diff --git a/src/vpkInstaller.Mod b/src/vpkInstaller.Mod
index 97d6fc7..d219d61 100644
--- a/src/vpkInstaller.Mod
+++ b/src/vpkInstaller.Mod
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ VAR
   dep:  vpkdepTree.Tdep;
   i : LONGINT;
 BEGIN
-  Out.String("resolving dependencies...");
+  Out.Ln; Out.String("resolving dependencies..."); Out.Ln;
   tree := vpkResolver.resolve(unit, vpkJsonDepRetriever.getDeps);
-  Out.String(" done!"); Out.Ln;
+  Out.String(" done! (:"); Out.Ln; Out.Ln;
   lst  := vpkDot.tree2dot(tree);
   Out.String("dependency graph:"); Out.Ln; 
   Out.String("-----------------"); Out.Ln;
diff --git a/src/vpkJsonDepRetriever.Mod b/src/vpkJsonDepRetriever.Mod
index a427305..50e5d6e 100644
--- a/src/vpkJsonDepRetriever.Mod
+++ b/src/vpkJsonDepRetriever.Mod
@@ -1,16 +1,15 @@
 MODULE vpkJsonDepRetriever;
-IMPORT StringList, strutils, vpkJsonParser, vpkStorage, vpkSettings, vpkdepTree;
+IMPORT Out, StringList, strutils, vpkJsonParser, vpkStorage, vpkSettings, vpkdepTree;
 
-
-PROCEDURE getDeps*(VAR d: vpkdepTree.Tdep): StringList.TStringList;
+(* returns -1 if no such dependency found, otherwise returns length of depstr string list *)
+PROCEDURE getDeps*(VAR d: vpkdepTree.Tdep; VAR depstrlist: StringList.TStringList): LONGINT;
 VAR
   jsonRecord, dependencies: vpkJsonParser.JsonTypePointer;
   p: strutils.pstring;
   b: BOOLEAN;
-  result: StringList.TStringList;
   pkgName : ARRAY 32 OF CHAR;
 BEGIN
-  result := NIL;
+  depstrlist := NIL;
   p := NIL;
   vpkStorage.json2pstring(d.name^, p);
   IF p # NIL THEN
@@ -18,14 +17,22 @@ BEGIN
     b := jsonRecord.GetTerminal(jsonRecord, vpkSettings.pkgTypKey, pkgName);
     IF b THEN
       dependencies := NIL;
+      Out.String("searching dependencies for '"); Out.String(d.name^); Out.String("'...   "); 
       dependencies := jsonRecord.GetNonTerminal(jsonRecord, vpkSettings.depTypKey);
       IF dependencies # NIL THEN
-        dependencies.GetTerminalKeys(dependencies, result);
-        RETURN result
+        Out.String("found!"); Out.Ln;
+        dependencies.GetTerminalKeys(dependencies, depstrlist);
+        RETURN depstrlist.Count
+      ELSE
+        Out.String("...has no dependencies"); Out.Ln;
+        RETURN 0
       END
-    END
+    ELSE
+      RETURN -2 (* json doesn't contain 'type' key, malformed *)
+    END;
+  ELSE
+    RETURN -1 (* no such json file found *)
   END;
-  RETURN result
 END getDeps;
 
 
diff --git a/src/vpkJsonParser.Mod b/src/vpkJsonParser.Mod
index 4724a25..7f9c528 100644
--- a/src/vpkJsonParser.Mod
+++ b/src/vpkJsonParser.Mod
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 MODULE vpkJsonParser;
-IMPORT vpkLogger, vpkCharacterStack, Strings, Out, strutils, vpkSettings, StringList;
+IMPORT vpkLogger, vpkCharacterStack, Strings, strutils, vpkSettings, StringList;
 CONST
     ArrayMaxNumber = 30;
     ArrayMaxNumberChar = 2000;
diff --git a/src/vpkResolver.Mod b/src/vpkResolver.Mod
index d885389..56d4a29 100644
--- a/src/vpkResolver.Mod
+++ b/src/vpkResolver.Mod
@@ -36,12 +36,19 @@ VAR
   deps: Tdeps;
   p: pstr;
   i: INTEGER;
+  rtrvRes: LONGINT;
 BEGIN
-  (*met.Add(met, d);*)
+  met.Add(met, d);
     IF d.RetrieveDeps = NIL THEN Out.String("dep retriever method not installed"); Out.Ln; HALT(1) END;
-    depStrs := d.RetrieveDeps(d);
+    rtrvRes := d.RetrieveDeps(d, depStrs);
+    IF rtrvRes = -1 THEN
+      Out.Ln; Out.String("package named "); Out.String(d.name^); Out.String(" not found in the tree"); Out.Ln; HALT(61);
+    END;
+    IF rtrvRes = -2 THEN
+      Out.Ln; Out.String(d.name^); Out.String(".json malformed"); Out.Ln
+    END;
+
     IF depStrs # NIL THEN
-      met.Add(met, d);
       NEW (deps, depStrs.Count);
       i := 0;
       REPEAT
@@ -67,12 +74,6 @@ BEGIN
         INC(i) 
       UNTIL i = depStrs.Count - 1;
       d.AssignDeps(d, deps);
-    ELSE
-      IF met.Empty(met) THEN
-        Out.Ln;
-        Out.String("package "); Out.String(d.name^); Out.String(" not found in the tree"); Out.Ln;
-        HALT(61)
-      END;
     END;
   depTree.Add(depTree, d);
 END mkDepTree;
diff --git a/src/vpkdepTree.Mod b/src/vpkdepTree.Mod
index 623bc0c..8bbb1bd 100644
--- a/src/vpkdepTree.Mod
+++ b/src/vpkdepTree.Mod
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ TYPE
      Count* : LONGINT;
   END;
 
-  retriever- = PROCEDURE (VAR d: Tdep): StringList.TStringList;
+  retriever- = PROCEDURE (VAR d: Tdep; VAR strlist: StringList.TStringList): LONGINT;
 
   TdepDesc* = RECORD
          prev-, next-: Tdep;