diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e08573fb2f..534bdd283a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ common/.dirstamp
 /cppcheck*.xml
 /.ci*.log
 /.ci*.log.*
+.dirstamp
 
 # Python precompiled files
 __pycache__/
diff --git a/tests/.gitignore b/tests/.gitignore
index b7a2de42f9..cdee50ce56 100644
--- a/tests/.gitignore
+++ b/tests/.gitignore
@@ -9,3 +9,4 @@
 /getvaluetest
 /getvaluetest.log
 /getvaluetest.trs
+/hidparser.c
diff --git a/tools/nut-scanner/.gitignore b/tools/nut-scanner/.gitignore
index bf1ab545d2..393712ae49 100644
--- a/tools/nut-scanner/.gitignore
+++ b/tools/nut-scanner/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 /nut-scanner
 /nutscan-snmp.h
 /nutscan-usb.h
+/serial.c
+/bcmxcp_ser.c
diff --git a/tools/nut-scanner/Makefile.am b/tools/nut-scanner/Makefile.am
index 32ccb12fe9..632f2c5ba3 100644
--- a/tools/nut-scanner/Makefile.am
+++ b/tools/nut-scanner/Makefile.am
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ $(top_builddir)/common/libcommon.la:
 # 'dist', and is only required for actual build, in which case
 # BUILT_SOURCES (in ../include) will ensure nut_version.h will
 # be built before anything else
-common.c nut-scanner.c: $(top_builddir)/include/nut_version.h
+nut-scanner.c: $(top_builddir)/include/nut_version.h
 
 LINKED_SOURCE_FILES =
 
@@ -37,14 +37,6 @@ LINKED_SOURCE_FILES += $(builddir)/bcmxcp_ser.c
 $(builddir)/bcmxcp_ser.c: $(top_srcdir)/drivers/bcmxcp_ser.c
 	test -s "$@" || ln -s -f "$(top_srcdir)/drivers/bcmxcp_ser.c" "$@"
 
-LINKED_SOURCE_FILES += $(builddir)/common.c
-$(builddir)/common.c: $(top_srcdir)/common/common.c
-	test -s "$@" || ln -s -f "$(top_srcdir)/common/common.c" "$@"
-
-LINKED_SOURCE_FILES += $(builddir)/str.c
-$(builddir)/str.c: $(top_srcdir)/common/str.c
-	test -s "$@" || ln -s -f "$(top_srcdir)/common/str.c" "$@"
-
 CLEANFILES += $(LINKED_SOURCE_FILES)
 BUILT_SOURCES += $(LINKED_SOURCE_FILES)
 
@@ -62,6 +54,7 @@ libnutscan_la_SOURCES = scan_nut.c scan_ipmi.c \
 			scan_avahi.c scan_eaton_serial.c nutscan-serial.c
 nodist_libnutscan_la_SOURCES = $(LINKED_SOURCE_FILES)
 libnutscan_la_LIBADD = $(NETLIBS) $(LIBLTDL_LIBS)
+libnutscan_la_LIBADD += $(top_builddir)/common/libcommonclient.la
 #
 # Below we set API versions of public libraries
 # http://www.gnu.org/software/libtool/manual/html_node/Updating-version-info.html
@@ -69,12 +62,22 @@ libnutscan_la_LIBADD = $(NETLIBS) $(LIBLTDL_LIBS)
 # object .so names would differ)
 #
 # libnutscan version information
-libnutscan_la_LDFLAGS = $(SERLIBS) -version-info 1:0:0 -export-symbols-regex ^nutscan_
+libnutscan_la_LDFLAGS = $(SERLIBS) -version-info 1:0:0
+# libnutscan exported symbols regex
+# WARNING: Since the library includes parts of libcommon (as much as needed
+# e.g. for logging or string manipulations), we export a few symbols from
+# those too. This may cause issues for (third-party) code development that
+# would use both libnutscan and libcommon or similar libs. Here we did have
+# a problem with nut-scanner using two copies of common.c and conflicting
+# copies of "nut_debug_level" making fun of our debug-logging attempts.
+# One solution to tackle if needed for those cases would be to make some
+# dynamic/shared libnutcommon (etc.)
+libnutscan_la_LDFLAGS += -export-symbols-regex '^(nutscan_|nut_debug_level|s_upsdebugx)'
 libnutscan_la_CFLAGS = -I$(top_srcdir)/clients -I$(top_srcdir)/include $(LIBLTDL_CFLAGS) -I$(top_srcdir)/drivers
 
 nut_scanner_SOURCES = nut-scanner.c
 nut_scanner_CFLAGS = -I$(top_srcdir)/clients -I$(top_srcdir)/include
-nut_scanner_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/common/libcommon.la libnutscan.la
+nut_scanner_LDADD = libnutscan.la
 
 if WITH_SSL
   libnutscan_la_CFLAGS += $(LIBSSL_CFLAGS)