diff --git a/apps/ivr/Makefile.ivr_application b/apps/ivr/Makefile.ivr_application
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c1665ac0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/ivr/Makefile.ivr_application
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+# generic Makefile for ivr applications
+
+LIB_INSTALLDIR="/usr/local/lib/sems/ivr"
+TARBALL_PREFIX=sems-app-${NAME}
+TARBALL="${TARBALL_PREFIX}-${VERSION}.tar.gz"
+
+BASEDIR?=${basedir}
+
+GROUP="root"
+OWNER="root"
+
+BIN_PERMISSIONS="755"
+LIB_PERMISSIONS="644"
+
+PYCHECKERARGS = --stdlib
+PYCHECKERDOCARGS = --classdoc --funcdoc
+
+.PHONY: all
+all: clean compile
+
+clean:
+	find . -iname "*\.pyc" -o -iname "*\.py~" | xargs rm -f
+	rm -f ${TARBALL_PREFIX}*.tar.gz
+
+compile: 
+	python${PYTHON_VERSION} py_comp -q .
+
+install: all
+	install -d ${BASEDIR}/${LIB_INSTALLDIR}
+	install -m ${LIB_PERMISSIONS} -o ${OWNER} -g ${GROUP} *.pyc ${BASEDIR}/${LIB_INSTALLDIR}
+	install -d ${BASEDIR}/${LIB_INSTALLDIR}/${LIBDIR}
+	install -m ${LIB_PERMISSIONS} -o ${OWNER} -g ${GROUP} ${LIBDIR}/*.pyc ${BASEDIR}/${LIB_INSTALLDIR}/${LIBDIR}
+
+uninstall: 
+	@echo "please remove the files from ${LIB_INSTALLDIR} manually."
+
+fulltest: 
+	find | grep /Test | grep -v ".svn" | grep \\.py$$ | sed -e "s#^./##g" | bash -e - 
+
+check: 
+	find ${LIBDIR}/ | grep \\.py$$ | grep -v Test | PYTHONPATH=$(PYTHONPATH):../ivr/moc xargs pychecker ${PYCHECKERARGS} 
+
+doccheck: 
+	find ${LIBDIR}/  | grep \\.py$$ | grep -v Test | xargs pychecker ${PYCHECKERARGS} ${PYCHECKERDOCARGS}
+
+dist: all
+	tar -cvzf ${TARBALL} . --exclude=*.tar.gz \
+				--exclude=.svn \
+				--exclude=*~ \
+				--exclude=*.pyc
+
+
+
diff --git a/apps/mailbox/Makefile b/apps/mailbox/Makefile
index ae95e8ce..098b4454 100644
--- a/apps/mailbox/Makefile
+++ b/apps/mailbox/Makefile
@@ -5,54 +5,6 @@ VERSION=2.2.0-1
 PYTHON_VERSION=2.3
 
 LIBDIR=imap_mailbox
-LIB_INSTALLDIR="/usr/local/lib/sems/ivr"
-TARBALL_PREFIX=sems-app-${NAME}
-TARBALL="${TARBALL_PREFIX}-${VERSION}.tar.gz"
-
-BASEDIR?=${basedir}
-
-GROUP="root"
-OWNER="root"
-
-BIN_PERMISSIONS="755"
-LIB_PERMISSIONS="644"
-
-PYCHECKERARGS = --stdlib
-PYCHECKERDOCARGS = --classdoc --funcdoc
-
-.PHONY: all
-all: clean compile
-
-clean:
-	find . -iname "*\.pyc" -o -iname "*\.py~" | xargs rm -f
-	rm -f ${TARBALL_PREFIX}*.tar.gz
-
-compile: 
-	python${PYTHON_VERSION} py_comp -q .
-
-install: all
-	install -d ${BASEDIR}/${LIB_INSTALLDIR}
-	install -m ${LIB_PERMISSIONS} -o ${OWNER} -g ${GROUP} *.pyc ${BASEDIR}/${LIB_INSTALLDIR}
-	install -d ${BASEDIR}/${LIB_INSTALLDIR}/${LIBDIR}
-	install -m ${LIB_PERMISSIONS} -o ${OWNER} -g ${GROUP} ${LIBDIR}/*.pyc ${BASEDIR}/${LIB_INSTALLDIR}/${LIBDIR}
-
-uninstall: 
-	@echo "please remove the files from ${LIB_INSTALLDIR} manually."
-
-fulltest: 
-	find | grep /Test | grep -v ".svn" | grep \\.py$$ | sed -e "s#^./##g" | bash -e - 
-
-check: 
-	find ${LIBDIR}/ | grep \\.py$$ | grep -v Test | PYTHONPATH=$(PYTHONPATH):../ivr/moc xargs pychecker ${PYCHECKERARGS} 
-
-doccheck: 
-	find ${LIBDIR}/  | grep \\.py$$ | grep -v Test | xargs pychecker ${PYCHECKERARGS} ${PYCHECKERDOCARGS}
-
-dist: all
-	tar -cvzf ${TARBALL} . --exclude=*.tar.gz \
-				--exclude=.svn \
-				--exclude=*~ \
-				--exclude=*.pyc
-
 
+include ../ivr/Makefile.ivr_application