diff --git a/pkg/build/compile.go b/pkg/build/compile.go
index 7b49ffee8..c68136be7 100644
--- a/pkg/build/compile.go
+++ b/pkg/build/compile.go
@@ -245,6 +245,7 @@ func (c *Compiled) compilePipeline(ctx context.Context, sm *SubstitutionMap, pip
 	}
 
 	if parent != nil {
+		
 		with = util.RightJoinMap(parent, with)
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/build/package.go b/pkg/build/package.go
index 45a164002..f479588f1 100644
--- a/pkg/build/package.go
+++ b/pkg/build/package.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
+	"slices"
 	"strings"
 	"text/template"
 
@@ -36,7 +37,6 @@ import (
 
 	"chainguard.dev/melange/pkg/config"
 	"chainguard.dev/melange/pkg/sca"
-	"chainguard.dev/melange/pkg/util"
 
 	"chainguard.dev/apko/pkg/apk/tarball"
 	"github.com/chainguard-dev/clog"
@@ -342,15 +342,15 @@ func (pc *PackageBuild) GenerateDependencies(ctx context.Context, hdl sca.SCAHan
 	unvendored := removeSelfProvidedDeps(generated.Runtime, generated.Vendored)
 
 	newruntime := append(pc.Dependencies.Runtime, unvendored...)
-	pc.Dependencies.Runtime = util.Dedup(newruntime)
+	pc.Dependencies.Runtime = slices.Compact(slices.Sorted(slices.Values(newruntime)))
 
 	newprovides := append(pc.Dependencies.Provides, generated.Provides...)
-	pc.Dependencies.Provides = util.Dedup(newprovides)
+	pc.Dependencies.Provides = slices.Compact(slices.Sorted(slices.Values(newprovides)))
 
 	pc.Dependencies.Runtime = removeSelfProvidedDeps(pc.Dependencies.Runtime, pc.Dependencies.Provides)
 
 	// Sets .PKGINFO `# vendored = ...` comments; does not affect resolution.
-	pc.Dependencies.Vendored = util.Dedup(generated.Vendored)
+	pc.Dependencies.Vendored = slices.Compact(slices.Sorted(slices.Values(generated.Vendored)))
 
 	pc.Dependencies.Summarize(ctx)
 
diff --git a/pkg/sca/e2e_test.go b/pkg/sca/e2e_test.go
index dc9ba8a27..b1cc4d476 100644
--- a/pkg/sca/e2e_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sca/e2e_test.go
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"chainguard.dev/melange/pkg/config"
-	"chainguard.dev/melange/pkg/util"
 	"github.com/chainguard-dev/clog/slogtest"
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
 )
@@ -36,13 +35,13 @@ func TestGoFipsBinDeps(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	want := config.Dependencies{
-		Runtime: util.Dedup([]string{
+		Runtime: []string{
 			"openssl-config-fipshardened",
 			"so:ld-linux-x86-64.so.2",
 			"so:libc.so.6",
 			"so:libcrypto.so.3",
 			"so:libssl.so.3",
-		}),
+		},
 		Provides: []string{"cmd:go-fips-bin=0.0.1-r0"},
 	}
 	if diff := cmp.Diff(want, got); diff != "" {
diff --git a/pkg/sca/sca.go b/pkg/sca/sca.go
index f60ceb32b..ca48e9123 100644
--- a/pkg/sca/sca.go
+++ b/pkg/sca/sca.go
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/chainguard-dev/go-pkgconfig"
 
 	"chainguard.dev/melange/pkg/config"
-	"chainguard.dev/melange/pkg/util"
 )
 
 var libDirs = []string{"lib/", "usr/lib/", "lib64/", "usr/lib64/"}
@@ -783,9 +782,9 @@ func Analyze(ctx context.Context, hdl SCAHandle, generated *config.Dependencies)
 		}
 	}
 
-	generated.Runtime = util.Dedup(generated.Runtime)
-	generated.Provides = util.Dedup(generated.Provides)
-	generated.Vendored = util.Dedup(generated.Vendored)
+	generated.Runtime = slices.Compact(slices.Sorted(slices.Values(generated.Runtime)))
+	generated.Provides = slices.Compact(slices.Sorted(slices.Values(generated.Provides)))
+	generated.Vendored = slices.Compact(slices.Sorted(slices.Values(generated.Vendored)))
 
 	if hdl.Options().NoCommands {
 		generated.Provides = slices.DeleteFunc(generated.Provides, func(s string) bool {
diff --git a/pkg/sca/sca_test.go b/pkg/sca/sca_test.go
index 72938020b..f7793c5d4 100644
--- a/pkg/sca/sca_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sca/sca_test.go
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ import (
 	"chainguard.dev/apko/pkg/apk/apk"
 	"chainguard.dev/apko/pkg/apk/expandapk"
 	"chainguard.dev/melange/pkg/config"
-	"chainguard.dev/melange/pkg/util"
 	"github.com/chainguard-dev/clog/slogtest"
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
 	"gopkg.in/ini.v1"
@@ -151,16 +150,16 @@ func TestExecableSharedObjects(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	want := config.Dependencies{
-		Runtime: util.Dedup([]string{
+		Runtime: []string{
 			"so:ld-linux-aarch64.so.1",
 			"so:libc.so.6",
 			"so:libcap.so.2",
 			"so:libpsx.so.2",
-		}),
-		Provides: util.Dedup([]string{
+		},
+		Provides: []string{
 			"so:libcap.so.2=2",
 			"so:libpsx.so.2=2",
-		}),
+		},
 	}
 	if diff := cmp.Diff(want, got); diff != "" {
 		t.Errorf("Analyze(): (-want, +got):\n%s", diff)
@@ -181,18 +180,22 @@ func TestVendoredPkgConfig(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	want := config.Dependencies{
-		Runtime: util.Dedup([]string{
+		Runtime: []string{
 			// We only include libecpg_compat.so.3 to test that "libexec" isn't treated as a library directory.
 			// These are dependencies of libecpg_compat.so.3, but if we had the whole neon APK it would look different.
-			"so:libecpg.so.6", "so:libpgtypes.so.3", "so:libpq.so.5", "so:libc.so.6", "so:ld-linux-aarch64.so.1",
-		}),
-		Vendored: util.Dedup([]string{
-			"so:libecpg_compat.so.3=3",
+			"so:ld-linux-aarch64.so.1",
+			"so:libc.so.6",
+			"so:libecpg.so.6",
+			"so:libpgtypes.so.3",
+			"so:libpq.so.5",
+		},
+		Vendored: []string{
 			"pc:libecpg=4604-r0",
 			"pc:libecpg_compat=4604-r0",
 			"pc:libpgtypes=4604-r0",
 			"pc:libpq=4604-r0",
-		}),
+			"so:libecpg_compat.so.3=3",
+		},
 	}
 
 	if diff := cmp.Diff(want, got); diff != "" {
@@ -252,7 +255,7 @@ func TestUnstableSonames(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	want := config.Dependencies{
-		Runtime: util.Dedup([]string{
+		Runtime: []string{
 			"so:ld-linux-aarch64.so.1",
 			"so:libaws-c-auth.so.1.0.0",
 			"so:libaws-c-cal.so.1.0.0",
@@ -262,7 +265,7 @@ func TestUnstableSonames(t *testing.T) {
 			"so:libaws-c-s3.so.0unstable",
 			"so:libaws-checksums.so.1.0.0",
 			"so:libc.so.6",
-		}),
+		},
 		Provides: []string{"so:libaws-c-s3.so.0unstable=0"},
 	}
 
@@ -278,13 +281,13 @@ func TestShbangDeps(t *testing.T) {
 	defer th.exp.Close()
 
 	want := config.Dependencies{
-		Runtime: util.Dedup([]string{
+		Runtime: []string{
 			"cmd:bash",
 			"cmd:envDashSCmd",
 			"cmd:python3.12",
 			"so:ld-linux-x86-64.so.2",
 			"so:libc.so.6",
-		}),
+		},
 		Provides: nil,
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/util/util.go b/pkg/util/util.go
index 1f4260126..0088d6313 100644
--- a/pkg/util/util.go
+++ b/pkg/util/util.go
@@ -14,16 +14,9 @@
 
 package util
 
-import (
-	"cmp"
-	"slices"
-)
-
 // Given a left and right map, perform a right join and return the result
 func RightJoinMap(left map[string]string, right map[string]string) map[string]string {
-	// this is the worst case possible length, assuming no overlaps.
-	length := len(left) + len(right)
-	output := make(map[string]string, length)
+	output := map[string]string{}
 
 	// copy the left-side first
 	for k, v := range left {
@@ -37,9 +30,3 @@ func RightJoinMap(left map[string]string, right map[string]string) map[string]st
 
 	return output
 }
-
-// Dedup wraps slices.Sort and slices.Compact to deduplicate a slice.
-func Dedup[S ~[]E, E cmp.Ordered](s S) S {
-	slices.Sort(s)
-	return slices.Compact(s)
-}
diff --git a/pkg/util/util_test.go b/pkg/util/util_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index d70128388..000000000
--- a/pkg/util/util_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-package util
-
-import (
-	"testing"
-
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
-)
-
-func TestDedup(t *testing.T) {
-	a := []int{0, 1, 2, 3, 1, 4, 5, 9, 16, 9, 12, 9, 9, 9, 13, 12, 15, 17, 15}
-	b := Dedup(a)
-
-	require.Equal(t, len(b), 12, "the deduplicated list should have 12 elements")
-}