diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 265cf0a7b..439e2bf6d 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ endif
 CLEANFILES += flake8-check
 
 -include manpages.mk
-manpages.mk: $(MAN_ROOTS) build-aux/sodepends.py python/build/soutil.py
+manpages.mk: $(MAN_ROOTS) build-aux/sodepends.py python/ovs_build_helpers/soutil.py
 	@PYTHONPATH=$$PYTHONPATH$(psep)$(srcdir)/python $(PYTHON3) $(srcdir)/build-aux/sodepends.py -I. -I$(srcdir) $(MAN_ROOTS) >$(@F).tmp
 	@if cmp -s $(@F).tmp $@; then \
 	  touch $@; \
diff --git a/build-aux/extract-ofp-fields b/build-aux/extract-ofp-fields
index 6366bd446..05d3e1df3 100755
--- a/build-aux/extract-ofp-fields
+++ b/build-aux/extract-ofp-fields
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ import getopt
 import sys
 import os.path
 import xml.dom.minidom
-import build.nroff
 
-from build.extract_ofp_fields import (
+from ovs_build_helpers import nroff
+from ovs_build_helpers.extract_ofp_fields import (
     extract_ofp_fields,
     PREREQS,
     OXM_CLASSES,
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ l lx.
     body += [".TE\n"]
 
     body += [".PP\n"]
-    body += [build.nroff.block_xml_to_nroff(field_node.childNodes)]
+    body += [nroff.block_xml_to_nroff(field_node.childNodes)]
 
 
 def group_xml_to_nroff(group_node, fields):
@@ -310,11 +310,11 @@ def group_xml_to_nroff(group_node, fields):
             id_ = node.attributes["id"].nodeValue
             field_to_xml(node, fields[id_], body, summary)
         else:
-            body += [build.nroff.block_xml_to_nroff([node])]
+            body += [nroff.block_xml_to_nroff([node])]
 
     content = [
         ".bp\n",
-        '.SH "%s"\n' % build.nroff.text_to_nroff(title.upper() + " FIELDS"),
+        '.SH "%s"\n' % nroff.text_to_nroff(title.upper() + " FIELDS"),
         '.SS "Summary:"\n',
         ".TS\n",
         "tab(;),nowarn;\n",
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ ovs\-fields \- protocol header fields in OpenFlow and Open vSwitch
         elif node.nodeType == node.COMMENT_NODE:
             pass
         else:
-            s += build.nroff.block_xml_to_nroff([node])
+            s += nroff.block_xml_to_nroff([node])
 
     for f in fields:
         if "used" not in f:
diff --git a/build-aux/gen_ofp_field_decoders b/build-aux/gen_ofp_field_decoders
index 0b797ee8c..0cb6108c2 100755
--- a/build-aux/gen_ofp_field_decoders
+++ b/build-aux/gen_ofp_field_decoders
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import argparse
 
-import build.extract_ofp_fields as extract_fields
+from ovs_build_helpers.extract_ofp_fields import extract_ofp_fields
 
 
 def main():
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ def main():
 
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
-    fields = extract_fields.extract_ofp_fields(args.metaflow)
+    fields = extract_ofp_fields(args.metaflow)
 
     field_decoders = {}
     aliases = {}
diff --git a/build-aux/sodepends.py b/build-aux/sodepends.py
index 45812bcbd..ac8dd61a4 100755
--- a/build-aux/sodepends.py
+++ b/build-aux/sodepends.py
@@ -14,9 +14,10 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-from build import soutil
 import sys
 
+from ovs_build_helpers import soutil
+
 
 def sodepends(include_dirs, filenames, dst):
     ok = True
diff --git a/build-aux/soexpand.py b/build-aux/soexpand.py
index 00adcf47a..7d4dc0486 100755
--- a/build-aux/soexpand.py
+++ b/build-aux/soexpand.py
@@ -14,9 +14,10 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-from build import soutil
 import sys
 
+from ovs_build_helpers import soutil
+
 
 def soexpand(include_dirs, src, dst):
     ok = True
diff --git a/build-aux/xml2nroff b/build-aux/xml2nroff
index ee5553f45..3e937910b 100755
--- a/build-aux/xml2nroff
+++ b/build-aux/xml2nroff
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import getopt
 import sys
 import xml.dom.minidom
 
-import build.nroff
+from ovs_build_helpers import nroff
 
 argv0 = sys.argv[0]
 
@@ -90,10 +90,10 @@ def manpage_to_nroff(xml_file, subst, include_path, version=None):
 .  I "\\$1"
 .  RE
 ..
-''' % (build.nroff.text_to_nroff(program), build.nroff.text_to_nroff(section),
-       build.nroff.text_to_nroff(title), build.nroff.text_to_nroff(version))
+''' % (nroff.text_to_nroff(program), nroff.text_to_nroff(section),
+       nroff.text_to_nroff(title), nroff.text_to_nroff(version))
 
-    s += build.nroff.block_xml_to_nroff(doc.childNodes) + "\n"
+    s += nroff.block_xml_to_nroff(doc.childNodes) + "\n"
 
     return s
 
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
 
     try:
         s = manpage_to_nroff(args[0], subst, include_path, version)
-    except build.nroff.error.Error as e:
+    except nroff.error.Error as e:
         sys.stderr.write("%s: %s\n" % (argv0, e.msg))
         sys.exit(1)
     for line in s.splitlines():
diff --git a/ovsdb/ovsdb-doc b/ovsdb/ovsdb-doc
index 10d0c0c13..099770d25 100755
--- a/ovsdb/ovsdb-doc
+++ b/ovsdb/ovsdb-doc
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import ovs.json
 from ovs.db import error
 import ovs.db.schema
 
-from build.nroff import *
+from ovs_build_helpers.nroff import *
 
 argv0 = sys.argv[0]
 
diff --git a/python/automake.mk b/python/automake.mk
index 82a508787..6c7ac84b9 100644
--- a/python/automake.mk
+++ b/python/automake.mk
@@ -66,10 +66,10 @@ ovs_pytests = \
 # These python files are used at build time but not runtime,
 # so they are not installed.
 EXTRA_DIST += \
-	python/build/__init__.py \
-	python/build/extract_ofp_fields.py \
-	python/build/nroff.py \
-	python/build/soutil.py
+	python/ovs_build_helpers/__init__.py \
+	python/ovs_build_helpers/extract_ofp_fields.py \
+	python/ovs_build_helpers/nroff.py \
+	python/ovs_build_helpers/soutil.py
 
 # PyPI support.
 EXTRA_DIST += \
@@ -88,10 +88,10 @@ PYCOV_CLEAN_FILES += $(PYFILES:.py=.py,cover)
 
 FLAKE8_PYFILES += \
 	$(filter-out python/ovs/compat/% python/ovs/dirs.py,$(PYFILES)) \
-	python/build/__init__.py \
-	python/build/extract_ofp_fields.py \
-	python/build/nroff.py \
-	python/build/soutil.py \
+	python/ovs_build_helpers/__init__.py \
+	python/ovs_build_helpers/extract_ofp_fields.py \
+	python/ovs_build_helpers/nroff.py \
+	python/ovs_build_helpers/soutil.py \
 	python/ovs/dirs.py.template \
 	python/setup.py
 
diff --git a/python/build/__init__.py b/python/ovs_build_helpers/__init__.py
similarity index 100%
rename from python/build/__init__.py
rename to python/ovs_build_helpers/__init__.py
diff --git a/python/build/extract_ofp_fields.py b/python/ovs_build_helpers/extract_ofp_fields.py
similarity index 100%
rename from python/build/extract_ofp_fields.py
rename to python/ovs_build_helpers/extract_ofp_fields.py
diff --git a/python/build/nroff.py b/python/ovs_build_helpers/nroff.py
similarity index 100%
rename from python/build/nroff.py
rename to python/ovs_build_helpers/nroff.py
diff --git a/python/build/soutil.py b/python/ovs_build_helpers/soutil.py
similarity index 100%
rename from python/build/soutil.py
rename to python/ovs_build_helpers/soutil.py