diff --git a/src/01_get_kernel.sh b/src/01_get_kernel.sh
index 4c78d7861..3cc9a4c3e 100755
--- a/src/01_get_kernel.sh
+++ b/src/01_get_kernel.sh
@@ -2,43 +2,24 @@
 
 set -e
 
+# Load common properties and functions in the current script.
+. ./common.sh
+
 echo "*** GET KERNEL BEGIN ***"
 
-SRC_DIR=$(pwd)
-
-# Grab everything after the '=' character.
-DOWNLOAD_URL=$(grep -i ^KERNEL_SOURCE_URL .config | cut -f2 -d'=')
+# Read the 'KERNEL_SOURCE_URL' property from '.config'.
+DOWNLOAD_URL=`read_property KERNEL_SOURCE_URL`
 
 # 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 .config | cut -f2 -d'=')"
+# Download kernel source archive in the 'source' directory.
+download_source $DOWNLOAD_URL $SOURCE_DIR/$ARCHIVE_FILE
 
-if [ "$USE_LOCAL_SOURCE" = "true" -a ! -f $SRC_DIR/source/$ARCHIVE_FILE  ] ; then
-  echo "Source bundle $SRC_DIR/source/$ARCHIVE_FILE is missing and will be downloaded."
-  USE_LOCAL_SOURCE="false"
-fi
-
-cd source
-
-if [ ! "$USE_LOCAL_SOURCE" = "true" ] ; then
-  # Downloading kernel source bundle file. The '-c' option allows the download to resume.
-  echo "Downloading kernel source bundle from $DOWNLOAD_URL"
-  wget -c $DOWNLOAD_URL
-else
-  echo "Using local kernel source bundle $SRC_DIR/source/$ARCHIVE_FILE"
-fi
-
-# Delete folder with previously extracted kernel.
-echo "Removing kernel work area. This may take a while."
-rm -rf ../work/kernel
-mkdir ../work/kernel
-
-# Extract kernel to folder 'work/kernel'.
-# Full path will be something like 'work/kernel/linux-4.4.6'.
-tar -xvf $ARCHIVE_FILE -C ../work/kernel
+# Extract the kernel sources in the 'work/kernel' directory.
+extract_source $SOURCE_DIR/$ARCHIVE_FILE kernel
 
+# Just in case we go back to the main MLL source folder.
 cd $SRC_DIR
 
 echo "*** GET KERNEL END ***"
diff --git a/src/02_build_kernel.sh b/src/02_build_kernel.sh
index 5aa78b917..b1e344210 100755
--- a/src/02_build_kernel.sh
+++ b/src/02_build_kernel.sh
@@ -2,22 +2,11 @@
 
 set -e
 
+# Load common properties and functions in the current script.
+. ./common.sh
+
 echo "*** BUILD KERNEL BEGIN ***"
 
-SRC_DIR=$(pwd)
-
-# Read the 'JOB_FACTOR' property from '.config'
-JOB_FACTOR="$(grep -i ^JOB_FACTOR .config | cut -f2 -d'=')"
-
-# Read the 'CFLAGS' property from '.config'
-CFLAGS="$(grep -i ^CFLAGS .config | cut -f2 -d'=')"
-
-# Find the number of available CPU cores.
-NUM_CORES=$(grep ^processor /proc/cpuinfo | wc -l)
-
-# Calculate the number of 'make' jobs to be used later.
-NUM_JOBS=$((NUM_CORES * JOB_FACTOR))
-
 cd work/kernel
 
 # Prepare the kernel install area.
@@ -32,16 +21,16 @@ echo "Preparing kernel work area."
 make mrproper -j $NUM_JOBS
 
 # Read the 'USE_PREDEFINED_KERNEL_CONFIG' property from '.config'
-USE_PREDEFINED_KERNEL_CONFIG="$(grep -i ^USE_PREDEFINED_KERNEL_CONFIG $SRC_DIR/.config | cut -f2 -d'=')"
+USE_PREDEFINED_KERNEL_CONFIG=`read_property USE_PREDEFINED_KERNEL_CONFIG`
 
 if [ "$USE_PREDEFINED_KERNEL_CONFIG" = "true" -a ! -f $SRC_DIR/minimal_config/kernel.config ] ; then
-  echo "Config file $SRC_DIR/minimal_config/kernel.config does not exist."
-  USE_PREDEFINED_KERNEL_CONFIG="false"
+  echo "Config file '$SRC_DIR/minimal_config/kernel.config' does not exist."
+  USE_PREDEFINED_KERNEL_CONFIG=false
 fi
 
 if [ "$USE_PREDEFINED_KERNEL_CONFIG" = "true" ] ; then
   # Use predefined configuration file for the kernel.
-  echo "Using config file $SRC_DIR/minimal_config/kernel.config"
+  echo "Using config file '$SRC_DIR/minimal_config/kernel.config'."
   cp -f $SRC_DIR/minimal_config/kernel.config .config
 else
   # Create default configuration file for the kernel.
@@ -70,7 +59,7 @@ else
   sed -i "s/.*CONFIG_FB_VESA.*/CONFIG_FB_VESA=y/" .config
 
   # Read the 'USE_BOOT_LOGO' property from '.config'
-  USE_BOOT_LOGO="$(grep -i ^USE_BOOT_LOGO $SRC_DIR/.config | cut -f2 -d'=')"
+  USE_BOOT_LOGO=`read_property USE_BOOT_LOGO`
 
   if [ "$USE_BOOT_LOGO" = "true" ] ; then
     sed -i "s/.*CONFIG_LOGO_LINUX_CLUT224.*/CONFIG_LOGO_LINUX_CLUT224=y/" .config
@@ -86,7 +75,7 @@ else
   # Enable the EFI stub
   sed -i "s/.*CONFIG_EFI_STUB.*/CONFIG_EFI_STUB=y/" .config
 
-  # Request that the firmware clear the contents of RAM after a reboot (4.14+).
+  # Request that the firmware clear the contents of RAM after reboot (4.14+).
   echo "CONFIG_RESET_ATTACK_MITIGATION=y" >> .config
 
   # Disable Apple Properties (Useful for Macs but useless in general)
diff --git a/src/common.sh b/src/common.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..f5c59d065
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+set -e
+
+SRC_DIR=`realpath --no-symlinks $PWD`
+SOURCE_DIR=$SRC_DIR/source
+WORK_DIR=$SRC_DIR/work
+CONFIG=$SRC_DIR/.config
+
+# This function reads property from the main '.config' file.
+#
+# Using () instead of {} for the function body is a POSIX
+# compliant way to execute subshell and as consequence all
+# variables in the function will become effectively in local
+# scope. Note that the 'local' keyword is supported by most
+# shells but it is not POSIX compliant.
+read_property() (
+  # The property we are looking for.
+  prop_name=$1
+
+  # The value of the property set initially to empty string.
+  prop_value=
+
+  if [ ! "$prop_name" = "" ] ; then
+    # Search in the main '.config' file.
+    prop_value=`grep -i ^${prop_name}= $CONFIG | cut -f2- -d'=' | xargs`
+  fi
+
+  echo $prop_value
+)
+
+# Read commonly used properties from the main '.config' file.
+JOB_FACTOR=`read_property JOB_FACTOR`
+CFLAGS=`read_property CFLAGS`
+NUM_CORES=$(grep ^processor /proc/cpuinfo | wc -l)
+
+# Calculate the number of 'make' jobs to be used later.
+NUM_JOBS=$((NUM_CORES * JOB_FACTOR))
+
+download_source() (
+  url=$1  # Download from this URL.
+  file=$2 # Save the resource in this file.
+
+  local=`read_property USE_LOCAL_SOURCE`
+
+  if [ "$local" = "true" -a ! -f $file  ] ; then
+    echo "Source file '$file' is missing and will be downloaded."
+    local=false
+  fi
+
+  if [ ! "$local" = "true" ] ; then
+    echo "Downloading source file from '$url'."
+    echo "Saving source file in '$file'".
+    wget -O $file -c $url
+  else
+    echo "Using local source file '$file'."
+  fi
+)
+
+extract_source() (
+  file=$1
+  name=$2
+
+  # Delete folder with previously extracted source.
+  echo "Removing '$name' work area. This may take a while."
+  rm -rf $WORK_DIR/$name
+  mkdir $WORK_DIR/$name
+
+  # Extract source to folder 'work/$source'.
+  tar -xvf $file -C $WORK_DIR/$name
+)