diff --git a/tools/devops/build-samples.csx b/tools/devops/build-samples.csx
index 87439999a803..500b53718fce 100644
--- a/tools/devops/build-samples.csx
+++ b/tools/devops/build-samples.csx
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#load "../../../maccore/tools/devops/external-deps.csx" // this will map the Xcode locations from Azure into our expected locations using symlinks.
+
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.IO;
 using System.Net;
@@ -43,11 +45,6 @@ string FindVariable (string variable)
 	throw new Exception ($"Could not find {variable} in environment nor in the commit's ({commit}) manifest.");
 }
 
-string GetVersion (string url)
-{
-	return Regex.Match (mono_package, "[0-9]+[.][0-9]+[.][0-9]+([.][0-9]+)?").Value;
-}
-
 if (string.IsNullOrEmpty (provision_from_commit)) {
 	Console.Error.WriteLine ($"Either BUILD_SOURCEVERSION or PROVISION_FROM_COMMIT must be set.");
 	Environment.Exit (1);
@@ -55,30 +52,12 @@ if (string.IsNullOrEmpty (provision_from_commit)) {
 }
 Console.WriteLine ($"Provisioning from {provision_from_commit}...");
 
-var mono_package = FindVariable ("MIN_MONO_URL");
-var xi_package = FindVariable ("XI_PACKAGE");
-var xm_package = FindVariable ("XM_PACKAGE");
-var sharpie_package = FindVariable ("MIN_SHARPIE_URL");
-
-Console.WriteLine ($"Mono: {mono_package}");
-Console.WriteLine ($"Xamarin.iOS: {xi_package}");
-Console.WriteLine ($"Xamarin.Mac: {xm_package}");
-Console.WriteLine ($"Objective-Sharpie: {sharpie_package}");
-
-Item ("Mono", GetVersion (mono_package))
-  .Source (mono => mono_package);
-
-Item ("Xamarin.iOS", GetVersion (xi_package))
-  .Source (xi => xi_package);
-
-Item ("Xamarin.Mac", GetVersion (xm_package))
-  .Source (xm => xm_package);
-
-Item ("Objective-Sharpie", GetVersion (sharpie_package))
-  .Source (sharpie => sharpie_package);
+InstallPackage ("Mono", FindVariable ("MIN_MONO_URL"));
+InstallPackage ("Xamarin.iOS", FindVariable ("XI_PACKAGE"));
+InstallPackage ("Xamarin.Mac", FindVariable ("XM_PACKAGE"));
+InstallPackage ("Objective-Sharpie", FindVariable ("MIN_SHARPIE_URL"));
 
 // Xcode
-#load "../../../maccore/tools/devops/external-deps.csx"
 var xcode_path = Path.GetDirectoryName (Path.GetDirectoryName (FindVariable ("XCODE_DEVELOPER_ROOT")));
 Exec ($"ln -Fhs {xcode_path} /Applications/Xcode.app");
 
diff --git a/tools/devops/utils.csx b/tools/devops/utils.csx
index 86cde31337b4..32e8a3e9bdb8 100644
--- a/tools/devops/utils.csx
+++ b/tools/devops/utils.csx
@@ -71,3 +71,10 @@ string FindConfigurationVariable (string variable, string hash = "HEAD")
 
 	return null;
 }
+
+void InstallPackage (string name, string url)
+{
+	Console.WriteLine ($"Installing {name} from {url}");
+	var version = Regex.Match (mono_package, "[0-9]+[.][0-9]+[.][0-9]+([.][0-9]+)?").Value;
+	Item (name, GetVersion (url)).Source (url);
+}