diff --git a/make_common.py b/make_common.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..775ed22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/make_common.py
@@ -0,0 +1,182 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT OR Apache-2.0
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Ferrous Systems and AdaCore
+
+# Convenience script to build Sphinx books, including setting up a Python
+# virtual environment to install Sphinx into (removing the need to manage
+# dependencies globally). Each book should have a `make.py` script that updates
+# the submodules, import this shared module, and calls the main function here.
+
+from pathlib import Path
+import argparse
+import subprocess
+import venv
+import sys
+
+
+def build_docs(root, env, builder, clear, serve, debug):
+    dest = root / "build"
+
+    args = ["-b", builder, "-d", dest / "doctrees"]
+    if debug:
+        # Disable parallel builds and show exceptions in debug mode.
+        #
+        # We can't show exceptions in parallel mode because in parallel mode
+        # all exceptions will be swallowed up by Python's multiprocessing.
+        # That's also why we don't show exceptions outside of debug mode.
+        args += ["-j", "1", "-T"]
+    else:
+        # Enable parallel builds:
+        args += ["-j", "auto"]
+    if clear:
+        args.append("-E")
+    if serve:
+        args += ["--watch", root / "exts", "--watch", root / "themes"]
+    else:
+        # Error out at the *end* of the build if there are warnings:
+        args += ["-W", "--keep-going"]
+
+    commit = current_git_commit(root)
+    if commit is not None:
+        args += ["-D", f"html_theme_options.commit={commit}"]
+
+    try:
+        subprocess.run(
+            [
+                env.bin("sphinx-autobuild" if serve else "sphinx-build"),
+                *args,
+                root / "src",
+                dest / builder,
+            ],
+            check=True,
+        )
+    except KeyboardInterrupt:
+        exit(1)
+    except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+        print("\nhint: if you see an exception, pass --debug to see the full traceback")
+        exit(1)
+
+    return dest / builder
+
+
+def build_linkchecker(root):
+    repo = root / ".linkchecker"
+    src = repo / "src" / "tools" / "linkchecker"
+    bin = src / "target" / "release" / "linkchecker"
+
+    if not src.is_dir():
+        subprocess.run(["git", "init", repo], check=True)
+
+        def git(args):
+            subprocess.run(["git", *args], cwd=repo, check=True)
+
+        # Avoid fetching blobs unless needed by the sparse checkout
+        git(["remote", "add", "origin", "https://github.com/rust-lang/rust"])
+        git(["config", "remote.origin.promisor", "true"])
+        git(["config", "remote.origin.partialCloneFilter", "blob:none"])
+
+        # Checkout only the linkchecker tool rather than the whole repo
+        git(["config", "core.sparsecheckout", "true"])
+        with open(repo / ".git" / "info" / "sparse-checkout", "w") as f:
+            f.write("/src/tools/linkchecker/")
+
+        # Avoid fetching the whole history
+        git(["fetch", "--depth=1", "origin", "master"])
+        git(["checkout", "master"])
+
+    if not bin.is_file():
+        subprocess.run(["cargo", "build", "--release"], cwd=src, check=True)
+
+    return bin
+
+
+def current_git_commit(root):
+    try:
+        return (
+            subprocess.run(
+                ["git", "rev-parse", "HEAD"],
+                check=True,
+                stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+            )
+            .stdout.decode("utf-8")
+            .strip()
+        )
+    # `git` executable missing from the system
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        print("warning: failed to detect git commit: missing executable git")
+        return
+    # `git` returned an error (git will print the actual error to stderr)
+    except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+        print("warning: failed to detect git commit: git returned an error")
+        return
+
+
+class VirtualEnv:
+    def __init__(self, root, path):
+        self.path = path
+        self.requirements = root / "shared" / "requirements.txt"
+        self.installed_requirements = path / "installed-requirements.txt"
+
+        if not self.up_to_date():
+            self.create()
+
+    def bin(self, name):
+        if sys.platform == "win32":
+            return self.path / "scripts" / name
+        else:
+            return self.path / "bin" / name
+
+    def up_to_date(self):
+        if self.installed_requirements.exists():
+            expected = self.requirements.read_bytes()
+            installed = self.installed_requirements.read_bytes()
+            if expected == installed:
+                return True
+        return False
+
+    def create(self):
+        venv.EnvBuilder(clear=True, symlinks=True, with_pip=True).create(self.path)
+        subprocess.run(
+            [self.bin("pip"), "install", "-r", self.requirements, "--require-hashes"],
+            check=True,
+        )
+        self.installed_requirements.write_bytes(self.requirements.read_bytes())
+
+
+def main(root):
+    root = Path(root)
+
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-c", "--clear", help="disable incremental builds", action="store_true"
+    )
+    group = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
+    group.add_argument(
+        "-s",
+        "--serve",
+        help="start a local server with live reload",
+        action="store_true",
+    )
+    group.add_argument(
+        "--check-links", help="Check whether all links are valid", action="store_true"
+    )
+    group.add_argument(
+        "--xml", help="Generate Sphinx XML rather than HTML", action="store_true"
+    )
+    group.add_argument(
+        "--debug",
+        help="Debug mode for the extensions, showing exceptions",
+        action="store_true",
+    )
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    env = VirtualEnv(root, root / ".venv")
+    rendered = build_docs(
+        root, env, "xml" if args.xml else "html", args.clear, args.serve, args.debug
+    )
+
+    if args.check_links:
+        linkchecker = build_linkchecker(root)
+        if subprocess.run([linkchecker, rendered]).returncode != 0:
+            print("error: linkchecker failed")
+            exit(1)