diff --git a/mp-build/scripts/mp-build.sh b/mp-build/scripts/mp-build.sh
index de85c68..9e757d7 100755
--- a/mp-build/scripts/mp-build.sh
+++ b/mp-build/scripts/mp-build.sh
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ help_cmd() {
   echo_color "   $BOLD--no-cache$RESET:   don't check cache"
   echo_color "   $BOLD--no-opts$RESET:    don't show/list options"
   echo_color "   $BOLD--cores$RESET:      how many cores to use for the build"
+  echo_color "   $BOLD--out$RESET:        directory for the output archive"
   echo
   info  "Licensed under GPLv3, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/> for more information"
 }
@@ -149,6 +150,7 @@ OPT_NO_STDOUT=0     # PACKAGE() function output is ENABLED
 OPT_NO_CACHE=0      # cache is ENABLED
 OPT_NO_OPTS=0       # showing/listing options is ENABLED
 OPT_CORES=$(nproc)  # use ALL CPU cores
+OPT_OUT="DEFAULT"   # use the package dist directory for output
 
 # parses all the options
 for arg in "$@"; do
@@ -166,7 +168,15 @@ for arg in "$@"; do
     "--no-opts")
       OPT_NO_OPTS=1 ;;
     "--cores"*)
-      OPT_CORES=$(echo "${arg}" | cut -d "=" -f2) ;;
+      OPT_CORES="$(echo "${arg}" | cut -d '=' -f2)" ;;
+    "--out"*)
+      OPT_OUT="$(echo "${arg}" | cut -d '=' -f2)"
+      OPT_OUT="$(echo "${OPT_OUT}" | sed "s/'//g")"
+      OPT_OUT="$(echo "${OPT_OUT}" | sed 's/"//g')"
+      if [ ! -d "${OPT_OUT}" ]; then
+        error "Failed to access to the output directory (${OPT_OUT})"
+        exit 1
+      fi ;;
     --*)
       error "Unknown option: ${arg}"
       exit 1 ;;
@@ -206,7 +216,8 @@ if [ $OPT_NO_OPTS -eq 0 ]; then
   print   " $BOLD NO_SDTOUT  = $(itoyn $OPT_NO_STDOUT)"
   print   " $BOLD NO_CACHE   = $(itoyn $OPT_NO_CACHE)"
   print   " $BOLD NO_OPTS    = $(itoyn $OPT_NO_OPTS)"
-  print   " $BOLD CORES      = $OPT_CORES"
+  print   " $BOLD CORES      = ${OPT_CORES}"
+  print   " $BOLD OUT        = ${OPT_OUT}"
 fi
 
 cd "${TARGET}"
@@ -236,6 +247,11 @@ fi
 pkgpath="$(realpath .)"
 cachepath="$(realpath '.cache')"
 distpath="$(realpath 'dist')"
+if [ "${OPT_OUT}" == "DEFAULT" ]; then
+  outpath="${distpath}"
+else
+  outpath="${OPT_OUT}"
+fi
 rootpath="$(realpath 'root')"
 
 mkdir -p "${rootpath}"
@@ -249,7 +265,7 @@ if [ $OPT_NO_CACHE -eq 0 ] && [ -f "${cachepath}/last" ]; then
   package_cache=$(sed -n '1p' "${cachepath}/last")
   changes_cache=$(sed -n '2p' "${cachepath}/last")
 
-  if [[ "${package_cache}" == "${package_hash}" ]] && [[ "${changes_cache}" == "${changes_hash}" ]]; then
+  if [ -f "${outpath}/${NAME}_${VERSION}.mpf" ] && [[ "${package_cache}" == "${package_hash}" ]] && [[ "${changes_cache}" == "${changes_hash}" ]]; then
     info "Found build in the cache (add --no-cache if you want to rebuild anyway)"
     success "Build was successful"
     exit 0
@@ -431,6 +447,12 @@ clean_dist
 info "Cleaning the root directory"
 rm -rf "${rootpath}"
 
+# move archive to out directory
+if [ "$(realpath "${distpath}/${archive}")" != "$(realpath "${outpath}")" ]; then
+  mv "${distpath}/${archive}" "${outpath}" 2> /dev/null
+  check_ret "Failed to move the archive to the output directory"
+fi
+
 # update the cache
 unset_indent
 info "Updating the package cache"
diff --git a/mp-pool/scripts/mp-pool-clean.sh b/mp-pool/scripts/mp-pool-clean.sh
index e57f662..e7e704c 100755
--- a/mp-pool/scripts/mp-pool-clean.sh
+++ b/mp-pool/scripts/mp-pool-clean.sh
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ for pkg in "${srcpath}/"*; do
   
   files+=("${NAME}_${VERSION}.mpf")
   files+=("${NAME}_${VERSION}.mpf.sig")
+
+  clean_pkg_vars
   pi=$((pi+1))
 done
 
diff --git a/mp-pool/scripts/mp-pool.sh b/mp-pool/scripts/mp-pool.sh
index b45fb9c..f26b701 100755
--- a/mp-pool/scripts/mp-pool.sh
+++ b/mp-pool/scripts/mp-pool.sh
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ list_to_str(){
   for el in "${list[@]}"; do
     if [ -z "${str}" ]; then
       str="${el}"
-    else 
+    else
       printf -v str "${str}\n ${el}"
     fi
   done
@@ -72,20 +72,20 @@ list_to_str(){
 
 # run mp-build with options
 mp_build_opts(){
-  local opts=("${1}" "--no-opts")
+  local opts=("${1}" "--no-opts" "--out='${2}'")
 
   if [ $OPT_NO_DEPEND -eq 1 ]; then
     opts+=("--no-depend")
   fi
-  
+
   if [ $OPT_NO_STDOUT -eq 1 ]; then
     opts+=("--no-stdout")
   fi
-  
+
   if [ $OPT_NO_CACHE -eq 1 ]; then
     opts+=("--no-cache")
   fi
-  
+
   mp-build ${opts[@]}
   return "$?"
 }
@@ -94,16 +94,16 @@ mp_build_opts(){
 ## main script ##
 #################
 OPT_SKIP_FAIL=0     # stop build when a package build fails
-OPT_NO_DEPEND=0     # checking depends is ENABLED 
+OPT_NO_DEPEND=0     # checking depends is ENABLED
 OPT_NO_STDOUT=0     # build() function output is ENABLED
-OPT_NO_CACHE=0      # cache is ENABLED 
-OPT_NO_OPTS=0       # showing/listing options is ENABLED 
+OPT_NO_CACHE=0      # cache is ENABLED
+OPT_NO_OPTS=0       # showing/listing options is ENABLED
 OPT_NO_SIGN=0       # sign all the built packages
 OPT_CORES=$(nproc)  # use ALL CPU cores
 
 # parses all the options
-for arg in "$@"; do 
-  case $arg in 
+for arg in "$@"; do
+  case $arg in
     "--help")
       help_cmd
       exit 0
@@ -114,26 +114,26 @@ for arg in "$@"; do
       OPT_NO_DEPEND=1 ;;
     "--no-stdout")
       OPT_NO_STDOUT=1 ;;
-    "--no-cache")   
+    "--no-cache")
       OPT_NO_CACHE=1 ;;
     "--no-opts")
       OPT_NO_OPTS=1 ;;
     "--no-sign")
       OPT_NO_SIGN=1 ;;
-    "--cores"*)      
+    "--cores"*)
       OPT_CORES=$(echo "${arg}" | cut -d "=" -f2) ;;
     --*)
       error "Unknown option: ${arg}"
       exit 1 ;;
-    *)             
-      if [ -z "${TARGET}" ]; then 
+    *)
+      if [ -z "${TARGET}" ]; then
         TARGET="${arg}"
       else
         error "Unknown argument: ${arg}"
         exit 1
       fi
       ;;
-  esac    
+  esac
 done
 
 if [ -z "${TARGET}" ]; then
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ fi
 
 # print the options
 if [ $OPT_NO_OPTS -eq 0 ]; then
-  info    "Running mp-pool with the options:" 
+  info    "Running mp-pool with the options:"
   print   " $BOLD SKIP_FAIL  = $(itoyn $OPT_SKIP_FAIL)"
   print   " $BOLD NO_DEPEND  = $(itoyn $OPT_NO_DEPEND)"
   print   " $BOLD NO_SDTOUT  = $(itoyn $OPT_NO_STDOUT)"
@@ -203,14 +203,14 @@ for pkg in "${srcpath}/"*; do
   info "(${pi}/${pc}) Building \"${package}\""
 
   if [ $OPT_SKIP_FAIL -eq 1 ]; then
-    mp_build_opts "${pkg}"
+    mp_build_opts "${pkg}" "${distpath}"
     if [ $? -ne "0" ]; then
       error "(${pi}/${pc}) Build failed for \"${package}\", skipping"
       pi=$((pi+1))
       continue
     fi
-  else 
-    mp_build_opts "${pkg}"
+  else
+    mp_build_opts "${pkg}" "${distpath}"
     check_ret "(${pi}/${pc}) Build failed for \"${package}\""
   fi
 
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ for pkg in "${srcpath}/"*; do
     mv "${archive}" "${distpath}"
     check_ret "(${pi}/${pc}) Moving package archive failed for \"${package}\""
   fi
-  
+
   success "(${pi}/${pc}) Build was successful for \"${package}\""
   pi=$((pi+1))
 done
@@ -242,8 +242,8 @@ if [ "$OPT_NO_SIGN" -eq 0 ]; then
     check_ret "Failed to sign package archive: \"$(basename "${pkg}")\""
     success "Signed archive: $(basename "${pkg}")"
   done
- 
-  success "Signing process was completed" 
+
+  success "Signing process was completed"
   unset_indent
 fi
 
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ for pkg in "${distpath}/"*".mpf"; do
 done
 
 pushd "${distpath}/list" > /dev/null
-  tar czf "${distpath}/LIST" * 
+  tar czf "${distpath}/LIST" *
   check_ret "(2/2) Failed to create list archive (LIST)"
 popd > /dev/null
 
diff --git a/mtsc-common/common.sh b/mtsc-common/common.sh
index 8d26080..e0053dd 100755
--- a/mtsc-common/common.sh
+++ b/mtsc-common/common.sh
@@ -109,12 +109,20 @@ itoyn() {
   fi
 }
 
-# checks if all the required package vars/functions are set
+# unsets all the pool script vars/functions
+clean_pool_vars() {
+  unset NAME
+  unset MAINTAINER
+  unset PUBKEY
+  unset SRCDIR
+}
+
+# checks if all the required pool script vars/functions are set
 check_pool_vars() {
   if [ ! -n "$NAME" ]; then
     error "Failed to load the pool script"
     set_indent
-    
+
     error "Required pool variable is not set: \"\$NAME\""
     unset_indent
 
@@ -126,9 +134,9 @@ check_pool_vars() {
     error "Required pool variable is not set: \"\$MAINTAINER\""
     unset_indent
 
-    return 1 
+    return 1
   elif [ ! -n "$PUBKEY" ]; then
-    error "Failed to load the pool script" 
+    error "Failed to load the pool script"
     set_indent
 
     error "Required pool variable is not set: \"\$PUBKEY\""
@@ -136,7 +144,7 @@ check_pool_vars() {
 
     return 1
   elif [ ! -n "$SRCDIR" ]; then
-    error "Failed to load the pool script" 
+    error "Failed to load the pool script"
     set_indent
 
     error "Required pool variable is not set: \"\$SRCDIR\""
@@ -144,7 +152,7 @@ check_pool_vars() {
 
     return 1
   fi
-  
+
   case "${NAME}" in
     *" "*)
       error "Pool name contains an invalid character: \" \""
@@ -155,7 +163,20 @@ check_pool_vars() {
   return 0
 }
 
-# checks if all the required package vars/functions are set
+# unsets all the package script vars/functions
+clean_pkg_vars() {
+  unset NAME
+  unset DESC
+  unset VERSION
+  unset FILES
+  unset HASHES
+  unset DEPENDS
+  unset BUILD
+  unset PACKAGE
+  unset INSTALL
+}
+
+# checks if all the required package script vars/functions are set
 check_pkg_vars() {
   if [ ! -n "$NAME" ]; then
     error "Failed to load the package script"