Index: pred.ml
===================================================================
--- pred.ml	(revision 106)
+++ pred.ml	(working copy)
@@ -121,6 +121,10 @@
 
 let extern p = Prefs.read p.pref
 
+let extern_associated_strings p =
+  recompile_if_needed p;
+  Safelist.map snd p.associated_strings
+
 (********************************************************************)
 (*                             TESTING                              *)
 (********************************************************************)
Index: pred.mli
===================================================================
--- pred.mli	(revision 106)
+++ pred.mli	(working copy)
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@
 (* Return the current list of patterns *)
 val extern : t -> string list
 
+(* Return the current list of associated strings *)
+val extern_associated_strings : t -> string list
+
 (* Create an alternate name for a predicate (the new name will not appear   *)
 (* in usage messages or generated documentation)                             *)
 val alias : t                 (* existing predicate *)
Index: recon.ml
===================================================================
--- recon.ml	(revision 106)
+++ recon.ml	(working copy)
@@ -129,13 +129,6 @@
 (* preferences "force"/"preference", returns a pair (root, force)            *)
 let lookupPreferredRoot () =
   if Prefs.read forceRoot <> "" then
-    if not (Prefs.read Props.syncModtimes)
-       && (   (Prefs.read forceRoot = "newer")
-           || (Prefs.read forceRoot = "older"))
-    then
-      raise (Util.Transient (Printf.sprintf
-       "The 'force=%s' preference can only be used with 'times=true'"
-       (Prefs.read forceRoot))) else
     (Prefs.read forceRoot, `Force)
   else if Prefs.read preferRoot <> "" then
     (Prefs.read preferRoot, `Prefer)
@@ -147,13 +140,6 @@
 let lookupPreferredRootPartial p =
   let s = Path.toString p in
   if Pred.test forceRootPartial s then
-    if not (Prefs.read Props.syncModtimes)
-       && (   (Pred.assoc forceRootPartial s = "newer")
-           || (Pred.assoc forceRootPartial s = "older"))
-    then
-      raise (Util.Transient (Printf.sprintf
-       "The 'forcepartial=%s' preference can only be used with 'times=true'"
-       (Pred.assoc forceRootPartial s))) else
     (Pred.assoc forceRootPartial s, `Force)
   else if Pred.test preferRootPartial s then
     (Pred.assoc preferRootPartial s, `Prefer)
@@ -181,8 +167,18 @@
 (* This should also check for the partial version, but this needs a way to   *)
 (* extract the associated values from a Pred.t                               *)
 let checkThatPreferredRootIsValid () =
-  let (root,_) = lookupPreferredRoot() in
-  if root<>"" then ignore(root2direction root)
+  let test_root predname = function
+    | "" -> ()
+    | ("newer" | "older") as r -> 
+        if not (Prefs.read Props.syncModtimes) then
+          raise (Util.Transient (Printf.sprintf
+                                   "The '%s=%s' preference can only be used with 'times=true'"
+                                   predname r))
+    | r -> ignore (root2direction r) in
+  let (root,pred) = lookupPreferredRoot() in
+  if root<>"" then test_root (match pred with `Force -> "force" | `Prefer -> "prefer") root;
+  Safelist.iter (test_root "forcepartial") (Pred.extern_associated_strings forceRootPartial);
+  Safelist.iter (test_root "preferpartial") (Pred.extern_associated_strings preferRootPartial)
 
 (* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- *)
 (*                    Main Reconciliation stuff                              *)