diff --git a/tools/bootcheck b/tools/bootcheck
index 3ed17a22d..4c87fdfbd 100755
--- a/tools/bootcheck
+++ b/tools/bootcheck
@@ -115,13 +115,18 @@ echo linking stage 2... 1>&2
 cd stage2
 mkdir compiler
 cd compiler
-ln -s $root/compiler/*.m .
+# Break up the links into several chunks.
+# This is needed to cope with small limits on the size of argument vectors.
+ln -s $root/compiler/[a-h]*.m .
+ln -s $root/compiler/[i-s]*.m .
+ln -s $root/compiler/[t-z]*.m .
 cp $root/compiler/Mmake* .
 cd $root/stage2
 mkdir library
 cd library
-ln -s $root/library/*.m .
-ln -s $root/library/*.nl .
+ln -s $root/library/[a-l]*.m .
+ln -s $root/library/[m-z]*.m .
+# ln -s $root/library/*.nl .
 cp $root/library/Mmake* .
 ln -s $root/library/library.init .
 cd $root/stage2
@@ -220,13 +225,18 @@ set +x
 cd stage3
 mkdir compiler
 cd compiler
-ln -s $root/compiler/*.m .
+# Break up the links into several chunks.
+# This is needed to cope with small limits on the size of argument vectors.
+ln -s $root/compiler/[a-h]*.m .
+ln -s $root/compiler/[i-s]*.m .
+ln -s $root/compiler/[t-z]*.m .
 cp $root/compiler/Mmake* .
 cd $root/stage3
 mkdir library
 cd library
-ln -s $root/library/*.m .
-ln -s $root/library/*.nl .
+ln -s $root/library/[a-l]*.m .
+ln -s $root/library/[m-z]*.m .
+# ln -s $root/library/*.nl .
 cp $root/library/Mmake* .
 ln -s $root/library/library.init .
 cd $root/stage3
diff --git a/tools/test_mercury b/tools/test_mercury
index 60029bc3a..302b3bb61 100755
--- a/tools/test_mercury
+++ b/tools/test_mercury
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ cd $DIR || { false; exit 1; }
 cvs checkout mercury tests || { false; exit 1; }
 [ -d $INSTALL_DIR ] || mkdir -p $INSTALL_DIR
 
-: bootstrap the compiler up to stage 3 and check the results match
+: bootstrap the compiler up to stage 3 and check that the results match
 MERCURY_COMPILER=$BOOTSTRAP_MERCURY_COMPILER
 export MERCURY_COMPILER
 cd mercury || { false; exit 1; }