diff --git a/bin/new-dir.sh b/bin/new-dir.sh
index b0dae9772..0b589b8ba 100755
--- a/bin/new-dir.sh
+++ b/bin/new-dir.sh
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ export LC_ALL="C"
 
 # set variables referenced in the usage message
 #
-export VERSION="2.0.1 2025-05-18"
+export VERSION="2.0.2 2025-05-29"
 NAME=$(basename "$0")
 export NAME
 export V_FLAG=0
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@ fi
 if [[ $V_FLAG -ge 3 ]]; then
     echo "$0: debug[3]: forming temporary Makefile: $TMP_MAKEFILE" 1>&2
 fi
-sed -n -e '1,/^# BEGIN - DO NOT REMOVE THIS LINE - make new_entry uses this line #/p' "$MAKE_FILE" > "$TMP_MAKEFILE"
+sed -n -e '1,/^# 1st - DO NOT REMOVE THIS LINE - bin/new-dir.sh uses this line #/p' "$MAKE_FILE" > "$TMP_MAKEFILE"
 make -C "$YEAR_DIR" new_entry NEW_ENTRY="$ENTRY_DIR" >> "$TMP_MAKEFILE"
 status="$?"
 if [[ $status -ne 0 ]]; then
@@ -486,7 +486,7 @@ if [[ $status -ne 0 ]]; then
 	 "error code: $status" 1>&2
     exit 15
 fi
-sed -n -e '/^# END - DO NOT REMOVE THIS LINE - make new_entry also uses this #/,$p' "$MAKE_FILE" >> "$TMP_MAKEFILE"
+sed -n -e '/^# 2nd - DO NOT REMOVE THIS LINE - bin/new-dir.sh uses this line #/,$p' "$MAKE_FILE" >> "$TMP_MAKEFILE"
 
 
 # Update Makefile if is changes and not -n
diff --git a/template/Makefile.year b/template/Makefile.year
index 68eca440a..3d727384d 100644
--- a/template/Makefile.year
+++ b/template/Makefile.year
@@ -41,9 +41,9 @@ include ../var.mk
 # IOCCC entries
 ###############
 
-# BEGIN - DO NOT REMOVE THIS LINE - make new_entry uses this line #
+# 1st - DO NOT REMOVE THIS LINE - bin/new-dir.sh uses this line #
 ENTRIES= submit.[0-9]*
-# BEGIN - DO NOT REMOVE THIS LINE - make new_entry uses this line #
+# 2nd - DO NOT REMOVE THIS LINE - bin/new-dir.sh uses this line #
 
 YEAR= %%YEAR%%
 
@@ -286,12 +286,31 @@ genpath:
 # NOTE: 'Don't Panic' if you don't understand the stuff below
 #############################################################
 
-# add ${NEW_ENTRY} to the list of ${ENTRIES} and output Makefile lines to set updated ${ENTRIES} value
+# new_entry - add a new entry directory name to the ${ENTRIES} Makefile variable
+#
+# Add ${NEW_ENTRY} to the list of ${ENTRIES} and output Makefile lines to set updated
+# ${ENTRIES} Makefile variable.
+#
+# If list of ${ENTRIES} is long, we format it into a multi-line value setting with required
+# backslashes and indentation.  Duplicate values are removed and the initial 'submit.[0-9]*' (used
+# during judging) is removed.  The words (directory names) in ${ENTRIES} are sorted in C dictionary order.
+#
+# This rule is used by the bin/new-dir.sh shell script via:
+#
+#	make -C ${YEAR} new_entry NEW_ENTRY=curds
 #
 new_entry:
-	@(echo 'ENTRIES= '; \
-	 (echo ${ENTRIES} ${NEW_ENTRY}) | ${TR} ' ' '\012' | ${SORT} -d -u) | \
-	 ${FMT} | ${SED} -e '2,$$s/^/\t/' -e 's/$$/ \\/' -e '$$s/ \\//'
+	@if [[ -z "${NEW_ENTRY}" ]]; then echo "$@: ERROR: NEW_ENTRY is empty" 1>&2; exit 1; fi
+	@if [[ ! -d "${NEW_ENTRY}" ]]; then echo "$@: ERROR: not a directory: ${YEAR}/${NEW_ENTRY}" 1>&2; exit 2; fi
+	@(echo -n 'ENTRIES= '; \
+	   (for dir in ${ENTRIES} ${NEW_ENTRY}; do \
+	      if [[ $$dir != 'submit.[0-9]*' ]]; then echo "$$dir"; fi; \
+	    done | \
+	    LANG=C ${SORT} -d -u; \
+	   ) \
+	 ) | \
+	 ${FMT} | \
+	 ${SED} -e '2,$$s/^/\t/' -e 's/$$/ \\/' -e '$$s/ \\//'
 
 
 ########################