diff --git a/crush.lua b/crush.lua
index 8e36fc9..248e0a3 100644
--- a/crush.lua
+++ b/crush.lua
@@ -7,29 +7,7 @@
 local io = require 'io'
 local os = require 'os'
 
--- Utility functions
-
-local function split(sep, s)
-    local t = {}
-
-    for i in s:gmatch("([^"..sep.."]+)") do
-        t[#t+1] = i
-    end
-
-    return t
-end
-
-local function startswith(s, prefix)
-    return s:sub(1, #prefix) == prefix
-end
-
-local function trim(s)
-  local from = s:match("^%s*()")
-
-  return from > #s and "" or s:match(".*%S", from)
-end
-
--- System specific
+-- System specific functions
 --
 -- Portions of this code are based on work from the LuaRocks project.
 -- LuaRocks is free software and uses the MIT license.
@@ -207,33 +185,54 @@ end
 
 -- .lovedeps file scan
 
+local function map_file(name)
+    local fh = io.open(name, 'r')
+    if fh == nil then
+        error(name..": can't read file.")
+    end
+
+    local contents = fh:read('*all')
+    fh:close()
+
+    return contents
+end
+
 local function scandeps(manifest, mode, deps)
     mode = mode or 'nodups'
     deps = deps or {}
 
-    local i = 0
+    local contents = map_file(manifest)
+    contents = "return "..contents
+
+    local fun, res = load(contents, manifest, 't', {})
+    if not fun then
+        error(res)
+    end
 
-    for line in io.lines(manifest) do
-        line = trim(line)
-        i = i + 1
+    local ok, def = pcall(fun)
+    if not ok then
+        error(def)  -- def is now pcall()'s error message
+    end
+    if type(def) ~= 'table' then
+        error("[\""..manifest.."\"] loading file resulted in a '"..type(def).."', 'table' expected.")
+    end
 
-        if line == "" or startswith(line, "#") then
-            goto skip
+    for name,url in pairs(def) do
+        if type(url) == 'function' then
+            goto skip  -- ignore functions
         end
 
-        local fields = split(' ', line)
-        if #fields ~= 2 then
-            error(manifest..":"..i..": Syntax error, line must be in 'name url' form.")
+        if type(url) ~= 'string' then
+            error(manifest..": unexpected type "..type(dep).." as "..name.." git repository URL.")
         end
 
-        local name, url = fields[1], fields[2]
         for i in ipairs(deps) do
             if name == deps[i].name then
                 if mode == 'skipdups' then
                     goto skip
                 end
 
-                error(manifest..":"..i..": Duplicate dependency '"..name.."'.")
+                error(manifest..": Duplicate dependency '"..name.."'.")
             end
         end