diff --git a/travis/prepare.sh b/travis/prepare.sh
index 354140a..19da272 100755
--- a/travis/prepare.sh
+++ b/travis/prepare.sh
@@ -3,139 +3,14 @@ set -e -x
 
 SETUP_DIRS=$(echo $SETUP_PATH | tr ":" "\n")
 
-# Travis log fold control
-# from https://github.com/travis-ci/travis-rubies/blob/build/build.sh
-
-fold_start() {
-  echo "travis_fold:start:$1\033[33;1m$2\033[0m"
-}
-
-fold_end() {
-  echo "\ntravis_fold:end:$1\r"
-}
-
-# source_set(settings)
-#
-# Source a settings file (extension .set) found in the SETUP_DIRS path
-# May be called recursively (from within a settings file)
-source_set() {
-  local set_file=$1
-  local set_dir
-  for set_dir in ${SETUP_DIRS}
-  do
-    if [ -e $set_dir/$set_file.set ]
-    then
-      echo "Loading setup file $set_dir/$set_file.set"
-      . $set_dir/$set_file.set
-      break
-    fi
-  done
-}
-
-# update_release_local(varname, place)
-#   varname   name of the variable to set in RELEASE.local
-#   place     place (absolute path) of where variable should point to
-#
-# Manipulate RELEASE.local in the cache location:
-# - replace "$varname=$place" line if it exists and has changed
-# - otherwise add "$varname=$place" line and possibly move EPICS_BASE=... line to the end
-update_release_local() {
-  local var=$1
-  local place=$2
-  local release_local=${CACHEDIR}/RELEASE.local
-  local updated_line="${var}=${place}"
-
-  local ret=0
-  [ -e ${release_local} ] && grep -q "${var}=" ${release_local} || ret=$?
-  if [ $ret -eq 0 ]
-  then
-    existing_line=$(grep "${var}=" ${release_local})
-    if [ "${existing_line}" != "${updated_line}" ]
-    then
-      sed -i "s|${var}=.*|${var}=${place}|g" ${release_local}
-    fi
-  else
-    echo "$var=$place" >> ${release_local}
-    grep -q "EPICS_BASE=" ${release_local} || ret=$?
-    if [ $ret -eq 0 ]
-    then
-      base_line=$(grep "EPICS_BASE=" ${release_local})
-      sed -i 's|EPICS_BASE=||g' ${release_local}
-      echo ${base_line} >> ${release_local}
-    fi
-  fi
-}
-
-# add_dependency(dep, tag)
-#
-# Add a dependency to the cache or source area:
-# - if $tag is a branch name, check out flat (no submodules) in the SOURCE area
-# - if $tag is a release name, check out recursive (w/ submodules) in the CACHE area
-#   unless it already exists
-# - Defaults:
-#   $dep_DIRNAME = lower case ($dep)
-#   $dep_REPONAME = lower case ($dep)
-#   $dep_REPOURL = GitHub / $dep_REPOOWNER (or $REPOOWNER or epics-modules) / $dep_REPONAME .git
-#   $dep_VARNAME = $dep
-#   $dep_DEPTH = 5
-# - Add $dep_VARNAME line to the RELEASE.local file in the cache area (unless already there)
-# - Add full path to $modules_to_compile
-add_dependency() {
-  curdir="$PWD"
-  DEP=$1
-  TAG=$2
-  dep_lc=$(echo $DEP | tr 'A-Z' 'a-z')
-  eval dirname=\${${DEP}_DIRNAME:=${dep_lc}}
-  eval reponame=\${${DEP}_REPONAME:=${dep_lc}}
-  eval repourl=\${${DEP}_REPOURL:="https://github.com/\${${DEP}_REPOOWNER:=${REPOOWNER:-epics-modules}}/${reponame}.git"}
-  eval varname=\${${DEP}_VARNAME:=${DEP}}
-
-  # determine if BASE points to a release or a branch
-  git ls-remote --quiet --exit-code --tags $repourl "$TAG" && tagtype=release
-  git ls-remote --quiet --exit-code --heads $repourl "$TAG" && tagtype=branch
-
-  case "${tagtype}" in
-  "release" )
-    location=${CACHEDIR}
-    recursive="--recursive"
-    ;;
-  "branch" )
-    location=${SOURCEDIR}
-    recursive=""
-    ;;
-  * )
-    echo "$TAG is neither a tag nor a branch name for $DEP ($repourl)"
-    exit 1
-    ;;
-  esac
-
-  if [ ! -e $location/$dirname-$TAG ]
-  then
-    cd $location
-    eval depth=\${${DEP}_DEPTH:-"-1"}
-    case ${depth} in
-    -1 )
-      deptharg="--depth 5"
-      ;;
-    0 )
-      deptharg=""
-      ;;
-    * )
-      deptharg="--depth $depth"
-      ;;
-    esac
-    eval git clone --quiet $deptharg $recursive --branch "$TAG" $repourl $dirname-$TAG
-    ( cd $dirname-$TAG && git log -n1 )
-    modules_to_compile="${modules_to_compile} $location/$dirname-$TAG"
-    cd "$curdir"
-  fi
-  update_release_local ${varname} $location/$dirname-$TAG
-}
-
+SCRIPTDIR=$(dirname $(readlink -f $0))
 CURDIR="$PWD"
 CACHEDIR="$HOME/.cache"
 SOURCEDIR="$HOME/.source"
 
+# source functions
+. $SCRIPTDIR/utils.sh
+
 # Load settings
 # -------------
 
diff --git a/travis/utils.sh b/travis/utils.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2c1d9a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/travis/utils.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+# Utility functions for Travis scripts in ci-scripts
+#
+# This file is sourced by the executable scripts
+
+# Travis log fold control
+# from https://github.com/travis-ci/travis-rubies/blob/build/build.sh
+
+fold_start() {
+  echo "travis_fold:start:$1\033[33;1m$2\033[0m"
+}
+
+fold_end() {
+  echo "\ntravis_fold:end:$1\r"
+}
+
+# source_set(settings)
+#
+# Source a settings file (extension .set) found in the SETUP_DIRS path
+# May be called recursively (from within a settings file)
+source_set() {
+  local set_file=$1
+  local set_dir
+  for set_dir in ${SETUP_DIRS}
+  do
+    if [ -e $set_dir/$set_file.set ]
+    then
+      echo "Loading setup file $set_dir/$set_file.set"
+      . $set_dir/$set_file.set
+      break
+    fi
+  done
+}
+
+# update_release_local(varname, place)
+#   varname   name of the variable to set in RELEASE.local
+#   place     place (absolute path) of where variable should point to
+#
+# Manipulate RELEASE.local in the cache location:
+# - replace "$varname=$place" line if it exists and has changed
+# - otherwise add "$varname=$place" line and possibly move EPICS_BASE=... line to the end
+update_release_local() {
+  local var=$1
+  local place=$2
+  local release_local=${CACHEDIR}/RELEASE.local
+  local updated_line="${var}=${place}"
+
+  local ret=0
+  [ -e ${release_local} ] && grep -q "${var}=" ${release_local} || ret=$?
+  if [ $ret -eq 0 ]
+  then
+    existing_line=$(grep "${var}=" ${release_local})
+    if [ "${existing_line}" != "${updated_line}" ]
+    then
+      sed -i "s|${var}=.*|${var}=${place}|g" ${release_local}
+    fi
+  else
+    echo "$var=$place" >> ${release_local}
+    grep -q "EPICS_BASE=" ${release_local} || ret=$?
+    if [ $ret -eq 0 ]
+    then
+      base_line=$(grep "EPICS_BASE=" ${release_local})
+      sed -i 's|EPICS_BASE=||g' ${release_local}
+      echo ${base_line} >> ${release_local}
+    fi
+  fi
+}
+
+# add_dependency(dep, tag)
+#
+# Add a dependency to the cache or source area:
+# - if $tag is a branch name, check out flat (no submodules) in the SOURCE area
+# - if $tag is a release name, check out recursive (w/ submodules) in the CACHE area
+#   unless it already exists
+# - Defaults:
+#   $dep_DIRNAME = lower case ($dep)
+#   $dep_REPONAME = lower case ($dep)
+#   $dep_REPOURL = GitHub / $dep_REPOOWNER (or $REPOOWNER or epics-modules) / $dep_REPONAME .git
+#   $dep_VARNAME = $dep
+#   $dep_DEPTH = 5
+# - Add $dep_VARNAME line to the RELEASE.local file in the cache area (unless already there)
+# - Add full path to $modules_to_compile
+add_dependency() {
+  curdir="$PWD"
+  DEP=$1
+  TAG=$2
+  dep_lc=$(echo $DEP | tr 'A-Z' 'a-z')
+  eval dirname=\${${DEP}_DIRNAME:=${dep_lc}}
+  eval reponame=\${${DEP}_REPONAME:=${dep_lc}}
+  eval repourl=\${${DEP}_REPOURL:="https://github.com/\${${DEP}_REPOOWNER:=${REPOOWNER:-epics-modules}}/${reponame}.git"}
+  eval varname=\${${DEP}_VARNAME:=${DEP}}
+
+  # determine if BASE points to a release or a branch
+  git ls-remote --quiet --exit-code --tags $repourl "$TAG" && tagtype=release
+  git ls-remote --quiet --exit-code --heads $repourl "$TAG" && tagtype=branch
+
+  case "${tagtype}" in
+  "release" )
+    location=${CACHEDIR}
+    recursive="--recursive"
+    ;;
+  "branch" )
+    location=${SOURCEDIR}
+    recursive=""
+    ;;
+  * )
+    echo "$TAG is neither a tag nor a branch name for $DEP ($repourl)"
+    exit 1
+    ;;
+  esac
+
+  if [ ! -e $location/$dirname-$TAG ]
+  then
+    cd $location
+    eval depth=\${${DEP}_DEPTH:-"-1"}
+    case ${depth} in
+    -1 )
+      deptharg="--depth 5"
+      ;;
+    0 )
+      deptharg=""
+      ;;
+    * )
+      deptharg="--depth $depth"
+      ;;
+    esac
+    eval git clone --quiet $deptharg $recursive --branch "$TAG" $repourl $dirname-$TAG
+    ( cd $dirname-$TAG && git log -n1 )
+    modules_to_compile="${modules_to_compile} $location/$dirname-$TAG"
+    cd "$curdir"
+  fi
+  update_release_local ${varname} $location/$dirname-$TAG
+}