diff --git a/mpbb-install-dependencies b/mpbb-install-dependencies
index f83ec20..d962f3d 100644
--- a/mpbb-install-dependencies
+++ b/mpbb-install-dependencies
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ install-dependencies-usage() {
     # "prog" is defined in mpbb-help.
     # shellcheck disable=SC2154
     cat <<EOF
-usage: $prog [<global opts>] install-dependencies <port>
+usage: $prog [<global opts>] install-dependencies <port>[@(+|-)variant [...]]
 
 Build and install the dependencies of the given port.
 
@@ -18,11 +18,12 @@ EOF
 }
 
 install-dependencies() {
-    local port=${1-}
-    if [[ -z $port ]]; then
+    if [[ -z $1 ]]; then
         err "Must specify a port"
         return 1
     fi
+    local port=${1%%@*}
+    local portvariants=${1:${#port}+1}
     local dependencies
     local dependencies_count
     local dependencies_counter
@@ -36,12 +37,13 @@ install-dependencies() {
 
     # prepare the log file and make sure to start with an empty one
     mkdir -p "${option_log_dir}"
-    > "$log_status_dependencies"
+    :> "$log_status_dependencies"
 
     # calculate list of dependencies in-order
     # $option_prefix and $thisdir are set in mpbb
     # shellcheck disable=SC2154
-    dependencies=$("${option_prefix}/bin/port-tclsh" "${thisdir}/tools/dependencies.tcl" "$@")
+    dependencies=$("${option_prefix}/bin/port-tclsh" "${thisdir}/tools/dependencies.tcl" "$port" "$portvariants")
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2181
     if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
         echo "Calculating dependencies for '$port' failed, aborting." >&2
         echo "Building '$port' ... [ERROR] (failed to calculate dependencies) maintainers: $(get-maintainers "$port")." >> "$log_subports_progress"
@@ -61,18 +63,15 @@ install-dependencies() {
     echo >> "$log_status_dependencies"
 
     # save $@ since 'set' is used below
-    orig_args="$@"
+    orig_args="$*"
 
     # Check whether any of the dependencies have previously failed
     failcachecounter=0
     while read -r dependency; do
-        # Split portname +variant1+variant2 into portname and active
-        # variants, where the variants are optional.
-        set $dependency
-        depname="$1"
-        # remove surrounding quotes
-        depvariants="${2%\"}"
-        depvariants="${depvariants#\"}"
+        # Split portname +variant1+variant2 into portname and variants, where
+        # the variants are optional.
+        depname=${dependency%% *}
+        depvariants=${dependency:${#depname}+1}
 
         # $depvariants isn't quoted on purpose
         # shellcheck disable=SC2086
@@ -90,41 +89,37 @@ install-dependencies() {
         return 1
     fi
 
+    # option_work_dir is set in mpbb
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2154
     rm -f "${option_work_dir}/all_ports"
 
     while read -r dependency; do
-        # Split portname +variant1+variant2 into portname and active and
-        # requested variants, where the variants are optional.
-        set $dependency
-        depname=$1
-        # remove surrounding quotes
-        depvariants="${2%\"}"
-        depvariants="${depvariants#\"}"
-        deprequestedvariants="${3%\"}"
-        deprequestedvariants="${deprequestedvariants#\"}"
-
-        text="Installing dependency ($dependencies_counter of $dependencies_count) '${depname}' with variants '${depvariants}' (requesting '${deprequestedvariants}')"
+        # Split portname +variant1+variant2 into portname and variants, where
+        # the variants are optional.
+        depname=${dependency%% *}
+        depvariants=${dependency:${#depname}+1}
+
+        text="Installing dependency ($dependencies_counter of $dependencies_count) '${depname}' with variants '${depvariants}'"
         echo "----> ${text}"
         echo -n "${text} ... " >> "$log_status_dependencies"
         # $option_prefix and $thisdir are set in mpbb
         # shellcheck disable=SC2154
-        if [[ -f $("${option_prefix}/bin/port-tclsh" "${thisdir}/tools/archive-path.tcl" "${depname}" "${deprequestedvariants}") ]]; then
+        if [[ -f $("${option_prefix}/bin/port-tclsh" "${thisdir}/tools/archive-path.tcl" "${depname}" "${depvariants}") ]]; then
             echo "Already installed, nothing to do"
             echo "[OK]" >> "$log_status_dependencies"
             dependencies_counter=$((dependencies_counter + 1))
         else
-            # $deprequestedvariants isn't quoted on purpose
+            # $depvariants isn't quoted on purpose
             # shellcheck disable=SC2154,SC2086
-            if ! "${option_prefix}/bin/port" -dn install --unrequested "$depname" $deprequestedvariants; then
-                echo "Build of dependency '${depname}' with variants '${deprequestedvariants}' failed, aborting." >&2
+            if ! "${option_prefix}/bin/port" -dn install --unrequested "$depname" $depvariants; then
+                echo "Build of dependency '${depname}' with variants '${depvariants}' failed, aborting." >&2
                 echo "[FAIL]" >> "$log_status_dependencies"
                 echo "Building '$port' ... [ERROR] (failed to install dependency '${depname}') maintainers: $(get-maintainers "$port" "${depname}")." >> "$log_subports_progress"
 
                 # Update failcache
                 # $depvariants isn't quoted on purpose
                 # shellcheck disable=SC2086
-                failcache_failure "$depname" $depvariants
-                if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+                if ! failcache_failure "$depname" $depvariants; then
                     err "failcache_failure $depname $depvariants failed."
                     return 1
                 fi
@@ -135,8 +130,7 @@ install-dependencies() {
                 # Remove failcache if it exists
                 # $depvariants isn't quoted on purpose
                 # shellcheck disable=SC2086
-                failcache_success "$depname" $depvariants
-                if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+                if ! failcache_success "$depname" $depvariants; then
                     err "failcache_success $depname $depvariants failed."
                     return 1
                 fi
@@ -148,21 +142,21 @@ install-dependencies() {
             fi
         fi
         # add to the list for gather_archives
-        echo "$depname $deprequestedvariants" >> "${option_work_dir}/all_ports"
+        echo "$dependency" >> "${option_work_dir}/all_ports"
     done <<<"$dependencies"
 
     # activate everything now that we know it's all built and installed
     # ... but only we're actually going to build the requested port
 
-    # $option_prefix and $thisdir are set in mpbb
-    # shellcheck disable=SC2154
+    # $option_prefix and $thisdir are set in mpbb, orig_args is not quoted on purpose
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2154,SC2086
     if [[ -f $("${option_prefix}/bin/port-tclsh" "${thisdir}/tools/archive-path.tcl" ${orig_args}) ]]; then
         echo "${orig_args} Already installed, not activating dependencies"
     else
         echo "Activating all dependencies..."
         # $option_prefix is set by mpbb, and dependencies isn't quoted on purpose
         # shellcheck disable=SC2154,SC2086
-        if ! "${option_prefix}/bin/port" -dn install --unrequested $(cat "${option_work_dir}/all_ports"); then
+        if ! "${option_prefix}/bin/port" -dn install --unrequested ${dependencies}; then
             echo "Activating all dependencies failed, aborting." >&2
             return 1
         fi
diff --git a/mpbb-install-port b/mpbb-install-port
index 8fc0b72..a6e5fd5 100644
--- a/mpbb-install-port
+++ b/mpbb-install-port
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ install-port-usage() {
     # "prog" is defined in mpbb-help.
     # shellcheck disable=SC2154
     cat <<EOF
-usage: $prog [<global opts>] install-port <port>
+usage: $prog [<global opts>] install-port <port>[@(+|-)variant [...]]
 
 Build and install the given port.
 
@@ -18,11 +18,12 @@ EOF
 }
 
 install-port() {
-    local port=${1-}
-    if [[ -z $port ]]; then
+    if [[ -z $1 ]]; then
         err "Must specify a port"
         return 1
     fi
+    local port=${1%%@*}
+    local portvariants=${1:${#port}+1}
     # $option_log_dir is set in mpbb
     # shellcheck disable=SC2154
     local log_port_contents="${option_log_dir}/port-contents.txt"
@@ -33,11 +34,11 @@ install-port() {
     # prepare the log files and make sure to start with empty ones
     mkdir -p "${option_log_dir}"
     #> "$log_port_contents"
-    > "$log_port_stats"
+    :> "$log_port_stats"
 
     # $option_prefix and $thisdir are set in mpbb
     # shellcheck disable=SC2154
-    if [[ -f $("${option_prefix}/bin/port-tclsh" "${thisdir}/tools/archive-path.tcl" "$@") ]]; then
+    if [[ -f $("${option_prefix}/bin/port-tclsh" "${thisdir}/tools/archive-path.tcl" "$port" "$portvariants") ]]; then
         echo "$* already installed, nothing to do"
         # log: summary for the portwatcher
         echo "Building '$port' ... [OK]" >> "$log_subports_progress"
@@ -49,12 +50,11 @@ install-port() {
     local time_stop
     time_start=$(date +%s)
     # $option_prefix is set in mpbb
-    # shellcheck disable=SC2154
-    if "${option_prefix}/bin/port" -dkn install "$@"; then
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2154,SC2086
+    if "${option_prefix}/bin/port" -dkn install "$port" $portvariants; then
         # Remove failcache if it exists
-        failcache_success "$@"
-        if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
-            err "failcache_success" "$@" "failed."
+        if ! failcache_success "$port" "$portvariants"; then
+            err "failcache_success $port $portvariants failed."
             return 1
         fi
     else
@@ -62,9 +62,8 @@ install-port() {
         # log: summary for the portwatcher
         echo "Building '$port' ... [ERROR] maintainers: $(get-maintainers "$port")." >> "$log_subports_progress"
         # update failcache
-        failcache_failure "$@"
-        if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
-            err "failcache_failure" "$@" "failed."
+        if ! failcache_failure "$port" "$portvariants"; then
+            err "failcache_failure $port $portvariants failed."
             return 1
         fi
         return 1
@@ -86,9 +85,11 @@ install-port() {
     local print_arg_workdir="ERROR"
     local print_arg_destdir="ERROR"
     # First, compute port_workdir_size and port_destdir_size
-    port_workdir=$("${option_prefix}/bin/port" work "$port")
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2086
+    port_workdir=$("${option_prefix}/bin/port" work "$port" $portvariants)
     if [ -n "$port_workdir" ]; then
         port_workdir_size=$(du -ks "$port_workdir" | sed 's/^ *//' | tr '\t' '\n' | head -n 1)
+        # shellcheck disable=SC2181
         if [ $? -eq 0 ] && [ -n "$port_workdir_size" ]; then
             print_arg_workdir="${port_workdir_size}k"
         fi
@@ -99,6 +100,7 @@ install-port() {
         print_arg_destdir="-"
         if [ -d "$port_destdir" ]; then
             port_destdir_size=$(du -ks "$port_destdir" | sed 's/^ *//' | tr '\t' '\n' | head -n 1)
+            # shellcheck disable=SC2181
             if [ $? -eq 0 ] && [ -n "$port_destdir_size" ]; then
                 print_arg_destdir="${port_destdir_size}k"
             fi
@@ -111,7 +113,10 @@ install-port() {
 
     # log: main.log
     local port_mainlog
-    port_mainlog=$("${option_prefix}/bin/port" logfile "$port")
+    # portvariants is not quoted on purpose
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2086
+    port_mainlog=$("${option_prefix}/bin/port" logfile "$port" $portvariants)
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2181
     if [ $? -eq 0 ] && [ -f "$port_mainlog" ]; then
         cp -f "$port_mainlog" "$log_port_main"
     fi
diff --git a/mpbb-list-subports b/mpbb-list-subports
index 724d6aa..fe2ca26 100644
--- a/mpbb-list-subports
+++ b/mpbb-list-subports
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ list-subports-usage() {
     # "prog" is defined in mpbb-help.
     # shellcheck disable=SC2154
     cat <<EOF
-usage: $prog [<global opts>] list-subports [<opts>] <port> [<port2> [...]]
+usage: $prog [<global opts>] list-subports [<opts>] <port>[@(+|-)variant [...]] [<port2>[@(+|-)variant [...]] [...]]
 
 Print the name and subports of each given port to standard output.
 
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ EOF
 
 print-subports() {
     local archive_site=$1
-    local portname=$2
+    local portname=${2%%@*}
+    local portvariants=${2:${#portname}+1}
     local port
     local portgroup
     local ports
@@ -44,16 +45,15 @@ print-subports() {
         exclude=0
         exclude_reasons=()
 
-        # FIXME: this doesn't take selected variants into account
         # $thisdir is set in mpbb
         # shellcheck disable=SC2154
-        archive_path=$("${tclsh}" "${thisdir}/tools/archive-path.tcl" "${port}")
+        archive_path=$("${tclsh}" "${thisdir}/tools/archive-path.tcl" "${port}" "${portvariants}")
         if [[ -f "${archive_path}" ]]; then
             archive_basename=$(basename "${archive_path}")
             if curl -fIsL "${archive_site}/${port}/${archive_basename}" > /dev/null; then
                 exclude=1
                 exclude_reasons+=("it has already been built and uploaded")
-            elif ! "${tclsh}" "${option_jobs_dir}/port_binary_distributable.tcl" "${port}"; then
+            elif ! "${tclsh}" "${option_jobs_dir}/port_binary_distributable.tcl" "${port}" "${portvariants}"; then
                 exclude=1
                 exclude_reasons+=("it has already been built and is not distributable")
             fi
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ print-subports() {
             else
                 # $thisdir is set in mpbb
                 # shellcheck disable=SC2154
-                for portgroup in $("${tclsh}" "${thisdir}/tools/portgroups.tcl" "$port"); do
+                for portgroup in $("${tclsh}" "${thisdir}/tools/portgroups.tcl" "${port}" "${portvariants}"); do
                     if [ "$portgroup" = "obsolete-1.0" ]; then
                         exclude=1
                         exclude_reasons+=("it includes the obsolete 1.0 PortGroup")
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ print-subports() {
         fi
 
         if [[ $exclude -eq 0 && ("${os_version}" = "10.6" || "${os_version}" = "10.5") ]]; then
-            supported_archs=$("${tclsh}" "${thisdir}/tools/supported-archs.tcl" "${port}")
+            supported_archs=$("${tclsh}" "${thisdir}/tools/supported-archs.tcl" "${port}" "${portvariants}")
             if [[ -n "${supported_archs}" ]]; then
                 is_64bit_capable="$(sysctl -n hw.cpu64bit_capable)"
                 if [[ "${os_version}" = "10.6" && "${is_64bit_capable}" = "0" && ! ("${supported_archs}" == *"x86_64"* && "${supported_archs}" == *"i386"*) ]]; then
@@ -90,7 +90,11 @@ print-subports() {
         fi
 
         if [ $exclude -eq 0 ]; then
-            echo "$port"
+            if [ -n "${portvariants}" ]; then
+                echo "${port}@${portvariants}"
+            else
+                echo "$port"
+            fi
         else
             if [ ${#exclude_reasons[@]} -eq 1 ]; then
                 echo >&2 "Excluding '${port}' because ${exclude_reasons[0]}."
diff --git a/tools/dependencies.tcl b/tools/dependencies.tcl
index fec0792..12a0aec 100755
--- a/tools/dependencies.tcl
+++ b/tools/dependencies.tcl
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ proc printdependency {ditem} {
     # Given the active_variants of the current dependency calculation and the
     # default variants, calculate the required string.
     set default_variants {}
-    if {[info exists depinfo(vinfo)]} {
+    if {[array size variants] > 0 && [info exists depinfo(vinfo)]} {
         foreach {vname vattrs} $depinfo(vinfo) {
             foreach {key val} $vattrs {
                 if {$key eq "is_default" && $val eq "+"} {
@@ -113,29 +113,19 @@ proc printdependency {ditem} {
         }
     }
 
-    set activevariantstring ""
-    set requestedvariantstring ""
+    set variantstring ""
     array set active_variants $depinfo(active_variants)
 
     set relevant_variants [lsort -unique [concat [array names active_variants] $default_variants]]
     foreach variant $relevant_variants {
         if {[info exists active_variants($variant)]} {
-            append activevariantstring "$active_variants($variant)$variant"
-            if {$variant ni $default_variants} {
-                append requestedvariantstring "$active_variants($variant)$variant"
-            }
+            append variantstring "$active_variants($variant)$variant"
         } else {
             # the only case where this situation can occur is a default variant that was explicitly disabled
-            append requestedvariantstring "-$variant"
+            append variantstring "-$variant"
         }
     }
 
-    if {$activevariantstring eq ""} {
-        set activevariantstring {""}
-    }
-    if {$requestedvariantstring eq ""} {
-        set requestedvariantstring {""}
-    }
-    puts [string trim "$depinfo(name) $activevariantstring $requestedvariantstring"]
+    puts [string trim "$depinfo(name) $variantstring"]
 }
 dlist_eval $dlist {} [list printdependency]