diff --git a/make/build/clear_vars.mk b/make/build/clear_vars.mk
index e69de29..2077267 100644
--- a/make/build/clear_vars.mk
+++ b/make/build/clear_vars.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# Required
+LOCAL_NAME :=
+LOCAL_VERSION :=
+LOCAL_SOURCE :=
+
+# Optional overrides
+LOCAL_EXTRACTED_NAME :=
+LOCAL_GIT_BRANCH :=
+LOCAL_SOURCE_FORMAT :=
diff --git a/make/build/definitions.mk b/make/build/definitions.mk
index c1b6296..81e3213 100644
--- a/make/build/definitions.mk
+++ b/make/build/definitions.mk
@@ -73,6 +73,16 @@ $(strip $(if $(strip $(1)),\
  ))
 endef
 
+###########################################################
+## Returns true if $(1) ends with $(2).  Returns the empty
+## string if they are not equal.
+###########################################################
+
+define strendswith
+$(strip $(shell [[ "$(1)" == *$(2) ]] && echo true))
+endef
+
+
 
 ###########################################################
 ## TODO: Command for running 'make' to build an output
diff --git a/make/build/static_library.mk b/make/build/static_library.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9939e09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/make/build/static_library.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------
+# Sanity checks
+
+ifeq ($(LOCAL_NAME),)
+	$(error No name provided)
+endif
+
+ifeq ($(LOCAL_VERSION),)
+	$(error No version provided for: $(LOCAL_NAME))
+endif
+
+ifeq ($(LOCAL_SOURCE),)
+	$(error No source URL was provided for: $(LOCAL_NAME))
+endif
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------
+# Set up output files
+
+my_build_dir := $(OUT_DIR)/$(LOCAL_NAME)
+
+# Try and discover the archive format from the source URL.
+ifeq ($(LOCAL_SOURCE_FORMAT),)
+my_source_name := $(shell basename "$(LOCAL_SOURCE)")
+
+ifeq ($(eval $(call strendswith,$(LOCAL_SOURCE_FORMAT),.tar.gz)),true)
+	LOCAL_SOURCE_FORMAT := tar.gz
+endif
+ifeq ($(eval $(call strendswith,$(LOCAL_SOURCE_FORMAT),.tar.bz2)),true)
+	LOCAL_SOURCE_FORMAT := tar.bz2
+endif
+ifeq ($(eval $(call strendswith,$(LOCAL_SOURCE_FORMAT),.tar.xz)),true)
+	LOCAL_SOURCE_FORMAT := tar.xz
+endif
+ifeq ($(eval $(call strendswith,$(LOCAL_SOURCE_FORMAT),.zip)),true)
+	LOCAL_SOURCE_FORMAT := zip
+endif
+ifeq ($(eval $(call strendswith,$(LOCAL_SOURCE_FORMAT),.git)),true)
+	LOCAL_SOURCE_FORMAT := git
+
+# We also have some additional options!
+ifeq ($(LOCAL_GIT_BRANCH),)
+	LOCAL_GIT_BRANCH := master
+endif
+
+endif
+endif
+
+# Generate an output file name for the source URL.
+my_file_name := $(LOCAL_NAME)-$(LOCAL_VERSION).$(LOCAL_SOURCE_FORMAT)
+my_fetched_file := $(my_build_dir)/$(my_file_name)
+
+# Allow overriding the name inside the archive.
+ifeq ($(LOCAL_EXTRACTED_NAME),)
+my_dir_name := $(LOCAL_NAME)-$(LOCAL_VERSION)
+else
+my_dir_name := $(LOCAL_EXTRACTED_NAME)
+endif
+
+# Determine what program we use to fetch and extract the downloaded file.  We
+# define a command that takes the input file as $(1) and extracts it inside
+# the directory given in $(2).
+fetch_command   := curl -sL -o $(my_build_dir)/$(my_file_name) $(LOCAL_SOURCE)
+extract_command := $(error Unknown source format for: $(LOCAL_NAME))
+
+ifeq ($(LOCAL_SOURCE_FORMAT),tar.gz)
+#fetch_command := <default>
+extract_command := tar -C $(my_build_dir) xzf $(my_fetched_file)
+endif
+ifeq ($(LOCAL_SOURCE_FORMAT),tar.bz2)
+#fetch_command := <default>
+extract_command := tar -C $(my_build_dir) xJf $(my_fetched_file)
+endif
+ifeq ($(LOCAL_SOURCE_FORMAT),tar.xz)
+#fetch_command := <default>
+extract_command := xz -dc $(my_fetched_file) | tar -C $(2) xf -
+endif
+ifeq ($(LOCAL_SOURCE_FORMAT),zip)
+#fetch_command := <default>
+extract_command := unzip -d $(my_build_dir) $(my_fetched_file)
+endif
+ifeq ($(LOCAL_SOURCE_FORMAT),git)
+fetch_command := cd $(my_build_dir) && git clone -b $(LOCAL_GIT_BRANCH) $(LOCAL_SOURCE) $(my_dir_name)
+extract_command := true
+endif
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------
+# Define Makefile rules
+
+$(my_build_dir):
+	$(Q)mkdir -p $@
+
+# Fetch source
+$(my_build_dir)/$(my_file_name): | $(my_build_dir)
+	$(Q)$(call fetch_command)
+
+# Unpack
+$(my_build_dir)/stamp-unpack: | $(my_build_dir)
+	$(Q)$(call extract_command)
+	$(Q)[[ ! -d "$(my_build_dir)/$(my_dir_name)" ]] && ( echo "Extract command did not create the expected directory: $(my_build_dir)/$(my_dir_name) - consider setting the LOCAL_EXTRACTED_NAME variable" ; exit 1)
+	$(Q)touch $@
+
+# Run configure
+# TODO