diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/__init__.py b/lib/spack/spack/__init__.py
index 3051d3f7427..0ba42bbbfcd 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/__init__.py
@@ -188,3 +188,6 @@
 import spack.util.executable
 from spack.util.executable import *
 __all__ += spack.util.executable.__all__
+
+from spack.package import install_dependency_symlinks, flatten_dependencies, DependencyConflictError
+__all__ += ['install_dependency_symlinks', 'flatten_dependencies', 'DependencyConflictError']
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/package.py b/lib/spack/spack/package.py
index 291056a7b93..b488e4c49db 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/package.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/package.py
@@ -1243,6 +1243,27 @@ def rpath_args(self):
         return " ".join("-Wl,-rpath,%s" % p for p in self.rpath)
 
 
+def install_dependency_symlinks(pkg, spec, prefix):
+    """Execute a dummy install and flatten dependencies"""
+    flatten_dependencies(spec, prefix)
+
+def flatten_dependencies(spec, flat_dir):
+    """Make each dependency of spec present in dir via symlink."""
+    for dep in spec.traverse(root=False):
+        name = dep.name
+
+        dep_path = spack.install_layout.path_for_spec(dep)
+        dep_files = LinkTree(dep_path)
+
+        os.mkdir(flat_dir+'/'+name)
+
+        conflict = dep_files.find_conflict(flat_dir+'/'+name)
+        if conflict:
+            raise DependencyConflictError(conflict)
+
+        dep_files.merge(flat_dir+'/'+name)
+
+
 def validate_package_url(url_string):
     """Determine whether spack can handle a particular URL or not."""
     url = urlparse(url_string)
@@ -1380,3 +1401,11 @@ def __init__(self, path):
 class ActivationError(ExtensionError):
     def __init__(self, msg, long_msg=None):
         super(ActivationError, self).__init__(msg, long_msg)
+
+
+class DependencyConflictError(spack.error.SpackError):
+    """Raised when the dependencies cannot be flattened as asked for."""
+    def __init__(self, conflict):
+        super(DependencyConflictError, self).__init__(
+            "%s conflicts with another file in the flattened directory." %(
+                conflict))