diff --git a/packaging/fedora/build_rpm.sh b/packaging/fedora/build_rpm.sh
index d6e66659..156cacf6 100755
--- a/packaging/fedora/build_rpm.sh
+++ b/packaging/fedora/build_rpm.sh
@@ -1,16 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/sh
-DIRNAME=spectrum2
+set -eu
 
-echo "Cleaning up old sources ..."
-rm -rf spectrum2-*
-
-echo "Checking out a fresh copy ..."
-rm -rf $DIRNAME
-git clone ../../.git $DIRNAME
-rm -rf $DIRNAME/.git
-
-echo "Creating tarball ..."
-tar czf $DIRNAME.tar.gz $DIRNAME
+sh $(readlink -f $(dirname $0))/build_tarball.sh
 
 echo "Building package"
-rpmbuild -ta $DIRNAME.tar.gz
+rpmbuild -ta spectrum2.tar.gz
diff --git a/packaging/fedora/build_tarball.sh b/packaging/fedora/build_tarball.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..253f811e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packaging/fedora/build_tarball.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+set -eu
+
+DIRNAME=spectrum2
+REPODIR=$(readlink -f $(dirname $0)/../../.git)
+
+echo "Cleaning up old sources ..."
+rm -rf spectrum2-*
+
+echo "Checking out a fresh copy ..."
+rm -rf $DIRNAME
+git clone $REPODIR $DIRNAME && rm -rf $DIRNAME/.git
+
+echo "Creating tarball ..."
+tar czf $DIRNAME.tar.gz $DIRNAME && rm -rf $DIRNAME