diff --git a/functions/main b/functions/main
index 8a83e5ea..ddd4eb16 100644
--- a/functions/main
+++ b/functions/main
@@ -349,6 +349,15 @@ record_commit_id() {
     echo "$latest_commit" > "${STATE_FILES_DIR}/build"
   fi
 }
+
+is_git_clean() {
+  log_debug "git status | grep -qE 'working (directory|tree) clean'"
+  if git status | grep -qE 'working (directory|tree) clean'; then
+    return 0
+  else
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
 ## }}}
 
 ## END OF FILE #################################################################
diff --git a/scripts/apply b/scripts/apply
index be3fb2b8..4fde2b8c 100755
--- a/scripts/apply
+++ b/scripts/apply
@@ -23,8 +23,7 @@ check_for_outstanding_commits()  {
   log_debug "cd $NGCPCTL_MAIN"
   cd "$NGCPCTL_MAIN"
 
-  log_debug "git status | grep -qE 'working (directory|tree) clean'"
-  if git status | grep -qE 'working (directory|tree) clean' ; then
+  if is_git_clean ; then
     return 1 # nothing to commit
   else
     return 0 # outstanding commits
diff --git a/scripts/build b/scripts/build
index b759fcfb..8e294d87 100755
--- a/scripts/build
+++ b/scripts/build
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ if ! $MODIFIED_ONLY ; then
 else
   log_info "Considering modified files only due to --modified-only option."
 
-  if git status | grep -qE 'working (directory|tree) clean' ; then
+  if is_git_clean ; then
     log_info "No changes found, nothing to do."
     exit 0
   fi
diff --git a/scripts/clean b/scripts/clean
index 9e23899e..c0dc020a 100755
--- a/scripts/clean
+++ b/scripts/clean
@@ -75,8 +75,7 @@ clean_ensure_branch_master () {
 clean_tracked() {
   log_info "Removing all local changes (if any):"
 
-  log_debug "git status | grep -qE 'working (directory|tree) clean'"
-  if git status | grep -qE 'working (directory|tree) clean' ; then
+  if is_git_clean ; then
     log_info "OK: no local changes found, nothing to clean here."
     return 0
   fi
diff --git a/scripts/commit b/scripts/commit
index 418e208e..057a9b1a 100755
--- a/scripts/commit
+++ b/scripts/commit
@@ -67,8 +67,7 @@ else
   msg="$*"
 fi
 
-log_debug "git status | grep -qE 'working (directory|tree) clean'"
-if git status | grep -qE 'working (directory|tree) clean' ; then
+if is_git_clean ; then
    log_info "OK:   nothing to commit."
 else
   log_debug "git add . ; git commit -a -m \"\$msg [\$(date --rfc-3339=ns)]\""
diff --git a/scripts/etckeeper b/scripts/etckeeper
index 8addb8c3..39253f73 100755
--- a/scripts/etckeeper
+++ b/scripts/etckeeper
@@ -35,8 +35,7 @@ if ! [ -d .git ] ; then
 fi
 
 log_info "Checking state of /etc files"
-log_debug 'git status | grep -q "working directory clean"'
-if git status | grep -qE 'working (directory|tree) clean' ; then
+if is_git_clean ; then
   log_info "OK:   nothing to commit."
 else
   log_debug "etckeeper commit \"ngcpcfg apply on \$(date)\""
diff --git a/scripts/initialise b/scripts/initialise
index 47a5aee6..0ad65af0 100755
--- a/scripts/initialise
+++ b/scripts/initialise
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ fi
 log_debug "git add ."
 git add .
 
-if ! git status | grep -qE 'working (directory|tree) clean' ; then
+if ! is_git_clean ; then
   log_debug "git commit -a -m \"initial version of ngcpcfg on $HNAME\""
   git commit -a -m "initial version of ngcpcfg on $HNAME" >/dev/null
 fi
diff --git a/scripts/status b/scripts/status
index cababd9a..b5b2f0f1 100755
--- a/scripts/status
+++ b/scripts/status
@@ -60,8 +60,7 @@ check_local_state() {
   log_info "OK:   has been initialised already"
 
   log_info "Checking state of configuration files:"
-  log_debug "git status | grep -qE 'working (directory|tree) clean"
-  if git status | grep -qE 'working (directory|tree) clean' ; then
+  if is_git_clean ; then
     log_info "OK:   nothing to commit"
   else
     if git diff-index --name-only HEAD | grep -q . ; then
@@ -87,8 +86,7 @@ check_etc_state() {
   cd /etc
 
   log_info "Checking state of /etc files:"
-  log_debug "git status | grep -qE 'working (directory|tree) clean'"
-  if git status | grep -qE 'working (directory|tree) clean' ; then
+  if is_git_clean ; then
     log_info "OK:   nothing to commit"
   else
     log_info "ACTION_NEEDED: configuration files changed (execute 'etckeeper commit [message]')"