diff --git a/base-codezero/Makefile b/base-codezero/Makefile
index f04ea5e7d..721041d67 100644
--- a/base-codezero/Makefile
+++ b/base-codezero/Makefile
@@ -11,6 +11,14 @@ GIT_REV     = 6fa4884a5a1cf6207372f69ae01e5faa6d5a39c8
 CONTRIB_DIR = contrib
 PATCHES     = $(shell find patches -name *.patch)
 
+#
+# Utility to check if a tool is installed
+#
+check_tool = $(if $(shell which $(1)),,$(error Need to have '$(1)' installed.))
+
+$(call check_tool,git)
+$(call check_tool,patch)
+
 #
 # Print help information by default
 #
diff --git a/base-foc/Makefile b/base-foc/Makefile
index 447dc4775..3f5b9bd5b 100644
--- a/base-foc/Makefile
+++ b/base-foc/Makefile
@@ -30,6 +30,14 @@ SVN_TARGETS = tools/preprocess \
               l4/pkg/uclibc \
               l4/pkg/libvcpu
 
+#
+# Utility to check if a tool is installed
+#
+check_tool = $(if $(shell which $(1)),,$(error Need to have '$(1)' installed.))
+
+$(call check_tool,patch)
+$(call check_tool,svn)
+
 #
 # Print help information by default
 #
diff --git a/base-nova/Makefile b/base-nova/Makefile
index 2e6ca23be..592b7158a 100644
--- a/base-nova/Makefile
+++ b/base-nova/Makefile
@@ -11,6 +11,14 @@ CONTRIB_DIR  = contrib
 NOVA_ARCHIVE = nova-hypervisor-0.4.tar.bz2
 NOVA_URI     = http://os.inf.tu-dresden.de/~us15/nova/$(NOVA_ARCHIVE)
 
+#
+# Utility to check if a tool is installed
+#
+check_tool = $(if $(shell which $(1)),,$(error Need to have '$(1)' installed.))
+
+$(call check_tool,wget)
+$(call check_tool,patch)
+
 #
 # Print help information by default
 #
diff --git a/base-okl4/Makefile b/base-okl4/Makefile
index 40ea4d055..3470db5f5 100644
--- a/base-okl4/Makefile
+++ b/base-okl4/Makefile
@@ -14,6 +14,15 @@ OKL4_URI      = http://wiki.ok-labs.com/downloads/release-2.1.1-patch.9/$(OKL4_A
 PATCHES       = $(shell find patches -name *.patch)
 SHELL         = bash
 
+#
+# Utility to check if a tool is installed
+#
+check_tool = $(if $(shell which $(1)),,$(error Need to have '$(1)' installed.))
+
+$(call check_tool,wget)
+$(call check_tool,patch)
+$(call check_tool,sed)
+
 #
 # Determine python version to use for OKL4's elfweaver
 #
diff --git a/base-pistachio/Makefile b/base-pistachio/Makefile
index 5a184958d..27465a149 100644
--- a/base-pistachio/Makefile
+++ b/base-pistachio/Makefile
@@ -11,6 +11,17 @@ GIT_REV     = 5c1b29b9c77fbd4760f35507da3d2f548f4364bd
 CONTRIB_DIR = contrib
 PATCHES     = $(shell find patches -name *.patch)
 
+#
+# Utility to check if a tool is installed
+#
+check_tool = $(if $(shell which $(1)),,$(error Need to have '$(1)' installed.))
+
+$(call check_tool,git)
+$(call check_tool,patch)
+$(call check_tool,sed)
+$(call check_tool,autoheader)
+$(call check_tool,autoconf)
+
 #
 # Print help information by default
 #
diff --git a/dde_ipxe/Makefile b/dde_ipxe/Makefile
index 07e412eb7..601dbc64e 100644
--- a/dde_ipxe/Makefile
+++ b/dde_ipxe/Makefile
@@ -12,6 +12,14 @@ GIT_REV      = 174df77359f22f3be2169e9bb04e8018015b5e94
 CONTRIB_DIR  = contrib
 PATCH_FILE   = patches/dde_ipxe.patch
 
+#
+# Utility to check if a tool is installed
+#
+check_tool = $(if $(shell which $(1)),,$(error Need to have '$(1)' installed.))
+
+$(call check_tool,git)
+$(call check_tool,patch)
+
 #
 # Print help information by default
 #
diff --git a/dde_linux/Makefile b/dde_linux/Makefile
index 5a5d58429..7221007dd 100644
--- a/dde_linux/Makefile
+++ b/dde_linux/Makefile
@@ -58,6 +58,14 @@ CONTENT += include/linux/input/mt.h
 
 
 CONTRIB_CONTENT := $(addprefix $(CONTRIB_DIR)/,$(CONTENT))
+#
+#
+# Utility to check if a tool is installed
+#
+check_tool = $(if $(shell which $(1)),,$(error Need to have '$(1)' installed.))
+
+$(call check_tool,wget)
+$(call check_tool,patch)
 
 #
 # Print help information by default
diff --git a/libports/Makefile b/libports/Makefile
index ccfe6accd..fce83778d 100644
--- a/libports/Makefile
+++ b/libports/Makefile
@@ -22,6 +22,14 @@ SHELL        = bash
 #
 prepare: $(DOWNLOAD_DIR) $(CONTRIB_DIR)
 
+#
+# Utility to check if a tool is installed
+#
+check_tool = $(if $(shell which $(1)),,$(error Need to have '$(1)' installed.))
+
+$(call check_tool,wget)
+$(call check_tool,patch)
+
 #
 # Include information about available ports
 #
@@ -66,4 +74,3 @@ clean: $(addprefix clean-,$(PKG))
 
 cleanall: clean
 	$(VERBOSE)rm -rf $(DOWNLOAD_DIR)
-
diff --git a/libports/ports/ffat.mk b/libports/ports/ffat.mk
index 093cca1c7..48631b76b 100644
--- a/libports/ports/ffat.mk
+++ b/libports/ports/ffat.mk
@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@ FFAT_URL = http://genode.org/files/$(FFAT_ZIP)
 #
 PORTS += ffat-0.07e
 
+#
+# Check for tools
+#
+$(call check_tool,unzip)
+
 prepare-ffat: $(CONTRIB_DIR)/$(FFAT)
 
 $(CONTRIB_DIR)/$(FFAT): clean-ffat
diff --git a/libports/ports/libc.mk b/libports/ports/libc.mk
index c753f239c..bcdf1c557 100644
--- a/libports/ports/libc.mk
+++ b/libports/ports/libc.mk
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@ LIBC := libc-8.2.0
 PORTS += $(LIBC)
 
 #
-# Sanity check for tools
+# Check for tools
 #
-ifeq ($(shell which lex),)
-$(error Missing installation of 'lex' (package flex))
-endif
+$(call check_tool,svn)
+$(call check_tool,lex)
+$(call check_tool,yacc)
 
 #
 # Subdirectories to check out from FreeBSD's Subversion repository
diff --git a/libports/ports/lwip.mk b/libports/ports/lwip.mk
index e5f0d2faa..c8cfa35dd 100644
--- a/libports/ports/lwip.mk
+++ b/libports/ports/lwip.mk
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ LWIP_URL = http://mirrors.zerg.biz/nongnu/lwip/$(LWIP_ZIP)
 #
 PORTS += $(LWIP)
 
+#
+# Check for tools
+#
+$(call check_tool,unzip)
+
 prepare-lwip: $(CONTRIB_DIR)/$(LWIP) include/lwip/lwip include/lwip/netif
 
 $(CONTRIB_DIR)/$(LWIP): clean-lwip
diff --git a/libports/ports/ncurses.mk b/libports/ports/ncurses.mk
index e2ef4ee16..22b9256e8 100644
--- a/libports/ports/ncurses.mk
+++ b/libports/ports/ncurses.mk
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ NCURSES_URL := http://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/ncurses/$(NCURSES_TGZ)
 #
 PORTS += $(NCURSES)
 
+#
+# Check for tools
+#
+$(call check_tool,sed)
+$(call check_tool,mawk)
+
 NCURSES_SYMLINKED_INC := nc_alloc.h nc_panel.h nc_tparm.h term_entry.h \
                          tic.h hashed_db.h capdefaults.c
 NCURSES_GENERATED_INC := curses.h ncurses_def.h ncurses_dll.h term.h \
diff --git a/ports-foc/Makefile b/ports-foc/Makefile
index c7ef3f685..c1feeed9e 100644
--- a/ports-foc/Makefile
+++ b/ports-foc/Makefile
@@ -16,11 +16,20 @@ PATCH-l4android = patches/l4android_genode.patch
 REV-l4android   = 90ca43bd629452ffd38d85fe8c976f069b5bb3d9
 REPO-l4android  = git://git.l4android.org/kernel.git
 
+#
+# Utility to check if a tool is installed
+#
+check_tool = $(if $(shell which $(1)),,$(error Need to have '$(1)' installed.))
+
+$(call check_tool,patch)
+
 ifeq ($(TARGET), l4android)
+$(call check_tool,git)
 DIFF   = git diff
 UPDATE = cd $(REAL_CONTRIB_DIR)/l4android; git fetch; git reset --hard $(REV-l4android)
 PATCH  = patch -p1
 else
+$(call check_tool,svn)
 DIFF   = svn diff
 UPDATE = svn up -r $(REV-l4linux) $(REAL_CONTRIB_DIR)/l4linux
 PATCH  = patch -p0
diff --git a/ports-okl4/Makefile b/ports-okl4/Makefile
index 011c85dd9..ab30ec472 100644
--- a/ports-okl4/Makefile
+++ b/ports-okl4/Makefile
@@ -15,6 +15,15 @@ OKLX_VERSION = oklinux_2.6.23.24
 OKLX_ARCHIVE = $(OKLX_VERSION).tar.gz
 OKLX_CONTRIB = kernel-2.6.23-v2
 
+#
+# Utility to check if a tool is installed
+#
+check_tool = $(if $(shell which $(1)),,$(error Need to have '$(1)' installed.))
+
+$(call check_tool,wget)
+$(call check_tool,patch)
+$(call check_tool,sed)
+
 #
 # Print help information by default
 #
diff --git a/ports/Makefile b/ports/Makefile
index 566d63e16..ae09696f7 100644
--- a/ports/Makefile
+++ b/ports/Makefile
@@ -22,6 +22,14 @@ SHELL        = bash
 #
 prepare:: $(DOWNLOAD_DIR) $(CONTRIB_DIR)
 
+#
+# Utility to check if a tool is installed
+#
+check_tool = $(if $(shell which $(1)),,$(error Need to have '$(1)' installed.))
+
+$(call check_tool,wget)
+$(call check_tool,patch)
+
 #
 # Include information about available ports
 #
diff --git a/ports/ports/vim.mk b/ports/ports/vim.mk
index 945aa76ae..b5e8c8875 100644
--- a/ports/ports/vim.mk
+++ b/ports/ports/vim.mk
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ VIM_URL  = ftp://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/unix/$(VIM_TBZ2)
 #
 PORTS += $(VIM)
 
+#
+# Check for tools
+#
+$(call check_tool,sed)
+
 prepare:: $(CONTRIB_DIR)/$(VIM)
 
 #
diff --git a/qt4/Makefile b/qt4/Makefile
index 489bd9089..d7e37e1f2 100644
--- a/qt4/Makefile
+++ b/qt4/Makefile
@@ -33,6 +33,14 @@ PATCHES = qt4_genode.patch \
           qt4_renderwidget.patch \
           qt4_include_time_h.patch
 
+#
+# Utility to check if a tool is installed
+#
+check_tool = $(if $(shell which $(1)),,$(error Need to have '$(1)' installed.))
+
+$(call check_tool,wget)
+$(call check_tool,patch)
+
 help:
 	$(ECHO)
 	$(ECHO) "Prepare the Qt4 repository"