diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 027f21c..af2d982 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -106,14 +106,8 @@ else ifneq ($(filter-out $(nobuild_targets),$(MAKECMDGOALS)),)
 BR_BUILDING = y
 endif
 
-# Strip quotes and then whitespaces
-qstrip = $(strip $(subst ",,$(1)))
-#"))
-
-# Variables for use in Make constructs
-comma := ,
-empty :=
-space := $(empty) $(empty)
+# Include some helper macros and variables
+include support/misc/utils.mk
 
 ifneq ("$(origin O)", "command line")
 O := output
diff --git a/package/pkg-utils.mk b/package/pkg-utils.mk
index c61b3b6..28db481 100644
--- a/package/pkg-utils.mk
+++ b/package/pkg-utils.mk
@@ -5,43 +5,6 @@
 #
 ################################################################################
 
-# Case conversion macros. This is inspired by the 'up' macro from gmsl
-# (http://gmsl.sf.net). It is optimised very heavily because these macros
-# are used a lot. It is about 5 times faster than forking a shell and tr.
-#
-# The caseconvert-helper creates a definition of the case conversion macro.
-# After expansion by the outer $(eval ), the UPPERCASE macro is defined as:
-# $(strip $(eval __tmp := $(1))  $(eval __tmp := $(subst a,A,$(__tmp))) ... )
-# In other words, every letter is substituted one by one.
-#
-# The caseconvert-helper allows us to create this definition out of the
-# [FROM] and [TO] lists, so we don't need to write down every substition
-# manually. The uses of $ and $$ quoting are chosen in order to do as
-# much expansion as possible up-front.
-#
-# Note that it would be possible to conceive a slightly more optimal
-# implementation that avoids the use of __tmp, but that would be even
-# more unreadable and is not worth the effort.
-
-[FROM] := a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z - .
-[TO]   := A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z _ _
-
-define caseconvert-helper
-$(1) = $$(strip \
-	$$(eval __tmp := $$(1))\
-	$(foreach c, $(2),\
-		$$(eval __tmp := $$(subst $(word 1,$(subst :, ,$c)),$(word 2,$(subst :, ,$c)),$$(__tmp))))\
-	$$(__tmp))
-endef
-
-$(eval $(call caseconvert-helper,UPPERCASE,$(join $(addsuffix :,$([FROM])),$([TO]))))
-$(eval $(call caseconvert-helper,LOWERCASE,$(join $(addsuffix :,$([TO])),$([FROM]))))
-
-# Sanitize macro cleans up generic strings so it can be used as a filename
-# and in rules. Particularly useful for VCS version strings, that can contain
-# slashes, colons (OK in filenames but not in rules), and spaces.
-sanitize = $(subst $(space),_,$(subst :,_,$(subst /,_,$(strip $(1)))))
-
 #
 # Manipulation of .config files based on the Kconfig
 # infrastructure. Used by the BusyBox package, the Linux kernel
@@ -82,65 +45,6 @@ INFLATE.tar  = cat
 # suitable-extractor(filename): returns extractor based on suffix
 suitable-extractor = $(INFLATE$(suffix $(1)))
 
-# MESSAGE Macro -- display a message in bold type
-MESSAGE = echo "$(TERM_BOLD)>>> $($(PKG)_NAME) $($(PKG)_VERSION) $(call qstrip,$(1))$(TERM_RESET)"
-TERM_BOLD := $(shell tput smso 2>/dev/null)
-TERM_RESET := $(shell tput rmso 2>/dev/null)
-
-# Utility functions for 'find'
-# findfileclauses(filelist) => -name 'X' -o -name 'Y'
-findfileclauses = $(call notfirstword,$(patsubst %,-o -name '%',$(1)))
-# finddirclauses(base, dirlist) => -path 'base/dirX' -o -path 'base/dirY'
-finddirclauses = $(call notfirstword,$(patsubst %,-o -path '$(1)/%',$(2)))
-
-# Miscellaneous utility functions
-# notfirstword(wordlist): returns all but the first word in wordlist
-notfirstword = $(wordlist 2,$(words $(1)),$(1))
-
-# Needed for the foreach loops to loop over the list of hooks, so that
-# each hook call is properly separated by a newline.
-define sep
-
-
-endef
-
-PERCENT = %
-QUOTE = '
-# ' # Meh... syntax-highlighting
-
-# This macro properly escapes a command string, then prints it with printf:
-#
-#   - first, backslash '\' are self-escaped, so that they do not escape
-#     the following char and so that printf properly outputs a backslash;
-#
-#   - next, single quotes are escaped by closing an existing one, adding
-#     an escaped one, and re-openning a new one (see below for the reason);
-#
-#   - then '%' signs are self-escaped so that the printf does not interpret
-#     them as a format specifier, in case the variable contains an actual
-#     printf with a format;
-#
-#   - finally, $(sep) is replaced with the literal '\n' so that make does
-#     not break on the so-expanded variable, but so that the printf does
-#     correctly output an LF.
-#
-# Note: this must be escaped in this order to avoid over-escaping the
-# previously escaped elements.
-#
-# Once everything has been escaped, it is passed between single quotes
-# (that's why the single-quotes are escaped they way they are, above,
-# and why the dollar sign is not escaped) to printf(1). A trailing
-# newline is apended, too.
-#
-# Note: leading or trailing spaces are *not* stripped.
-#
-define PRINTF
-	printf '$(subst $(sep),\n,\
-			$(subst $(PERCENT),$(PERCENT)$(PERCENT),\
-				$(subst $(QUOTE),$(QUOTE)\$(QUOTE)$(QUOTE),\
-					$(subst \,\\,$(1)))))\n'
-endef
-
 # check-deprecated-variable -- throw an error on deprecated variables
 # example:
 #   $(eval $(call check-deprecated-variable,FOO_MAKE_OPT,FOO_MAKE_OPTS))
diff --git a/support/misc/utils.mk b/support/misc/utils.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..990a3d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/support/misc/utils.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+################################################################################
+#
+# This file contains various utility macros and variables used about
+# everywhere in make constructs.
+#
+################################################################################
+
+# Strip quotes and then whitespaces
+qstrip = $(strip $(subst ",,$(1)))
+#"))
+
+# Variables for use in Make constructs
+comma := ,
+empty :=
+space := $(empty) $(empty)
+
+# Case conversion macros. This is inspired by the 'up' macro from gmsl
+# (http://gmsl.sf.net). It is optimised very heavily because these macros
+# are used a lot. It is about 5 times faster than forking a shell and tr.
+#
+# The caseconvert-helper creates a definition of the case conversion macro.
+# After expansion by the outer $(eval ), the UPPERCASE macro is defined as:
+# $(strip $(eval __tmp := $(1))  $(eval __tmp := $(subst a,A,$(__tmp))) ... )
+# In other words, every letter is substituted one by one.
+#
+# The caseconvert-helper allows us to create this definition out of the
+# [FROM] and [TO] lists, so we don't need to write down every substition
+# manually. The uses of $ and $$ quoting are chosen in order to do as
+# much expansion as possible up-front.
+#
+# Note that it would be possible to conceive a slightly more optimal
+# implementation that avoids the use of __tmp, but that would be even
+# more unreadable and is not worth the effort.
+
+[FROM] := a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z - .
+[TO]   := A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z _ _
+
+define caseconvert-helper
+$(1) = $$(strip \
+	$$(eval __tmp := $$(1))\
+	$(foreach c, $(2),\
+		$$(eval __tmp := $$(subst $(word 1,$(subst :, ,$c)),$(word 2,$(subst :, ,$c)),$$(__tmp))))\
+	$$(__tmp))
+endef
+
+$(eval $(call caseconvert-helper,UPPERCASE,$(join $(addsuffix :,$([FROM])),$([TO]))))
+$(eval $(call caseconvert-helper,LOWERCASE,$(join $(addsuffix :,$([TO])),$([FROM]))))
+
+# Sanitize macro cleans up generic strings so it can be used as a filename
+# and in rules. Particularly useful for VCS version strings, that can contain
+# slashes, colons (OK in filenames but not in rules), and spaces.
+sanitize = $(subst $(space),_,$(subst :,_,$(subst /,_,$(strip $(1)))))
+
+# MESSAGE Macro -- display a message in bold type
+MESSAGE = echo "$(TERM_BOLD)>>> $($(PKG)_NAME) $($(PKG)_VERSION) $(call qstrip,$(1))$(TERM_RESET)"
+TERM_BOLD := $(shell tput smso 2>/dev/null)
+TERM_RESET := $(shell tput rmso 2>/dev/null)
+
+# Utility functions for 'find'
+# findfileclauses(filelist) => -name 'X' -o -name 'Y'
+findfileclauses = $(call notfirstword,$(patsubst %,-o -name '%',$(1)))
+# finddirclauses(base, dirlist) => -path 'base/dirX' -o -path 'base/dirY'
+finddirclauses = $(call notfirstword,$(patsubst %,-o -path '$(1)/%',$(2)))
+
+# Miscellaneous utility functions
+# notfirstword(wordlist): returns all but the first word in wordlist
+notfirstword = $(wordlist 2,$(words $(1)),$(1))
+
+# Needed for the foreach loops to loop over the list of hooks, so that
+# each hook call is properly separated by a newline.
+define sep
+
+
+endef
+
+PERCENT = %
+QUOTE = '
+# ' # Meh... syntax-highlighting
+
+# This macro properly escapes a command string, then prints it with printf:
+#
+#   - first, backslash '\' are self-escaped, so that they do not escape
+#     the following char and so that printf properly outputs a backslash;
+#
+#   - next, single quotes are escaped by closing an existing one, adding
+#     an escaped one, and re-openning a new one (see below for the reason);
+#
+#   - then '%' signs are self-escaped so that the printf does not interpret
+#     them as a format specifier, in case the variable contains an actual
+#     printf with a format;
+#
+#   - finally, $(sep) is replaced with the literal '\n' so that make does
+#     not break on the so-expanded variable, but so that the printf does
+#     correctly output an LF.
+#
+# Note: this must be escaped in this order to avoid over-escaping the
+# previously escaped elements.
+#
+# Once everything has been escaped, it is passed between single quotes
+# (that's why the single-quotes are escaped they way they are, above,
+# and why the dollar sign is not escaped) to printf(1). A trailing
+# newline is apended, too.
+#
+# Note: leading or trailing spaces are *not* stripped.
+#
+define PRINTF
+	printf '$(subst $(sep),\n,\
+		$(subst $(PERCENT),$(PERCENT)$(PERCENT),\
+			$(subst $(QUOTE),$(QUOTE)\$(QUOTE)$(QUOTE),\
+				$(subst \,\\,$(1)))))\n'
+endef
