diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index ee81467b36..63b4681743 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@ if BUILD_CLIENTGUI
    CLIENTGUI_SUBDIRS = clientgui
 endif
 
-SUBDIRS = m4 RSAEuro $(SERVER_SUBDIRS) $(CLIENT_SUBDIRS) $(CLIENTGUI_SUBDIRS) $(API_SUBDIRS)
+# ORDER MATTERS below.  One must build dependencies FIRST, then things
+# that depend on them later
+SUBDIRS = m4 RSAEuro $(API_SUBDIRS) $(SERVER_SUBDIRS) $(CLIENT_SUBDIRS) $(CLIENTGUI_SUBDIRS) 
 
 # Putting a directory name recursively copies the entire contents - the
 # dist-hook below gets rid of CVS directories.
diff --git a/checkin_notes b/checkin_notes
index 47ebd21b44..5d1ff23ca8 100755
--- a/checkin_notes
+++ b/checkin_notes
@@ -20943,3 +20943,11 @@ David  8 Dec 2004
         boinc_api.C,h
     client/
         Makefile.am
+
+Bruce 9 Dec 2004
+    - Fixed broken build (and removed non-functional broken fix). API
+      subdirs must be built first.
+
+    Makefile.am
+    client/
+        Makefile.am
diff --git a/client/Makefile.am b/client/Makefile.am
index 025e4e3e0b..428758c955 100644
--- a/client/Makefile.am
+++ b/client/Makefile.am
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ boinc_client_SOURCES = \
     time_stats.C \
     whetstone.C
 
-boinc_client_DEPENDENCIES = $(LIBRSA) ../lib
+boinc_client_DEPENDENCIES = $(LIBRSA)
 boinc_client_CPPFLAGS = -I $(srcdir)/win $(AM_CPPFLAGS) -O3
 boinc_client_LDADD = -L../lib -lboinc $(RSA_LIBS) $(PTHREAD_LIBS)
 #boinc_client_LDFLAGS = $(STATIC_FLAGS)