and distro-specific function routing should
+# account for things like this
+
+function symlink() {
+	ln -vs "$(which $2)" "$(dirname $(which $2))/$1"
+	return $?
+}
+
+install_result=0
+case $response in
+	0) symlink "$app" "$symlink_target"; install_result=$?;;
+	1) echo "Canceled.  You need $app pointing to $symlink_target to run this.";;
+	255) echo "Canceled.  You need $app pointing to $symlink_target to run this.";;
+esac
+
+
+
+exit $install_result
diff --git a/rex.project/x86_64/components/dependencies/sh-bash.bash b/rex.project/x86_64/components/dependencies/sh-bash.bash
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..a40879c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rex.project/x86_64/components/dependencies/sh-bash.bash
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -u
+
+export LC_ALL=C
+
+app="sh"
+expected_target="bash"
+
+sym_check $app $expected_target
+
+exit $?
diff --git a/rex.project/x86_64/components/dependencies/yacc-bison.bash b/rex.project/x86_64/components/dependencies/yacc-bison.bash
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..38e7f7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rex.project/x86_64/components/dependencies/yacc-bison.bash
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -u
+
+export LC_ALL=C
+
+app="yacc"
+expected_target="bison"
+
+sym_check $app $expected_target
+
+exit $?
diff --git a/rex.project/x86_64/components/stage1/check_dependencies.bash b/rex.project/x86_64/components/stage1/check_dependencies.bash
index 95f5b6b..c2138bd 100755
--- a/rex.project/x86_64/components/stage1/check_dependencies.bash
+++ b/rex.project/x86_64/components/stage1/check_dependencies.bash
@@ -4,9 +4,6 @@ set -u
 
 export LC_ALL=C
 
-echo
-echo "Checking bash..."
-bash --version | head -n1 | cut -d" " -f2-4
 
 echo
 echo "Checking /bin/sh path"
diff --git a/rex.project/x86_64/environments/dependencies.env.bash b/rex.project/x86_64/environments/dependencies.env.bash
index ffeccc5..250e1b7 100755
--- a/rex.project/x86_64/environments/dependencies.env.bash
+++ b/rex.project/x86_64/environments/dependencies.env.bash
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ source ./project_config.sh
 TERM=xterm-256color
 COLORTERM=truecolor
 LC_ALL=C
+PATH=${CROSSTOOLS_DIR}/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/sbin
+
 
 function echofail() {
 	echo
@@ -42,10 +44,35 @@ ver_kernel()
 	fi
 }
 
+sym_check() {
+	# the name of the binary/symlink we're checking as it appears in PATH
+	app="$1"
+
+	# the name of the binary we expect it to point to
+	expected_target="$2"
+	
+	# the basename of the target of the symlink (if it is one)
+	target="$(basename $(readlink -f $(which $app)))"
+	if [[ "$target" == "$expected_target" ]]; then
+		printf "OK:\t$app -> $expected_target\n";
+		return 0;
+	else
+		if [[ "$target" == '' ]]; then
+			printf "ERROR: '$app' is not present on this system.\n";
+			return 1;
+		else
+			printf "ERROR: '$app' points to '$target' instead of '$expected_target'.\n"
+			return 1;
+		fi
+	fi
+}
+
 alias_check() {
 	if $1 --version 2>&1 | grep -qi $2; then
 		printf "OK:    %-4s is $2\n" "$1";
+		return 0;
 	else
 		printf "ERROR: %-4s is NOT $2\n" "$1"; 
+		return 1;
 	fi
 }
diff --git a/rex.project/x86_64/plans/dependencies.plan b/rex.project/x86_64/plans/dependencies.plan
index c115050..f11cb24 100644
--- a/rex.project/x86_64/plans/dependencies.plan
+++ b/rex.project/x86_64/plans/dependencies.plan
@@ -80,6 +80,18 @@
 		{
 			"name":			"xz version check", 
 			"dependencies": [ null ]
+		},
+		{
+			"name":			"awk-gawk check", 
+			"dependencies": [ null ]
+		},
+		{
+			"name":			"yacc-bison check", 
+			"dependencies": [ null ]
+		},
+		{
+			"name":			"sh-bash check", 
+			"dependencies": [ null ]
 		}
 	]
 }
diff --git a/rex.project/x86_64/units/dependencies.units b/rex.project/x86_64/units/dependencies.units
index a6b8e75..efcdf79 100644
--- a/rex.project/x86_64/units/dependencies.units
+++ b/rex.project/x86_64/units/dependencies.units
@@ -377,6 +377,60 @@
 		"group":					"bagira",
 		"supply_environment":		true,
 		"environment":  			"environments/dependencies.env.bash"
+	},
+	{
+		"name":						"awk-gawk check",
+		"target":					"components/dependencies/awk-gawk.bash",
+		"is_shell_command":			true,
+		"shell_definition":			"bash",
+		"force_pty":				true,
+		"set_working_directory":	false,
+		"working_directory":		"",
+		"rectify":					false,
+		"rectifier":				"",
+		"active":					true,
+		"required":					true,
+		"set_user_context":			true,
+		"user":         			"bagira",
+		"group":					"bagira",
+		"supply_environment":		true,
+		"environment":  			"environments/dependencies.env.bash"
+	},
+	{
+		"name":						"yacc-bison check",
+		"target":					"components/dependencies/yacc-bison.bash",
+		"is_shell_command":			true,
+		"shell_definition":			"bash",
+		"force_pty":				true,
+		"set_working_directory":	false,
+		"working_directory":		"",
+		"rectify":					true,
+		"rectifier":				"components/dependencies/rectify_yacc-bison.bash",
+		"active":					true,
+		"required":					true,
+		"set_user_context":			true,
+		"user":         			"root",
+		"group":					"root",
+		"supply_environment":		true,
+		"environment":  			"environments/dependencies.env.bash"
+	},
+	{
+		"name":						"sh-bash check",
+		"target":					"components/dependencies/sh-bash.bash",
+		"is_shell_command":			true,
+		"shell_definition":			"bash",
+		"force_pty":				true,
+		"set_working_directory":	false,
+		"working_directory":		"",
+		"rectify":					false,
+		"rectifier":				"",
+		"active":					true,
+		"required":					true,
+		"set_user_context":			true,
+		"user":         			"bagira",
+		"group":					"bagira",
+		"supply_environment":		true,
+		"environment":  			"environments/dependencies.env.bash"
 	}
  ]
 }