diff --git a/common.hocon b/common.hocon
index 207354e00989..5f371cc2d853 100644
--- a/common.hocon
+++ b/common.hocon
@@ -42,39 +42,17 @@ labsjdk-ee-15 :      { downloads : { JAVA_HOME : ${jdks.labsjdk-ee-15} }}
 labsjdk-ce-15Debug : { downloads : { JAVA_HOME : ${jdks.labsjdk-ce-15Debug} }}
 labsjdk-ee-15Debug : { downloads : { JAVA_HOME : ${jdks.labsjdk-ee-15Debug} }}
 
-common : ${mx} {
-  timelimit : "30:00"
-  environment : {
-    MX_PYTHON: "python3"
-  }
+common : ${mx} ${deps.common} {
   catch_files : [
     "Graal diagnostic output saved in (?P<filename>.+\.zip)"
   ]
-  packages : {
-    "pip:logilab-common ": "==1.4.4"
-    "pip:pylint" : "==1.9.3"
-    "pip:ninja_syntax" : "==1.7.2"
-  }
 }
 
-linux : ${common} {
-  packages : {
-    git : ">=1.8.3"
-    mercurial : ">=2.2"
-    "apache/ant": ">=1.9.4"
-  }
-}
+linux : ${common} ${deps.linux}
 
-darwin : ${common} {
-  environment : {
-    # Required to keep pylint happy on Darwin
-    # https://coderwall.com/p/-k_93g/mac-os-x-valueerror-unknown-locale-utf-8-in-python
-    LC_ALL : "en_US.UTF-8"
-  }
-}
+darwin : ${common} ${deps.darwin}
 
-windows : ${common} {
-}
+windows : ${common} ${deps.windows}
 
 linux-amd64 : ${linux} {
   capabilities : [linux, amd64]
@@ -96,20 +74,9 @@ DEFAULT_HEAP_SIZE : "8G"
 LARGE_HEAP_SIZE : "31G"
 LARGE_YOUNG_GEN_SIZE : "27G"
 
-eclipse : {
-  downloads : {
-    ECLIPSE : {name: eclipse, version: "4.14.0", platformspecific: true}
-  }
-  environment : {
-    ECLIPSE_EXE : "$ECLIPSE/eclipse"
-  }
-}
+eclipse : ${downloads.eclipse}
 
-jdt : {
-  downloads : {
-    JDT : {name: ecj, version: "4.14.0", platformspecific: false}
-  }
-}
+jdt : ${downloads.jdt}
 
 # for cases where a maven package is not easily accessible
 maven-download-unix : {
diff --git a/common.json b/common.json
index ae2428a0df07..2466ca65fb7d 100644
--- a/common.json
+++ b/common.json
@@ -25,7 +25,62 @@
       "windows-jdk11":      { "packages" : { "devkit:VS2017-15.9.24+1" : "==0" }},
       "windows-jdk15":      { "packages" : { "devkit:VS2019-16.5.3+1"  : "==0" }}
   },
+  "deps": {
+    "common": {
+      "timelimit": "30:00",
+      "environment": {
+        "MX_PYTHON": "python3"
+      },
+      "packages": {
+        "pip:logilab-common ": "==1.4.4",
+        "pip:pylint": "==1.9.3",
+        "pip:ninja_syntax": "==1.7.2"
+      }
+    },
 
+    "linux": {
+      "packages": {
+        "git": ">=1.8.3",
+        "mercurial": ">=2.2",
+        "apache/ant": ">=1.9.4"
+      }
+    },
+    "COMMENT.darwin": [
+      "Required to keep pylint happy on Darwin",
+      "https://coderwall.com/p/-k_93g/mac-os-x-valueerror-unknown-locale-utf-8-in-python"
+    ],
+    "darwin": {
+      "environment": {
+        "LC_ALL": "en_US.UTF-8"
+      }
+    },
+    "windows": {
+    }
+
+  },
+  "downloads": {
+    "eclipse": {
+      "downloads": {
+        "ECLIPSE": {
+          "name": "eclipse",
+          "version": "4.14.0",
+          "platformspecific": true
+        }
+      },
+      "environment": {
+        "ECLIPSE_EXE": "$ECLIPSE/eclipse"
+      }
+    },
+    "jdt": {
+      "downloads": {
+        "JDT": {
+          "name": "ecj",
+          "version": "4.14.0",
+          "platformspecific": false
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  },
   "sulong": {
     "deps": {
       "linux": {