diff --git a/tools/as_utils.py b/tools/as_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1eaa206
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/as_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# Copyright (c) 2018, the R8 project authors. Please see the AUTHORS file
+# for details. All rights reserved. Use of this source code is governed by a
+# BSD-style license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+from distutils.version import LooseVersion
+import os
+
+import utils
+
+def add_r8_dependency(checkout_dir):
+  build_file = os.path.join(checkout_dir, 'build.gradle')
+  assert os.path.isfile(build_file), 'Expected a file to be present at {}'.format(build_file)
+
+  with open(build_file) as f:
+    lines = f.readlines()
+
+  added_r8_dependency = False
+  is_inside_dependencies = False
+
+  with open(build_file, 'w') as f:
+    gradle_version = None
+    for line in lines:
+      stripped = line.strip()
+      if stripped == 'dependencies {':
+        assert not is_inside_dependencies, 'Unexpected line with \'dependencies {\''
+        is_inside_dependencies = True
+      if is_inside_dependencies:
+        if utils.R8_JAR in stripped:
+          added_r8_dependency = True
+        elif 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:' in stripped:
+          gradle_version = stripped[stripped.rindex(':')+1:-1]
+          if not added_r8_dependency:
+            indent = ''.ljust(line.index('classpath'))
+            f.write('{}classpath files(\'{}\')\n'.format(indent, utils.R8_JAR))
+            added_r8_dependency = True
+        elif stripped == '}':
+          is_inside_dependencies = False
+      f.write(line)
+
+  assert added_r8_dependency, 'Unable to add R8 as a dependency'
+  assert gradle_version
+  assert LooseVersion(gradle_version) >= LooseVersion('3.2'), (
+      'Unsupported gradle version: {} (must use at least gradle '
+          + 'version 3.2)').format(gradle_version)
+
+def remove_r8_dependency(checkout_dir):
+  build_file = os.path.join(checkout_dir, 'build.gradle')
+  assert os.path.isfile(build_file), 'Expected a file to be present at {}'.format(build_file)
+  with open(build_file) as f:
+    lines = f.readlines()
+  with open(build_file, 'w') as f:
+    for line in lines:
+      if utils.R8_JAR not in line:
+        f.write(line)