diff --git a/tool/ports/list b/tool/ports/list
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..06b67698cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tool/ports/list
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#!/usr/bin/make -f
+
+#
+# \brief  Tool for listing ports
+# \author Norman Feske
+# \date   2014-05-07
+#
+
+#
+# Determine Genode base directory based on the known location of the
+# 'create_builddir' tool within the Genode source tree
+#
+GENODE_DIR := $(realpath $(dir $(MAKEFILE_LIST))/../..)
+
+include $(GENODE_DIR)/tool/ports/mk/front_end.inc
+
+usage:
+	@$(ECHO)
+	@$(ECHO) "--- list available ports ---"
+	@$(ECHO) "usage: list"
+	@$(ECHO)
+
+include $(PORT)
+
+$(TARGET):
+	$(VERBOSE)for i in $(sort $(notdir $(_PORTS:.port=))); do\
+		echo $$i; done
diff --git a/tool/ports/mk/check_port_arg.inc b/tool/ports/mk/check_port_arg.inc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b0c23f96a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tool/ports/mk/check_port_arg.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#
+# \brief  Check validity of user input
+# \author Norman Feske
+# \date   2014-05-27
+#
+
+ifeq ($(ARGUMENT),)
+$(TARGET): missing_argument
+missing_argument: usage
+	@$(ECHO) "Error: Missing port name as argument"; false
+endif
+
+ifneq ($(words $(ARGUMENT)),1)
+$(TARGET): too_many_arguments
+too_many_arguments: usage
+	@$(ECHO) "Error: Too many arguments specified, expecting one argument"; false
+endif
+
+ifeq ($(PORT),)
+$(TARGET): nonexisting_port
+nonexisting_port:
+	@$(ECHO) "Error: Port $(PORT_NAME) does not exist"; false
+endif
+
diff --git a/tool/ports/mk/common.inc b/tool/ports/mk/common.inc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5117747c85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tool/ports/mk/common.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#
+# \brief  Common environment
+# \author Norman Feske
+# \date   2014-05-27
+#
+
+SHELL   := bash
+VERBOSE ?= @
+ECHO    := echo -e
+HASHSUM := sha1sum
+
+BRIGHT_COL  ?= \033[01;33m
+DARK_COL    ?= \033[00;33m
+DEFAULT_COL ?= \033[0m
+
+MSG_PREFIX   := $(ECHO) "$(DARK_COL)$(notdir $(PORT:.port=))  $(DEFAULT_COL)"
+MSG_DOWNLOAD := $(MSG_PREFIX)"download "
+MSG_APPLY    := $(MSG_PREFIX)"apply "
+MSG_UPDATE   := $(MSG_PREFIX)"update "
+MSG_INSTALL  := $(MSG_PREFIX)"install "
+MSG_GENERATE := $(MSG_PREFIX)"generate "
+MSG_EXTRACT  := $(MSG_PREFIX)"extract "
+
diff --git a/tool/ports/mk/front_end.inc b/tool/ports/mk/front_end.inc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..577bfe4acd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tool/ports/mk/front_end.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+#
+# \brief  Common front-end code shared among different ports tools
+# \author Norman Feske
+# \date   2014-05-27
+#
+
+include $(GENODE_DIR)/tool/ports/mk/common.inc
+
+#
+# Always execute the $(TARGET) rule regardless of the supplied command-line
+# argument
+#
+TARGET := $(MAKECMDGOALS) default
+$(MAKECMDGOALS) default:
+
+# the single argument is the name of the port to prepare
+ARGUMENT  := $(MAKECMDGOALS)
+PORT_NAME := $(firstword $(ARGUMENT))
+
+# compound directory where all 3rd-party source codes are installed
+CONTRIB_DIR ?= $(GENODE_DIR)/contrib
+
+# list of all repositories located at '<genode-dir>/repos/'
+REPOSITORIES ?= $(shell find $(GENODE_DIR)/repos -follow -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type d)
+
+# list of all repositories that contain ports of 3rd-party source code
+_REP_PORTS_DIRS := $(wildcard $(addsuffix /ports,$(REPOSITORIES)))
+
+# list of all available ports
+_PORTS := $(foreach DIR,$(_REP_PORTS_DIRS),$(wildcard $(DIR)/*.port))
+
+# port file to use
+PORT := $(filter %/$(PORT_NAME).port,$(_PORTS))
+
+# repository that contains the port description, used to look up patch files
+REP_DIR := $(realpath $(dir $(PORT))/..)
+
+# read hash that uniquely identifies the version to install
+HASH_FILE := $(wildcard $(PORT:.port=.hash))
+HASH      := $(if $(HASH_FILE),$(shell cat $(HASH_FILE)),)
+
+# path to hash file relative to '<genode-dir>/repos', used for error messages
+_REL_HASH_FILE := $(notdir $(REP_DIR))/ports/$(notdir $(PORT))
+
+# directory where to install the port
+PORT_DIR := $(CONTRIB_DIR)/$(PORT_NAME)-$(HASH)
+
+# path to hash file generated during installation
+PORT_HASH_FILE := $(PORT_DIR)/$(PORT_NAME).hash
+
+# vi: set ft=make :
diff --git a/tool/ports/mk/hash.inc b/tool/ports/mk/hash.inc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..57e92b5bec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tool/ports/mk/hash.inc
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#
+# \brief  Utilities for generating and checking port hashes
+# \author Norman Feske
+# \date   2014-05-27
+#
+
+#
+# The hash depends on the content of the port description file and the
+# patches originating from REP_DIR. Patches that are downloaded are already
+# captured by the hash sums of the downloaded files, which are declared in the
+# port description file.
+#
+# During development when the files of MAKEFILE_LIST often change, the
+# keeping all port hashes up to date is an inconvenience. By setting
+# STRICT_HASH to 'no', the MAKEFILE_LIST can be exluded.
+#
+
+_PATCHES_IN_REP_DIR := $(foreach P,$(PATCHES),$(wildcard $(REP_DIR)/$(P)))
+
+HASH_INPUT += $(_PATCHES_IN_REP_DIR) $(PORT)
+ifneq ($(STRICT_HASH),no)
+HASH_INPUT += $(MAKEFILE_LIST)
+endif
+
+$(_DST_HASH_FILE): $(HASH_INPUT) $(MAKEFILE_LIST)
+	@$(MSG_GENERATE)$(notdir $@)
+	$(VERBOSE)cat $(HASH_INPUT) | $(HASHSUM) | sed "s/ .*//" > $@
+
+_check_hash: $(_DST_HASH_FILE)
+ifneq ($(CHECK_HASH),no)
+	$(VERBOSE)diff $< $(HASH_FILE) > /dev/null ||\
+		($(ECHO) "Error: $(_REL_HASH_FILE) is out of date, expected" `cat $<` ""; false)
+endif
+
+
diff --git a/tool/ports/mk/install.mk b/tool/ports/mk/install.mk
index 161fa0b1ba..4ae22aacff 100644
--- a/tool/ports/mk/install.mk
+++ b/tool/ports/mk/install.mk
@@ -41,24 +41,9 @@ _prefer = $(if $1,$1,$2)
 include $(PORT)
 
 #
-# Common environment
+# Include common definitions
 #
-SHELL   := bash
-VERBOSE ?= @
-ECHO    := echo -e
-HASHSUM := sha1sum
-
-BRIGHT_COL  ?= \033[01;33m
-DARK_COL    ?= \033[00;33m
-DEFAULT_COL ?= \033[0m
-
-MSG_PREFIX   := $(ECHO) "$(DARK_COL)$(notdir $(PORT:.port=))  $(DEFAULT_COL)"
-MSG_DOWNLOAD := $(MSG_PREFIX)"download "
-MSG_APPLY    := $(MSG_PREFIX)"apply "
-MSG_UPDATE   := $(MSG_PREFIX)"update "
-MSG_INSTALL  := $(MSG_PREFIX)"install "
-MSG_GENERATE := $(MSG_PREFIX)"generate "
-MSG_EXTRACT  := $(MSG_PREFIX)"extract "
+include $(GENODE_DIR)/tool/ports/mk/common.inc
 
 #
 # Assertion for the presence of a LICENSE and VERSION declarations in the port
@@ -76,9 +61,6 @@ version_undefined:
 	@$(ECHO) "Error: Version undefined"; false
 endif
 
-
-_PATCHES_IN_REP_DIR := $(foreach P,$(PATCHES),$(wildcard $(REP_DIR)/$(P)))
-
 _DST_HASH_FILE := $(notdir $(PORT:.port=)).hash
 
 
@@ -94,30 +76,7 @@ _dirs: $(DOWNLOADS)
 ## Generate the HASH file
 ##
 
-# The hash depends on the content of the port description file and the
-# patches originating from REP_DIR. Patches that are downloaded are already
-# captured by the hash sums of the downloaded files, which are declared in the
-# port description file.
-#
-# During development when the files of MAKEFILE_LIST often change, the
-# keeping all port hashes up to date is an inconvenience. By setting
-# STRICT_HASH to 'no', the MAKEFILE_LIST can be exluded.
-#
-
-HASH_INPUT += $(_PATCHES_IN_REP_DIR) $(PORT)
-ifneq ($(STRICT_HASH),no)
-HASH_INPUT += $(MAKEFILE_LIST)
-endif
-
-$(_DST_HASH_FILE): $(HASH_INPUT) $(MAKEFILE_LIST)
-	@$(MSG_GENERATE)$(notdir $@)
-	$(VERBOSE)cat $(HASH_INPUT) | $(HASHSUM) | sed "s/ .*//" > $@
-
-_check_hash: $(_DST_HASH_FILE)
-ifneq ($(CHECK_HASH),no)
-	$(VERBOSE)diff $< $(HASH_FILE) > /dev/null ||\
-		($(ECHO) "Error: $(_REL_HASH_FILE) is out of date, expected" `cat $<` ""; false)
-endif
+include $(GENODE_DIR)/tool/ports/mk/hash.inc
 
 
 ##
diff --git a/tool/ports/prepare_port b/tool/ports/prepare_port
index 20a24e6d62..07e5179d31 100755
--- a/tool/ports/prepare_port
+++ b/tool/ports/prepare_port
@@ -6,77 +6,14 @@
 # \date   2014-05-07
 #
 
-VERBOSE ?= @
-ECHO    := echo -e
-
-#
-# Always execute the $(TARGET) rule regardless of the supplied command-line
-# argument
-#
-TARGET := $(MAKECMDGOALS) default
-$(MAKECMDGOALS) default:
-
-# the single argument is the name of the port to prepare
-ARGUMENT  := $(MAKECMDGOALS)
-PORT_NAME := $(firstword $(ARGUMENT))
-
 #
 # Determine Genode base directory based on the known location of the
 # 'create_builddir' tool within the Genode source tree
 #
-GENODE_DIR ?= $(realpath $(dir $(MAKEFILE_LIST))/../..)
+export GENODE_DIR := $(realpath $(dir $(MAKEFILE_LIST))/../..)
 
-# compound directory where all 3rd-party source codes are installed
-CONTRIB_DIR ?= $(GENODE_DIR)/contrib
-
-# list of all repositories located at '<genode-dir>/repos/'
-REPOSITORIES ?= $(shell find $(GENODE_DIR)/repos -follow -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type d)
-
-# list of all repositories that contain ports of 3rd-party source code
-_REP_PORTS_DIRS := $(wildcard $(addsuffix /ports,$(REPOSITORIES)))
-
-# list of all available ports
-_PORTS := $(foreach DIR,$(_REP_PORTS_DIRS),$(wildcard $(DIR)/*.port))
-
-# port file to use
-PORT := $(filter %/$(PORT_NAME).port,$(_PORTS))
-
-# repository that contains the port description, used to look up patch files
-REP_DIR := $(realpath $(dir $(PORT))/..)
-
-# read hash that uniquely identifies the version to install
-HASH_FILE := $(wildcard $(PORT:.port=.hash))
-HASH      := $(if $(HASH_FILE),$(shell cat $(HASH_FILE)),)
-
-# path to hash file relative to '<genode-dir>/repos', used for error messages
-_REL_HASH_FILE := $(notdir $(REP_DIR))/ports/$(notdir $(PORT))
-
-# directory where to install the port
-PORT_DIR := $(CONTRIB_DIR)/$(PORT_NAME)-$(HASH)
-
-# path to hash file generated during installation
-PORT_HASH_FILE := $(PORT_DIR)/$(PORT_NAME).hash
-
-#
-# Check validity of user input
-#
-ifeq ($(ARGUMENT),)
-$(TARGET): missing_argument
-missing_argument: usage
-	@$(ECHO) "Error: Missing port name as argument"; false
-endif
-
-ifneq ($(words $(ARGUMENT)),1)
-$(TARGET): too_many_arguments
-too_many_arguments: usage
-	@$(ECHO) "Error: Too many arguments specified, expecting one argument"; false
-endif
-
-ifeq ($(PORT),)
-$(TARGET): nonexisting_port
-nonexisting_port:
-	@$(ECHO) "Error: Port $(PORT_NAME) does not exist"; false
-endif
+include $(GENODE_DIR)/tool/ports/mk/front_end.inc
+include $(GENODE_DIR)/tool/ports/mk/check_port_arg.inc
 
 ifeq ($(HASH),)
 $(TARGET): nonexisting_hash
diff --git a/tool/ports/update_hash b/tool/ports/update_hash
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..279942a1c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tool/ports/update_hash
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#!/usr/bin/make -f
+
+#
+# \brief  Tool for updating the hash file of a port
+# \author Norman Feske
+# \date   2014-05-07
+#
+
+#
+# Determine Genode base directory based on the known location of the
+# 'create_builddir' tool within the Genode source tree
+#
+GENODE_DIR := $(realpath $(dir $(MAKEFILE_LIST))/../..)
+
+include $(GENODE_DIR)/tool/ports/mk/front_end.inc
+include $(GENODE_DIR)/tool/ports/mk/check_port_arg.inc
+
+usage:
+	@$(ECHO)
+	@$(ECHO) "--- update hash file of a port ---"
+	@$(ECHO) "usage: update_hash <port-name>"
+	@$(ECHO)
+
+include $(PORT)
+
+_DST_HASH_FILE := $(HASH_FILE)
+
+# XXX remove this line when the tool has stabilized
+STRICT_HASH ?= no
+
+include $(GENODE_DIR)/tool/ports/mk/hash.inc
+
+.PHONY: $(_DST_HASH_FILE)
+
+$(TARGET): $(_DST_HASH_FILE)
+