diff --git a/software/maarch/software.cfg b/software/maarch/software.cfg
index 46f0d0061ece5ed4f5efaec64c09179706ec3b6e..af17d3a7969a3738aef00d69c2820b6c5d0804ee 100644
--- a/software/maarch/software.cfg
+++ b/software/maarch/software.cfg
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@ extends =
 parts =
   slapos-cookbook
   apache-php-postgres
+  pear-modules
   eggs
   template
   template-apache-php
-  pear-modules
 
 
 [application]
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ md5sum = 5c2c859dee9d0dde3ba959474fd5fc86
 
 
 [application-template]
+# XXX we don't need this
 recipe = slapos.recipe.download
 url = ${:_profile_base_location_}/config.php.in
 #md5sum = 
@@ -31,15 +32,17 @@ location = ${buildout:parts-directory}/${:_buildout_section_name_}
 
 
 [application-configuration]
+# XXX we don't need this
 location = config.php
 
 
 [pear-modules]
 recipe = cp.recipe.cmd
+pear = ${apache-php-postgres:location}/bin/pear
 install_cmd =
-    ${apache-php-postgres:location}/bin/pear channel-discover pear.maarch.org
-    ${apache-php-postgres:location}/bin/pear install maarch/CLITools-0.3.1
-    ${apache-php-postgres:location}/bin/pear install MIME_Type
+    ${:pear} channel-info pear.maarch.org >/dev/null || ${:pear} channel-discovery pear.maarch.org
+    ${:pear} info maarch/CLITools-0.3.1 >/dev/null || ${:pear} install maarch/CLITools-0.3.1
+    ${:pear} info MIME_Type >/dev/null || ${:pear} install MIME_Type
 
 
 [apache-php-postgres]