diff --git a/boost-base.jam b/boost-base.jam
index 45664b4ca..a27567ff7 100644
--- a/boost-base.jam
+++ b/boost-base.jam
@@ -1621,8 +1621,8 @@ else
 # depend-on-libraries target-files : library-targets
 rule depend-on-libraries
 {
-    NEEDLIBS += $(>) ;
-    NEEDLIBS on $(<) += $(>) ;
+    NEEDLIBS = [ unique $(NEEDLIBS) $(>) ] ;
+    NEEDLIBS on $(<) = [ on $(<) return [ unique $(NEEDLIBS) $(>) ] ] ;
     DEPENDS $(<) : $(>) ;
     # To run these targets, we need everything needed to run the libraries
     gRUN_PATH($(<)) = [ unique $(gRUN_PATH($(<))) $(gRUN_PATH($(>))) ] ;
diff --git a/v1/boost-base.jam b/v1/boost-base.jam
index 45664b4ca..a27567ff7 100644
--- a/v1/boost-base.jam
+++ b/v1/boost-base.jam
@@ -1621,8 +1621,8 @@ else
 # depend-on-libraries target-files : library-targets
 rule depend-on-libraries
 {
-    NEEDLIBS += $(>) ;
-    NEEDLIBS on $(<) += $(>) ;
+    NEEDLIBS = [ unique $(NEEDLIBS) $(>) ] ;
+    NEEDLIBS on $(<) = [ on $(<) return [ unique $(NEEDLIBS) $(>) ] ] ;
     DEPENDS $(<) : $(>) ;
     # To run these targets, we need everything needed to run the libraries
     gRUN_PATH($(<)) = [ unique $(gRUN_PATH($(<))) $(gRUN_PATH($(>))) ] ;