diff --git a/build/makefile_base.mak b/build/makefile_base.mak
index 2a68bd4a..c65249a4 100644
--- a/build/makefile_base.mak
+++ b/build/makefile_base.mak
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ ifeq ($(SRCDIR),)
 	foo := $(error SRCDIR not set, do not include makefile_base directly, run ./configure.sh to generate Makefile)
 endif
 
+include $(SRC)/make/utility.mk
+
 # If CC is coming from make's defaults or nowhere, use our own default.  Otherwise respect environment.
 ifeq ($(ENABLE_CCACHE),1)
 	CCACHE_BIN := ccache
@@ -137,13 +139,6 @@ SANITY_FLAGS   := -fwrapv -fno-strict-aliasing
 COMMON_FLAGS   := $(OPTIMIZE_FLAGS) $(SANITY_FLAGS)
 CARGO_BUILD_ARG := --release
 
-# Use $(call QUOTE,$(VAR)) to flatten a list to a single element (for feeding to a shell)
-
-# v-- This flattens a list when called. Don't look directly into it.
-QUOTE = $(subst $(eval) ,\ ,$(1))
-QUOTE_VARIABLE = $(eval $(1) := $$(call QUOTE,$$($(1))))
-QUOTE_VARIABLE_LIST = $(foreach a,$(1),$(call QUOTE_VARIABLE,$(a)))
-
 # These variables might need to be quoted, but might not
 #
 #   That is, $(STRIP) is how you invoke strip, STRIP=$(STRIP_QUOTED) is how you pass it to a shell script properly
diff --git a/make/utility.mk b/make/utility.mk
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..476ae6e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/make/utility.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+empty =
+space = $(empty) $(empty)
+comma = ,
+quote = '
+double-quote = "
+
+define newline
+
+
+endef
+
+escape = $(subst $(space),\$(space),$(subst $(double-quote),\$(double-quote),$(1)))
+
+list-join = $(if $(2),$(3)$(subst $(space),$(1),$(strip $(2)))$(4))
+list-quote = $(call list-join,$(quote)$(comma)$(quote),$(1),$(2)$(quote),$(quote)$(3))
+list-double-quote = $(call list-join,$(double-quote)$(space)$(double-quote),$(1),$(2)$(double-quote),$(double-quote)$(3))
+
+head = $(word 1,$(1))
+tail = $(wordlist 2,$(words $(1)),$(1))
+
+translate = $(if $(1),$(call translate,$(call tail,$(1)),$(call tail,$(2)),$$(subst $(call head,$(1)),$(call head,$(2)),$(3))),$(3))
+reverse = $(if $(1),$(call reverse,$(call tail,$(1)) $(call head,$(1))))
+
+[lower] := a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z - .
+[upper] := A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z _ _
+
+$(eval toupper = $(call translate,$([lower]),$([upper]),$$(1)))
+$(eval tolower = $(call translate,$([upper]),$([lower]),$$(1)))