diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 34b64cb7..bd8e7da9 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -456,36 +456,8 @@ configure_la (opm-core ${opm-core_TARGET} opm-core_LIBTOOL_ARCHIVE)
 message (STATUS "Writing libtool archive ${opm-core_LIBTOOL_ARCHIVE}")
 
 ### clean in-source builds ###
-set (DISTCLEAN_FILES
-	CMakeCache.txt
-	cmake_install.cmake
-	Makefile
-	config.h
-	${opm-core_NAME}-config.cmake
-	${opm-core_NAME}-config-version.cmake
-	${opm-core_NAME}-install.cmake
-	${opm-core_NAME}.pc
-	${opm-core_NAME}-install.pc
-	Doxyfile
-	CTestTestfile.cmake
-	DartConfiguration.tcl
-	GNUmakefile
-	lib/${opm-core_LIBTOOL_ARCHIVE}
-	${opm-core_DEBUG}
-	install_manifest.txt
-	${opm-core_STYLESHEET_COPIED}
-	)
-add_custom_target (distclean
-	COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E remove -f ${DISTCLEAN_FILES}
-	COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E remove_directory CMakeFiles/
-	COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E remove_directory Testing/
-# cannot depend on clean because it is only defined in the master Makefile
-# not in CMakeFiles/Makefile where this target will end up
-#	DEPENDS clean
-	WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}
-	COMMENT Removing CMake-generated files
-	VERBATIM
-	)
+include (OpmDistClean)
+opm_dist_clean (opm-core)
 
 # smart wrapper that auto-parallelizes builds
 file (COPY
diff --git a/cmake/Modules/OpmDistClean.cmake b/cmake/Modules/OpmDistClean.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b569aa5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/Modules/OpmDistClean.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+# - Cleanup configuration files
+#
+# Remove files generated by the configuration (not by the build); the
+# purpose is to get back a clean directory with no build artifacts
+# (some empty directories may be left behind, though)
+#
+# The following suffices are supported:
+# _NAME                 Name of the project
+# _STYLESHEET_COPIED    Stylesheet that was copied for the documentation
+# _LIBTOOL_ARCHIVE      Libtool archive file generated for library
+# _DEBUG                Debug information extracted from library
+
+macro (opm_dist_clean opm)
+
+  set (DISTCLEAN_FILES
+	CMakeCache.txt
+	cmake_install.cmake
+	Makefile
+	config.h
+	${${opm}_NAME}-config.cmake
+	${${opm}_NAME}-config-version.cmake
+	${${opm}_NAME}-install.cmake
+	${${opm}_NAME}.pc
+	${${opm}_NAME}-install.pc
+	Doxyfile
+	CTestTestfile.cmake
+	DartConfiguration.tcl
+	GNUmakefile
+	lib/${${opm}_LIBTOOL_ARCHIVE}
+	${${opm}_DEBUG}
+	install_manifest.txt
+	${${opm}_STYLESHEET_COPIED}
+	)
+  add_custom_target (distclean
+	COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E remove -f ${DISTCLEAN_FILES}
+	COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E remove_directory CMakeFiles/
+	COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E remove_directory Testing/
+# cannot depend on clean because it is only defined in the master Makefile
+# not in CMakeFiles/Makefile where this target will end up
+#	DEPENDS clean
+	WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}
+	COMMENT Removing CMake-generated files
+	VERBATIM
+	)
+  
+endmacro (opm_dist_clean opm)