diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 57cb844ab..2aed1acf4 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,18 +1,21 @@
 GOTOOLS = \
-					github.com/mitchellh/gox \
-					github.com/tcnksm/ghr \
-					gopkg.in/alecthomas/gometalinter.v2
-
+	github.com/mitchellh/gox \
+	github.com/Masterminds/glide \
+	github.com/tcnksm/ghr \
+	gopkg.in/alecthomas/gometalinter.v2
+GOTOOLS_CHECK = gox glide ghr gometalinter.v2
 PACKAGES=$(shell go list ./... | grep -v '/vendor/')
 BUILD_TAGS?=tendermint
 TMHOME = $${TMHOME:-$$HOME/.tendermint}
-
 BUILD_FLAGS = -ldflags "-X github.com/tendermint/tendermint/version.GitCommit=`git rev-parse --short HEAD`"
 
-all: get_vendor_deps install test
+all: check build test install metalinter
 
-install:
-	go install $(BUILD_FLAGS) ./cmd/tendermint
+check: check_tools get_vendor_deps
+
+
+########################################
+### Build
 
 build:
 	go build $(BUILD_FLAGS) -o build/tendermint ./cmd/tendermint/
@@ -24,9 +27,42 @@ build_race:
 dist:
 	@BUILD_TAGS='$(BUILD_TAGS)' sh -c "'$(CURDIR)/scripts/dist.sh'"
 
+install:
+	go install $(BUILD_FLAGS) ./cmd/tendermint
+
+
+########################################
+### Tools & dependencies
+
+check_tools:
+	@# https://stackoverflow.com/a/25668869
+	@echo "Found tools: $(foreach tool,$(GOTOOLS_CHECK),\
+        $(if $(shell which $(tool)),$(tool),$(error "No $(tool) in PATH")))"
+
+get_tools:
+	@echo "--> Installing tools"
+	go get -u -v $(GOTOOLS)
+	@gometalinter.v2 --install
+
+update_tools:
+	@echo "--> Updating tools"
+	@go get -u $(GOTOOLS)
+
+get_vendor_deps:
+	@rm -rf vendor/
+	@echo "--> Running glide install"
+	@glide install
+
+draw_deps:
+	@# requires brew install graphviz or apt-get install graphviz
+	go get github.com/RobotsAndPencils/goviz
+	@goviz -i github.com/tendermint/tendermint/cmd/tendermint -d 3 | dot -Tpng -o dependency-graph.png
+
+
+########################################
+### Testing
+
 test:
-	@echo "--> Running linter"
-	@make metalinter_test
 	@echo "--> Running go test"
 	@go test $(PACKAGES)
 
@@ -49,46 +85,21 @@ vagrant_test:
 	vagrant ssh -c 'make test_race'
 	vagrant ssh -c 'make test_integrations'
 
-draw_deps:
-	# requires brew install graphviz or apt-get install graphviz
-	go get github.com/RobotsAndPencils/goviz
-	@goviz -i github.com/tendermint/tendermint/cmd/tendermint -d 3 | dot -Tpng -o dependency-graph.png
-
-get_vendor_deps:
-	@hash glide 2>/dev/null || go get github.com/Masterminds/glide
-	@rm -rf vendor/
-	@echo "--> Running glide install"
-	@glide install
-	@make check_tools
-
-update_vendor_deps:
-	@glide update
-
-update_tools:
-	@echo "--> Updating tools"
-	@go get -u $(GOTOOLS)
-
-check_tools:
-	which gox || make tools
-
-tools:
-	@echo "--> Installing tools"
-	@go get $(GOTOOLS)
-	@gometalinter.v2 --install
 
+########################################
 ### Formatting, linting, and vetting
 
-metalinter:
-	gometalinter.v2 --vendor --deadline=600s --enable-all --disable=lll ./...
+fmt:
+	@go fmt ./...
 
-metalinter_test:
+metalinter:
+	@echo "--> Running linter"
 	gometalinter.v2 --vendor --deadline=600s --disable-all  \
 		--enable=deadcode \
 		--enable=gosimple \
 	 	--enable=misspell \
 		--enable=safesql \
 		./...
-
 		#--enable=gas \
 		#--enable=maligned \
 		#--enable=dupl \
@@ -110,4 +121,12 @@ metalinter_test:
 		#--enable=vet \
 		#--enable=vetshadow \
 
-.PHONY: install build build_race check_tools dist test test_race test_integrations test100 draw_deps get_vendor_deps update_vendor_deps update_tools tools test_release
+metalinter_all:
+	@echo "--> Running linter (all)"
+	gometalinter.v2 --vendor --deadline=600s --enable-all --disable=lll ./...
+
+
+# To avoid unintended conflicts with file names, always add to .PHONY
+# unless there is a reason not to.
+# https://www.gnu.org/software/make/manual/html_node/Phony-Targets.html
+.PHONY: check build build_race dist install check_tools get_tools update_tools get_vendor_deps draw_deps test test_race test_integrations test_release test100 vagrant_test fmt metalinter metalinter_all