diff --git a/aliases.sh b/aliases.sh
index facba2ea6..0b3ca310a 100644
--- a/aliases.sh
+++ b/aliases.sh
@@ -1,49 +1,22 @@
 alias ll="ls -l"
-
-alias catn="cat -n"
-
-alias egrep="egrep --color"
-
-alias grep="egrep"
-
 alias c="clear"
-
-alias vim="nvim"
-
-alias find="find -E"
-
 alias dir='find . -maxdepth 1 -type d -regex "\.\/[^.].+"'
 
-# if pygmentize isn't installed run...
-# sudo pip install pygments
-# colorizes syntax of files
-alias ccat="pygmentize -g"
 
-# self-evident git alias
-alias gprom="git pull --rebase origin master"
-
-alias 'glp'="git log --graph --pretty=format:'%Cred%h%Creset -%Cblue %an %Creset - %C(yellow)%d%Creset %s %Cgreen(%cr)%Creset' --abbrev-commit --date=relative"
-
-# view the Unix directory stack as maintained through
-#     pushd and popd commands
-alias wdirs='dirs | tr " " "\n" | sort -r'
-
-# GitHub integration
-alias git=hub
+# aliases with dependencies
+command -v nvim && alias vim="nvim" || echo "Missing dependency (nvim). Failed to alias vim -> nvim"
+command -v 'find -E' && alias find="find -E" || echo "Missing dependency (find -E). Failed to alias find -> find -E"
+command -v egrep && alias grep="egrep" || echo "Missing dependency (egrep). Failed to alias grep -> egrep"
+command -v 'pygmentize -g' && alias ccat='pygmentize -g' || echo "Missing dependency (pygmentize -g). Failed to alias ccat -> pygmentize -g"
+command -v hub && alias git=hub || echo "Missing dependency (hub). Failed to alias git -> hub"
 
 
-# Git aliases
-# List MRU branches
+# git-specific aliases
 git config --global alias.recent 'for-each-ref --count=10 --sort=-committerdate refs/heads/ --format="%(refname:short)"'
-
-# List today's work
 git config --global alias.today 'log --since=00:00:00 --all --no-merges --oneline --author="$(git config --get user.email)"'
 
-# git commit --amend --no-edit
+alias glp="git log --graph --pretty=format:'%Cred%h%Creset -%Cblue %an %Creset - %C(yellow)%d%Creset %s %Cgreen(%cr)%Creset' --abbrev-commit --date=relative"
+alias gprom="git pull --rebase origin master"
 alias gcan='git commit --amend --no-edit'
-
-# git commit --amend --no-edit
 alias gpf='git push --force'
-
-# git commit --amend --no-edit
 alias gds='git diff --staged'