--- a/make/common/JavaCompilation.gmk	Wed Jul 05 20:16:23 2017 +0200
+++ b/make/common/JavaCompilation.gmk	Mon Jan 26 10:28:53 2015 +0100
@@ -270,19 +270,37 @@
     $1_JAR_UPDATE_OPTIONS := uf
   endif
 
+  # Include all variables of significance in the vardeps file
+  $1_VARDEPS := $(JAR) $$($1_JAR_CREATE_OPTIONS) $$($1_MANIFEST) $(RELEASE) $(COMPANY_NAME) \
+      $$($1_JARMAIN) $$($1_EXTRA_MANIFEST_ATTR)
+  $1_VARDEPS_FILE := $$(call DependOnVariable, $1_VARDEPS, $$(dir $$($1_JAR))_the.$$($1_JARNAME).vardeps)
+
   # Here is the rule that creates/updates the jar file.
-  $$($1_JAR) : $$($1_DEPS)
+  $$($1_JAR) : $$($1_DEPS) $$($1_MANIFEST) $$($1_VARDEPS_FILE)
 	$(MKDIR) -p $$($1_BIN)
 	$$($1_GREP_INCLUDE_OUTPUT)
 	$$($1_GREP_EXCLUDE_OUTPUT)
-	$$(if $$($1_MANIFEST), \
-	  $(SED) -e "s#@@RELEASE@@#$(RELEASE)#" \
-	      -e "s#@@COMPANY_NAME@@#$(COMPANY_NAME)#" $$($1_MANIFEST) > $$($1_MANIFEST_FILE) \
+        # If the vardeps file is part of the newer prereq list, it means that
+        # either the jar file does not exist, or we need to recreate it from
+        # from scratch anyway since a simple update will not catch all the 
+        # potential changes.
+	$$(if $$(filter $$($1_VARDEPS_FILE) $$($1_MANIFEST), $$?), \
+	  $$(if $$($1_MANIFEST), \
+	    $(SED) -e "s#@@RELEASE@@#$(RELEASE)#" \
+	        -e "s#@@COMPANY_NAME@@#$(COMPANY_NAME)#" $$($1_MANIFEST) > $$($1_MANIFEST_FILE) $$(NEWLINE) \
+	  , \
+	    $(RM) $$($1_MANIFEST_FILE) && $(TOUCH) $$($1_MANIFEST_FILE) $$(NEWLINE)) \
+	  $$(if $$($1_JARMAIN), \
+	    $(ECHO) "Main-Class: $$(strip $$($1_JARMAIN))" >> $$($1_MANIFEST_FILE) $$(NEWLINE)) \
+	  $$(if $$($1_EXTRA_MANIFEST_ATTR), \
+	    $(PRINTF) "$$($1_EXTRA_MANIFEST_ATTR)\n" >> $$($1_MANIFEST_FILE) $$(NEWLINE)) \
+	  $(ECHO) Creating $$($1_NAME) $$(NEWLINE) \
+	  $(JAR) $$($1_JAR_CREATE_OPTIONS) $$@ $$($1_MANIFEST_FILE) $$(NEWLINE) \
+	  $$($1_SCAPTURE_CONTENTS) \
+	  $$($1_SCAPTURE_METAINF) \
+	  $$($1_SUPDATE_CONTENTS) \
+	  $$($1_JARINDEX) && true \
 	, \
-	  $(RM) $$($1_MANIFEST_FILE) && $(TOUCH) $$($1_MANIFEST_FILE))
-	$$(if $$($1_JARMAIN),$(ECHO) "Main-Class: $$(strip $$($1_JARMAIN))" >> $$($1_MANIFEST_FILE))
-	$$(if $$($1_EXTRA_MANIFEST_ATTR),$(PRINTF) "$$($1_EXTRA_MANIFEST_ATTR)\n" >> $$($1_MANIFEST_FILE))
-	$$(if $$(wildcard $$@), \
 	  $(ECHO) Modifying $$($1_NAME) $$(NEWLINE) \
 	  $$($1_CAPTURE_CONTENTS) \
 	  $$($1_CAPTURE_METAINF) \
@@ -294,12 +312,6 @@
 	    $(ZIP) -q -d $$@ `$(CAT) $$($1_DELETESS_FILE)` ; \
 	  fi $$(NEWLINE) \
 	  $$($1_UPDATE_CONTENTS) true $$(NEWLINE) \
-	  $$($1_JARINDEX) && true \
-	, \
-	  $(ECHO) Creating $$($1_NAME) && $(JAR) $$($1_JAR_CREATE_OPTIONS) $$@ $$($1_MANIFEST_FILE) $$(NEWLINE) \
-	  $$($1_SCAPTURE_CONTENTS) \
-	  $$($1_SCAPTURE_METAINF) \
-	  $$($1_SUPDATE_CONTENTS) \
 	  $$($1_JARINDEX) && true )
 
   # Add jar to target list
@@ -431,7 +443,7 @@
   $1_SRC:=$$(call ADD_SRCS,$$($1_SRC))
   # Make sure the dirs exist.
   $$(foreach d,$$($1_SRC), $$(if $$(wildcard $$d),,$$(error SRC specified to SetupJavaCompilation $1 contains missing directory $$d)))
-  $$(eval $$(call MakeDir,$$($1_BIN)))
+  $$(call MakeDir,$$($1_BIN))
   # Add all source roots to the find cache since we are likely going to run find
   # on these more than once. The cache will only be updated if necessary.
   $$(eval $$(call FillCacheFind,$$($1_SRC)))
@@ -535,9 +547,14 @@
     $1_SJAVAC:=$$(subst com.sun.tools.javac.Main,com.sun.tools.sjavac.Main,$$($1_JAVAC))
 
     # Set the $1_REMOTE to spawn a background javac server.
-    $1_REMOTE:=--server:portfile=$$($1_SJAVAC_PORTFILE),id=$1,sjavac=$$(subst $$(SPACE),%20,$$(subst $$(COMMA),%2C,$$(strip $$($1_SERVER_JVM) $$($1_SJAVAC))))
+    $1_REMOTE:=--server:portfile=$$($1_SJAVAC_PORTFILE),id=$1,sjavac=$$(subst \
+        $$(SPACE),%20,$$(subst $$(COMMA),%2C,$$(strip $$($1_SERVER_JVM) $$($1_SJAVAC))))
 
-    $$($1_BIN)/_the.$1_batch: $$($1_SRCS) $$($1_DEPENDS)
+    $1_VARDEPS := $$($1_JVM) $$($1_SJAVAC) $$($1_SJAVAC_ARGS) $$($1_FLAGS) \
+        $$($1_HEADERS_ARG) $$($1_BIN)
+    $1_VARDEPS_FILE := $$(call DependOnVariable, $1_VARDEPS, $$($1_BIN)/_the.$1.vardeps)
+
+    $$($1_BIN)/_the.$1_batch: $$($1_SRCS) $$($1_DEPENDS) $$($1_VARDEPS_FILE)
 	$(MKDIR) -p $$(@D) $$(dir $$($1_SJAVAC_PORTFILE))
         # As a workaround for sjavac not tracking api changed from the classpath, force full
         # recompile if an external dependency, which is something other than a source
@@ -592,8 +609,11 @@
       $1_HEADER_TARGETS := $$($1_HEADERS)/_the.$1_headers
     endif
 
+    $1_VARDEPS := $$($1_JVM) $$($1_JAVAC) $$($1_FLAGS) $$($1_BIN) $$($1_HEADERS_ARG)
+    $1_VARDEPS_FILE := $$(call DependOnVariable, $1_VARDEPS, $$($1_BIN)/_the.$1.vardeps)
+
     # When not using sjavac, pass along all sources to javac using an @file.
-    $$($1_BIN)/_the.$1_batch: $$($1_SRCS) $$($1_DEPENDS)
+    $$($1_BIN)/_the.$1_batch: $$($1_SRCS) $$($1_DEPENDS) $$($1_VARDEPS_FILE)
 	$(MKDIR) -p $$(@D)
 	$(RM) $$($1_BIN)/_the.$1_batch $$($1_BIN)/_the.$1_batch.tmp
 	$$(call ListPathsSafely,$1_SRCS,\n, >> $$($1_BIN)/_the.$1_batch.tmp)
@@ -659,4 +679,5 @@
   $(if $(findstring yes, $(ENABLE_SJAVAC)), $(strip $2)/_the.$(strip $1)_pubapi, \
       $(strip $2)/_the.$(strip $1)_batch)
 endef
-endif
+
+endif # _JAVA_COMPILATION_GMK