diff --git a/config/functions b/config/functions
index 5d85c3dd13..d525e7e17e 100644
--- a/config/functions
+++ b/config/functions
@@ -250,7 +250,38 @@ get_pkg_version() {
 }
 
 get_pkg_directory() {
-  get_pkg_variable "$1" PKG_DIR
+  local _PKG_ROOT_NAME=${1%:*} _ALL_DIRS _FOUND=0 _ANCHOR="@?+?@" _PKG_DIR _DIR
+
+  # Check for any available local package in preference to a global package
+  for _DIR in $(echo -e "${_CACHE_PACKAGE_LOCAL}" | grep -F "/${_PKG_ROOT_NAME}${_ANCHOR}"); do
+    _DIR="${_DIR%${_ANCHOR}}"
+    # found first, set $_PKG_DIR
+    _PKG_DIR="$_DIR"
+    # keep track of dirs with package.mk for detecting multiple folders
+    _ALL_DIRS+="${_DIR}\n"
+    _FOUND=$((_FOUND+1))
+  done
+
+  # If there's no local package available, use the global package
+  if [ $_FOUND -eq 0 ]; then
+    for _DIR in $(echo -e "${_CACHE_PACKAGE_GLOBAL}" | grep -F "/${_PKG_ROOT_NAME}${_ANCHOR}"); do
+      _DIR="${_DIR%${_ANCHOR}}"
+      # found first, set $_PKG_DIR
+      _PKG_DIR="$_DIR"
+      # keep track of dirs with package.mk for detecting multiple folders
+      _ALL_DIRS+="${_DIR}\n"
+      _FOUND=$((_FOUND+1))
+    done
+  fi
+
+  # _FOUND multiple packages? fail
+  if [ $_FOUND -gt 1 ]; then
+    echo "Error - multiple package folders for package ${_PKG_ROOT_NAME}:" >&2
+    echo -e "$_ALL_DIRS" >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  echo "$_PKG_DIR"
 }
 
 # get variable ($2) for package ($1)
diff --git a/config/path b/config/path
index 424d12c8e3..e6821b9d93 100644
--- a/config/path
+++ b/config/path
@@ -65,42 +65,7 @@ init_package_cache
 # set package metadata
 reset_pkg_vars "$1"
 
-if [ -n "$1" ]; then
-  _PKG_ROOT_NAME=${1%:*}
-  _ALL_DIRS=""
-  _FOUND=0
-  _ANCHOR="@?+?@"
-  PKG_DIR=""
-
-  # Check for any available local package in preference to a global package
-  for DIR in $(echo -e "${_CACHE_PACKAGE_LOCAL}" | grep -F "/${_PKG_ROOT_NAME}${_ANCHOR}"); do
-    DIR="${DIR%${_ANCHOR}}"
-    # found first, set $PKG_DIR
-    PKG_DIR="$DIR"
-    # keep track of dirs with package.mk for detecting multiple folders
-    _ALL_DIRS+="${DIR}\n"
-    _FOUND=$((_FOUND+1))
-  done
-
-  # If there's no local package available, use the global package
-  if [ $_FOUND -eq 0 ]; then
-    for DIR in $(echo -e "${_CACHE_PACKAGE_GLOBAL}" | grep -F "/${_PKG_ROOT_NAME}${_ANCHOR}"); do
-      DIR="${DIR%${_ANCHOR}}"
-      # found first, set $PKG_DIR
-      PKG_DIR="$DIR"
-      # keep track of dirs with package.mk for detecting multiple folders
-      _ALL_DIRS+="${DIR}\n"
-      _FOUND=$((_FOUND+1))
-    done
-  fi
-
-  # _FOUND multiple packages? fail
-  if [ $_FOUND -gt 1 ]; then
-    echo "Error - multiple package folders:"
-    echo -e "$_ALL_DIRS"
-    exit 1
-  fi
-fi
+[ -n "$1" ] && PKG_DIR="$(get_pkg_directory $1)"
 
 if [ -n "$PKG_DIR" -a -r $PKG_DIR/package.mk ]; then
   unset -f configure_package