diff --git a/scripts/dev/build_release.py b/scripts/dev/build_release.py
index fdc311ed8..4fb5fe18d 100755
--- a/scripts/dev/build_release.py
+++ b/scripts/dev/build_release.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), os.pardir,
 
 import qutebrowser
 from scripts import utils
-from scripts.dev import update_3rdparty
+# from scripts.dev import update_3rdparty
 
 
 def call_script(name, *args, python=sys.executable):
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ def patch_osx_app():
 def build_osx():
     """Build OS X .dmg/.app."""
     utils.print_title("Updating 3rdparty content")
-    update_3rdparty.update_pdfjs()
+    # update_3rdparty.run(ace=False, pdfjs=True, fancy_dmg=False)
     utils.print_title("Building .app via pyinstaller")
     call_tox('pyinstaller', '-r')
     utils.print_title("Patching .app")
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ def patch_windows(out_dir):
 def build_windows():
     """Build windows executables/setups."""
     utils.print_title("Updating 3rdparty content")
-    update_3rdparty.update_pdfjs()
+    # update_3rdparty.run(ace=False, pdfjs=True, fancy_dmg=False)
 
     utils.print_title("Building Windows binaries")
     parts = str(sys.version_info.major), str(sys.version_info.minor)
diff --git a/scripts/dev/update_3rdparty.py b/scripts/dev/update_3rdparty.py
index 6b1800d5d..6fd6810e6 100755
--- a/scripts/dev/update_3rdparty.py
+++ b/scripts/dev/update_3rdparty.py
@@ -110,6 +110,16 @@ def update_ace():
     urllib.request.urlcleanup()
 
 
+def run(ace=False, pdfjs=True, fancy_dmg=False, pdfjs_version=None):
+    """Update components based on the given arguments."""
+    if pdfjs:
+        update_pdfjs(pdfjs_version)
+    if ace:
+        update_ace()
+    if fancy_dmg:
+        update_dmg_makefile()
+
+
 def main():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument(
@@ -120,11 +130,8 @@ def main():
     parser.add_argument('--fancy-dmg', help="Update fancy-dmg Makefile",
                         action='store_true')
     args = parser.parse_args()
-
-    # update_pdfjs(args.pdfjs)
-    update_ace()
-    if args.fancy_dmg:
-        update_dmg_makefile()
+    run(ace=True, pdfjs=True, fancy_dmg=args.fancy_dmg,
+        pdfjs_version=args.pdfjs)
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':