diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 994ee7d23..b8a230641 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ plumed: touch-dummy
 west: pw touch-dummy
 	( cd install ; $(MAKE) -f plugins_makefile $@ || exit 1 )
 
-epw: touch-dummy
+epw: pw ph ld1 touch-dummy
 	( cd install ; $(MAKE) -f plugins_makefile $@ || exit 1 )
 
 gpu: touch-dummy
diff --git a/install/plugins_makefile b/install/plugins_makefile
index 72b1e5155..0e0e2d8f6 100644
--- a/install/plugins_makefile
+++ b/install/plugins_makefile
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ configure-gipaw: touch-dummy
 
 epw: extlibs uncompress-epw
 	if test -d ../EPW; then \
-	cd ../EPW ; $(MAKE) all; $(MAKE) all; exit 1; cd ../bin; ln -fs ../EPW/bin/epw.x . ; fi
+	cd ../EPW ; $(MAKE) all ; $(MAKE) all || exit 1; cd ../bin; ln -fs ../EPW/bin/epw.x . ; fi
 	-(cd ../bin; ln -fs ../EPW/src/epw.x .)
 	touch ./make-epw