diff --git a/src/.config b/src/.config
index 7af4ebfe2..e4aa69e8d 100644
--- a/src/.config
+++ b/src/.config
@@ -41,12 +41,6 @@ SYSLINUX_SOURCE_URL=http://kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/syslinux-6.0
 #                                                                   #
 #####################################################################
 
-# You can find the latest util_linux archives here:
-#
-#   https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util-linux/
-#
-UTIL_LINUX_SOURCE_URL=https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util-linux/v2.31/util-linux-2.31.tar.gz
-
 # You can find the latest vim source bundles here:
 #
 #   https://github.com/vim/vim/releases
diff --git a/src/minimal_overlay/bundles/util_linux/.config b/src/minimal_overlay/bundles/util_linux/.config
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1a9ad86bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/minimal_overlay/bundles/util_linux/.config
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# Some of the functionality depends on third party
+# libraries, e.g. 'ncurses' and 'termcap'. Also note
+# that the build process requires root permissions.
+#
+# You can find the latest util_linux archives here:
+#
+#   https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util-linux/
+#
+UTIL_LINUX_SOURCE_URL=https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util-linux/v2.31/util-linux-2.31.tar.gz
diff --git a/src/minimal_overlay/bundles/util_linux/01_get.sh b/src/minimal_overlay/bundles/util_linux/01_get.sh
index 8cd576bc7..67bd4ee66 100755
--- a/src/minimal_overlay/bundles/util_linux/01_get.sh
+++ b/src/minimal_overlay/bundles/util_linux/01_get.sh
@@ -4,15 +4,13 @@ set -e
 
 . ../../common.sh
 
-# Grab everything after the '=' character.
-DOWNLOAD_URL=$(grep -i UTIL_LINUX_SOURCE_URL $MAIN_SRC_DIR/.config | cut -f2 -d'=')
+# Read the common configuration properties.
+DOWNLOAD_URL=`read_property UTIL_LINUX_SOURCE_URL`
+USE_LOCAL_SOURCE=`read_property USE_LOCAL_SOURCE`
 
 # Grab everything after the last '/' character.
 ARCHIVE_FILE=${DOWNLOAD_URL##*/}
 
-# Read the 'USE_LOCAL_SOURCE' property from '.config'
-USE_LOCAL_SOURCE="$(grep -i USE_LOCAL_SOURCE $MAIN_SRC_DIR/.config | cut -f2 -d'=')"
-
 if [ "$USE_LOCAL_SOURCE" = "true" -a ! -f $MAIN_SRC_DIR/source/overlay/$ARCHIVE_FILE  ] ; then
   echo "Source bundle $MAIN_SRC_DIR/source/overlay/$ARCHIVE_FILE is missing and will be downloaded."
   USE_LOCAL_SOURCE="false"
diff --git a/src/minimal_overlay/bundles/util_linux/bundle_deps b/src/minimal_overlay/bundles/util_linux/bundle_deps
index e7fbf9616..9b551e533 100644
--- a/src/minimal_overlay/bundles/util_linux/bundle_deps
+++ b/src/minimal_overlay/bundles/util_linux/bundle_deps
@@ -1,5 +1,2 @@
-# Some of the functionality depends on third party
-# libraries, e.g. 'ncurses' and 'termcap'.
-
 ncurses
 #termcap