diff --git a/src/prpy/base/barretthand.py b/src/prpy/base/barretthand.py
index f8784eb..bdbf7c0 100644
--- a/src/prpy/base/barretthand.py
+++ b/src/prpy/base/barretthand.py
@@ -49,8 +49,11 @@ def __init__(self, sim, manipulator, owd_namespace, bhd_namespace, ft_sim=True):
         EndEffector.__init__(self, manipulator)
         self.simulated = sim
 
-        # Just in case the closing direction is missing.
-        manipulator.SetChuckingDirection([ 0., 1., 1., 1. ])
+        import rospkg, distutils.version
+        ros_version = rospkg.RosStack().get_stack_version('ros')
+        if distutils.version.LooseVersion(ros_version) >= distutils.version.LooseVersion('1.9'):
+            # Just in case the closing direction is missing.
+            manipulator.SetChuckingDirection([ 0., 1., 1., 1. ])
 
         # Hand controller
         robot = self.manipulator.GetRobot()
diff --git a/src/prpy/dependency_manager.py b/src/prpy/dependency_manager.py
index 2f36546..8030074 100644
--- a/src/prpy/dependency_manager.py
+++ b/src/prpy/dependency_manager.py
@@ -28,24 +28,117 @@
 # ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE
 # POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
-import rospkg, os, sys
-
-def append_to_env(name, new_paths):
-    import os
-    paths  = list(new_paths)
-    paths += os.environ.get(name, '').split(os.pathsep)
-    os.environ[name] = os.pathsep.join(paths)
-
-def export():
-    import openravepy
-    from catkin.find_in_workspaces import find_in_workspaces
-
-    # Compute the major-minor OpenRAVE version.
-    version, _, _ = openravepy.__version__.rpartition('.')
-
-    # Append to OPENRAVE_PLUGINS.
-    plugins_dir = 'openrave-' + version
-    lib_directories = find_in_workspaces(search_dirs=[ 'lib' ])
-    plugins_path = [ os.path.join(lib_dir, plugins_dir) \
-                     for lib_dir in lib_directories ]
-    append_to_env('OPENRAVE_PLUGINS', plugins_path)
+import rospkg, os, sys, distutils.version
+
+def is_catkin():
+    distro = os.environ.get('ROS_DISTRO', '')
+    if distro:
+        # Clever hack courtesy of Chris Dellin.
+        return ord(distro[0].lower()) >= ord('g')
+    else:
+        raise ValueError('Environment variable ROS_DISTRO is not set.')
+
+if is_catkin():
+    def append_to_env(name, new_paths):
+        import os
+        paths  = list(new_paths)
+        paths += os.environ.get(name, '').split(os.pathsep)
+        os.environ[name] = os.pathsep.join(paths)
+    
+    def export():
+        import openravepy
+        from catkin.find_in_workspaces import find_in_workspaces
+    
+        # Compute the major-minor OpenRAVE version.
+        version, _, _ = openravepy.__version__.rpartition('.')
+    
+        # Append to OPENRAVE_PLUGINS.
+        plugins_dir = 'openrave-' + version
+        lib_directories = find_in_workspaces(search_dirs=[ 'lib' ])
+        plugins_path = [ os.path.join(lib_dir, plugins_dir) \
+                         for lib_dir in lib_directories ]
+        append_to_env('OPENRAVE_PLUGINS', plugins_path)
+else:
+    def append_to_env(variable, new_path, separator=':'):
+        paths = os.environ.get(variable, '')
+        if paths:
+            paths_list = paths.split(separator)
+        else:
+            paths_list = list()
+
+        # Check if we're adding a duplicate entry.
+        duplicate = False
+        new_canonical_path = os.path.realpath(new_path)
+        for path in paths_list: 
+            canonical_path = os.path.realpath(path)
+            if canonical_path == new_canonical_path:
+                duplicate = True
+                break
+
+        # Add the new path to the environmental variable.
+        if not duplicate:
+            paths_list.insert(0, new_path)
+            paths = separator.join(paths_list)
+            os.environ[variable] = paths
+
+        return paths 
+
+    def export_paths(pkg, package_name):
+
+        packages = list()
+
+        # first get all the required packages
+        try:
+            manifest = pkg.get_manifest(package_name)
+            required_packages = pkg.get_depends(package_name)
+            packages.extend(required_packages)
+        except rospkg.ResourceNotFound:
+            return False, [package_name]
+
+        # next get all the optional packages
+        optional_packages = manifest.get_export('openrave', 'optional')
+        packages.extend(optional_packages)
+
+        # Process the OpenRAVE export tags. 
+        for plugin_path in manifest.get_export('openrave', 'plugins'):
+            plugin_paths = append_to_env('OPENRAVE_PLUGINS', plugin_path)
+            
+        for data_path in manifest.get_export('openrave', 'data'):
+            data_paths = append_to_env('OPENRAVE_DATA', data_path)
+
+        for database_path in manifest.get_export('openrave', 'database'):
+            database_paths = append_to_env('OPENRAVE_DATABASE', database_path)
+            
+        for python_path in manifest.get_export('python', 'path'):
+            sys.path.append(python_path)
+
+        # Add the appropriate directories to PYTHONPATH.
+        # TODO: This is a hack. Should I parsing a Python export instead?
+        sys.path.append(pkg.get_path(package_name) + '/src')
+
+        # now dive into the subpackages
+        packages = set(packages)
+        missing_packages = list()
+        for package in packages:
+            success, missing = export_paths(pkg, package)
+            missing_packages.extend(missing)
+            if not success:
+                # check if this package is required
+                if package in required_packages:
+                    return False, missing_packages
+
+        return True, missing_packages
+
+    def export(package_name):
+        pkg = rospkg.RosPack()
+        manifest = pkg.get_manifest(package_name)
+
+        # Required dependencies.
+        success, missing_packages = export_paths(pkg, package_name)
+        if not success:
+            raise Exception('Unable to load required dependencies.')
+
+        if missing_packages:
+            missing_packages.sort()
+            print 'Missing optional dependencies: %s' % ' '.join(missing_packages)
+        return missing_packages