diff --git a/config/functions b/config/functions
index c36d1ac633..d93b501a95 100644
--- a/config/functions
+++ b/config/functions
@@ -10,6 +10,24 @@ die() {
   exit "${2:-1}"
 }
 
+# p1: name of potential function to execute if it exists
+# return 0 if function executed, 1 if not, die if error
+pkg_call() {
+  [ -n "${PKG_NAME}" ] || die "$(print_color CLR_ERROR "FAILURE: Cannot call ${1} package function when package is not known!")"
+
+  if [ "$(type -t ${1})" = "function" ]; then
+    ${1} || die "$(print_color CLR_ERROR "FAILURE: ${1} for package ${PKG_NAME} did not succeed!")"
+  else
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
+
+# p1: name of potential function to execute if it exists
+# return 0 if function executed or not, or die if error
+pkg_call_optional() {
+  pkg_call ${1} || return 0
+}
+
 # return 0 if $2 in space-separated list $1, otherwise return 1
 listcontains() {
   if [ -n "$1" -a -n "$2" ]; then
@@ -20,7 +38,7 @@ listcontains() {
 }
 
 # remove item(s) from list.
-# looping makes it greedy (eg. removefromlist "abc def ghi" "(abc|def)" will work).
+# looping makes it greedy (eg. listremoveitem "abc def ghi" "(abc|def)" removes both "abc" and "def").
 listremoveitem() {
   local data="${1}" odata tmp_array
   if [ -n "$1" -a -n "$2" ]; then
diff --git a/config/path b/config/path
index 3f540890a7..f16f18e7e1 100644
--- a/config/path
+++ b/config/path
@@ -164,9 +164,7 @@ BUILD_INDENT_SIZE=4
 
 # If sourcing a package, configure any package variables dependent on variables we have set
 if [ -n "$PKG_DIR" -a -r $PKG_DIR/package.mk ]; then
-  if [ "$(type -t configure_package)" = "function" ]; then
-    configure_package
-  fi
+  pkg_call_optional configure_package
 fi
 
 # multilib? nah
diff --git a/scripts/build b/scripts/build
index 0c40a98cac..d0bde014ca 100755
--- a/scripts/build
+++ b/scripts/build
@@ -192,9 +192,7 @@ BOOTSTRAP_MESON_OPTS="$HOST_MESON_OPTS"
 . $PKG_DIR/package.mk
 
 # finalise package configuration
-if [ "$(type -t configure_package)" = "function" ]; then
-  configure_package
-fi
+pkg_call_optional configure_package
 
 # build dependencies, only when PKG_DEPENDS_? is filled
 unset _pkg_depends
@@ -274,9 +272,7 @@ if [ "$PKG_TOOLCHAIN" = "autotools" ]; then
 fi
 
 # include build template and build
-if [ "$(type -t pre_build_$TARGET)" = "function" ]; then
-  pre_build_$TARGET
-fi
+pkg_call_optional pre_build_$TARGET
 
 # ensure $PKG_BUILD is there. (installer? PKG_URL="")
 if [ ! -d "$PKG_BUILD" ] ; then
@@ -299,12 +295,9 @@ if [ -f "$PKG_CONFIGURE_SCRIPT" -o -f "$PKG_CMAKE_SCRIPT" -o -f "$PKG_MESON_SCRI
 fi
 
 # configure
-if [ "$(type -t pre_configure_$TARGET)" = "function" ]; then
-  pre_configure_$TARGET
-fi
-if [ "$(type -t configure_$TARGET)" = "function" ]; then
-  configure_$TARGET
-else
+pkg_call_optional pre_configure_$TARGET
+
+if ! pkg_call configure_$TARGET; then
   case "$PKG_TOOLCHAIN:$TARGET" in
     # meson builds
     "meson:target")
@@ -383,17 +376,13 @@ else
       ;;
   esac
 fi
-if [ "$(type -t post_configure_$TARGET)" = "function" ]; then
-  post_configure_$TARGET
-fi
+
+pkg_call_optional post_configure_$TARGET
 
 # make
-if [ "$(type -t pre_make_$TARGET)" = "function" ]; then
-  pre_make_$TARGET
-fi
-if [ "$(type -t make_$TARGET)" = "function" ]; then
-  make_$TARGET
-else
+pkg_call_optional pre_make_$TARGET
+
+if ! pkg_call make_$TARGET; then
   case "$PKG_TOOLCHAIN:$TARGET" in
     # ninja based builds
     "meson:target"|"cmake:target"|"ninja:target")
@@ -432,17 +421,13 @@ else
       ;;
   esac
 fi
-if [ "$(type -t post_make_$TARGET)" = "function" ]; then
-  post_make_$TARGET
-fi
+
+pkg_call_optional post_make_$TARGET
 
 # make install
-if [ "$(type -t pre_makeinstall_$TARGET)" = "function" ]; then
-  pre_makeinstall_$TARGET
-fi
-if [ "$(type -t makeinstall_$TARGET)" = "function" ]; then
-  makeinstall_$TARGET
-else
+pkg_call_optional pre_makeinstall_$TARGET
+
+if ! pkg_call makeinstall_$TARGET; then
   case "$PKG_TOOLCHAIN:$TARGET" in
     # ninja based builds
     "meson:target"|"cmake:target")
@@ -475,9 +460,8 @@ else
       ;;
   esac
 fi
-if [ "$(type -t post_makeinstall_$TARGET)" = "function" ]; then
-  post_makeinstall_$TARGET
-fi
+
+pkg_call_optional post_makeinstall_$TARGET
 
 if [ "$TARGET" = "target" -o "$TARGET" = "init" ]; then
   if [ -d $INSTALL ]; then
diff --git a/scripts/create_addon b/scripts/create_addon
index d625a5fe5e..1644793967 100755
--- a/scripts/create_addon
+++ b/scripts/create_addon
@@ -208,9 +208,7 @@ build_addon() {
   rm -rf $ADDON_BUILD
 
   # install addon parts
-  if [ "$(type -t addon)" = "function" ]; then
-    addon
-  else
+  if ! pkg_call addon; then
     install_binary_addon $PKG_ADDON_ID
   fi
 
diff --git a/scripts/install b/scripts/install
index fbc9b3fd01..b1797d7478 100755
--- a/scripts/install
+++ b/scripts/install
@@ -130,9 +130,7 @@ unset -f post_install
 
 # install
 if [ "$TARGET" = target ] ; then
-  if [ "$(type -t pre_install)" = "function" ]; then
-    pre_install
-  fi
+  pkg_call_optional pre_install
 fi
 
 if [ "$TARGET" = "target" -a -d $PKG_BUILD/.install_pkg ]; then
@@ -144,9 +142,7 @@ elif [ "$TARGET" = "init" -a -d $PKG_BUILD/.install_init ]; then
 fi
 
 if [ "$TARGET" = target ] ; then
-  if [ "$(type -t post_install)" = "function" ]; then
-    post_install
-  fi
+  pkg_call_optional post_install
 fi
 
 touch $STAMP
diff --git a/scripts/unpack b/scripts/unpack
index 83df55c0ef..ea95857afd 100755
--- a/scripts/unpack
+++ b/scripts/unpack
@@ -53,13 +53,9 @@ if [ -d "$SOURCES/$1" -o -d "$PKG_DIR/sources" ]; then
 
   . $PKG_DIR/package.mk
 
-  if [ "$(type -t pre_unpack)" = "function" ]; then
-    pre_unpack
-  fi
+  pkg_call_optional pre_unpack
 
-  if [ "$(type -t unpack)" = "function" ]; then
-    unpack
-  else
+  if ! pkg_call unpack; then
     if [ -n "$PKG_URL" ]; then
       $SCRIPTS/extract $1 $BUILD
     fi
@@ -82,14 +78,10 @@ if [ -d "$SOURCES/$1" -o -d "$PKG_DIR/sources" ]; then
     mkdir -p "${PKG_BUILD}"
   fi
 
-  if [ "$(type -t post_unpack)" = "function" ]; then
-    post_unpack
-  fi
+  pkg_call_optional post_unpack
 
   if [ "${PKG_SKIP_PATCHES}" != "yes" ]; then
-    if [ "$(type -t pre_patch)" = "function" ]; then
-      pre_patch
-    fi
+    pkg_call_optional pre_patch
 
     if [ "$TARGET_ARCH" = "x86_64" ]; then
       PATCH_ARCH="x86"
@@ -158,9 +150,7 @@ if [ -d "$SOURCES/$1" -o -d "$PKG_DIR/sources" ]; then
       fi
     done
 
-    if [ "$(type -t post_patch)" = "function" ]; then
-      post_patch
-    fi
+    pkg_call_optional post_patch
   fi
 
   if [ ! "$PKG_NAME" = "configtools" ] ; then