diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index da2503ea9f..6a34a7253a 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -211,6 +211,8 @@ ifeq ($(arm_test_noprobe), on)
 endif
 
 # ----------------- available targets: --------------------
+# - "builddeps": pulls in external dependencies for building
+# - "dependencies": pulls in all external dependencies
 # - "grokdump": rebuilds heap constants lists used by grokdump
 # - any arch listed in ARCHES (see below)
 # - any mode listed in MODES
@@ -484,5 +486,26 @@ GPATH GRTAGS GSYMS GTAGS: gtags.files $(shell cat gtags.files 2> /dev/null)
 gtags.clean:
 	rm -f gtags.files GPATH GRTAGS GSYMS GTAGS
 
-dependencies builddeps:
-	$(error Use 'gclient sync' instead)
+# Dependencies. "builddeps" are dependencies required solely for building,
+# "dependencies" includes also dependencies required for development.
+# Remember to keep these in sync with the DEPS file.
+builddeps:
+	svn checkout --force https://gyp.googlecode.com/svn/trunk build/gyp \
+	    --revision 1831
+	if svn info third_party/icu 2>&1 | grep -q icu46 ; then \
+	  svn switch --force \
+	      https://src.chromium.org/chrome/trunk/deps/third_party/icu52 \
+	      third_party/icu --revision 277999 ; \
+	else \
+	  svn checkout --force \
+	      https://src.chromium.org/chrome/trunk/deps/third_party/icu52 \
+	      third_party/icu --revision 277999 ; \
+	fi
+	svn checkout --force https://googletest.googlecode.com/svn/trunk \
+	    testing/gtest --revision 692
+	svn checkout --force https://googlemock.googlecode.com/svn/trunk \
+	    testing/gmock --revision 485
+
+dependencies: builddeps
+	# The spec is a copy of the hooks in v8's DEPS file.
+	gclient sync -r fb782d4369d5ae04f17a2fceef7de5a63e50f07b --spec="solutions = [{u'managed': False, u'name': u'buildtools', u'url': u'https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/buildtools.git', u'custom_deps': {}, u'custom_hooks': [{u'name': u'clang_format_win',u'pattern': u'.',u'action': [u'download_from_google_storage',u'--no_resume',u'--platform=win32',u'--no_auth',u'--bucket',u'chromium-clang-format',u'-s',u'buildtools/win/clang-format.exe.sha1']},{u'name': u'clang_format_mac',u'pattern': u'.',u'action': [u'download_from_google_storage',u'--no_resume',u'--platform=darwin',u'--no_auth',u'--bucket',u'chromium-clang-format',u'-s',u'buildtools/mac/clang-format.sha1']},{u'name': u'clang_format_linux',u'pattern': u'.',u'action': [u'download_from_google_storage',u'--no_resume',u'--platform=linux*',u'--no_auth',u'--bucket',u'chromium-clang-format',u'-s',u'buildtools/linux64/clang-format.sha1']}],u'deps_file': u'.DEPS.git', u'safesync_url': u''}]"