diff --git a/bldpkg b/bldpkg
index 13bb281..e6ac16b 100644
--- a/bldpkg
+++ b/bldpkg
@@ -164,6 +164,12 @@ validatebldfile() {
   elif ! grep -q '^build() {' "$buildfile" ; then
     err "'build()' function does not exist in your build file."
   fi
+
+  if grep -q '^download=' "$buildfile" ; then
+    if ! grep -q '^download=[*p*://]*' "$buildfile" ; then
+      err "Invalid URL in the 'download' variable in the build file."
+    fi
+  fi
 }
 
 # Store the source directory path the build was initiated from 
@@ -565,135 +571,37 @@ else
   export MAKEFLAGS
 fi
   
-validatecompiler() {
 
-  # Function called as: validatecompiler distcc $distccsympath $f
-  if [[ $validatecompilers = 1 ]] ; then
-    compiler="$1"
-    compilerpath="$2"
-    maincompiler="$3"
-    randomnum=$(shuf -i 100-999 -n1)
+checkcompilersymlink() {
+  # Usage: checkcompilersymlink symlink symlink_target
+  symlinkdir="$1"
+  symlinktgt="$2"
 
-    echo "Validating $compiler compiler... "
-
-    cat << EOF > "$parenttmp/$compiler-$maincompiler.c"
-#include <stdio.h>
-int main() {
-  printf("$randomnum\n");
-  return 0;
-}
-EOF
-
-    "$compilerpath/$maincompiler" -o "$parenttmp/$compiler-$maincompiler" "$parenttmp/$compiler-$maincompiler.c"
-
-    binaryoutput=$($parenttmp/$compiler-$maincompiler)
-
-    if [[ $binaryoutput != $randomnum ]] ; then
-      err "FAILED!"
-    fi
-
-    rm "$parenttmp/$compiler-$maincompiler.c" "$parenttmp/$compiler-$maincompiler"
-  fi
-
-}
-
-# Validate all compilers starting with distcc
-# Validate everything related to distcc if globaldistcc is set
-if [[ $globaldistcc = 1 ]] ; then
-  # Check if distcc exists and is an executable
-  if [[ ! -x $distccbinpath ]]; then
-    err "Distcc binary was not found but building with it was requested! 
-Either ensure distcc is in your $PATH or disable its option in bldpkg.conf file."
-
-  # Check if the symlinks are right
-  elif [[ ! $(echo "$PATH" | grep "$distccsympath") ]] ; then
-    err "'$distccsympath' directory not found in your env PATH"
-  elif [[ ! -d $distccsympath ]] ; then 
-    err "'$distccsympath' directory containing symlinks to distcc does not exist! 
-Kindly create it and create symlinks based on instructions in bldpkg.conf!"
-  fi
-     
-  # Trace symlinks to the binary
-  for f in gcc g++ cc c++ ; do 
-    if [[ -e $distccsympath/$f ]] && [[ -L $distccsympath/$f ]]; then
-      # We use "realpath" to follow the $distccsympath/$f symlink and act on the exit code.
-      if [[ $(realpath -e $distccsympath/$f) != $distccbinpath ]] ; then
-        err "'$distccsympath/$f' does not point to '$distccbinpath'. Kindly fix this!"
+  for compiler in gcc g++ cc c++ ; do 
+    if [[ -e $symlinkdir/$compiler ]] && [[ -L $symlinkdir/$compiler ]]; then
+      # We use "realpath" to follow the $ccachesympath/$f symlink and act on the exit code
+      if [[ $(realpath -e $symlinkdir/$compiler) != $symlinktgt ]] ; then
+        err "'$symlinkdir/$compiler' does not point to '$symlinktgt'. Kindly fix this!"
       fi
     else
-      err "Symlink '$f' either does not exist or is not a symlink inside '$distccsympath'. Kindly fix this! "
-      exit 1
+      err "Symlink '$compiler' either does not exist or is not a symlink inside '$symlinkdir'! Kindly fix this!"
     fi
-
-    validatecompiler distcc $distccsympath $f
   done
-
-  # If distcc=0 is set in the package build file to disable distcc, remove the value of $distccsympath from 
-  # $PATH otherwise export DISTCC_HOSTS and DISTCC_IO_TIMEOUT variables.
-  if [[ $distcc = 0 ]] ; then
-    PATH="${PATH//$distccsympath:/}"
-  else
-    # netcat hosts inside $DISTCC_HOSTS by checking for an open port
-    info "Validating distcc hosts..."
-    # Check if we have nc
-    if [[ ! -x /bin/nc ]] ; then
-      warn "nc does not exist! Ignoring this..."
-    else 
-      # Remove the common options along with the slash and the numbers after it
-      hosts=$(echo "$DISTCC_HOSTS" | sed -e 's@/[a-z0-9,]*@@g' -e 's@--randomize@@' -e 's@localhost@@')
-      for host in ${hosts[@]} ; do
-        # We only run distccd on TCP port 3632
-        if ! /bin/nc -z -w 1 "$host" 3632 > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
-          warn "Distcc host '$host' is OFFLINE!
-Rewriting DISTCC_HOSTS"
-          DISTCC_HOSTS=$(echo "$DISTCC_HOSTS" | sed "s@$host/[a-z0-9,]*@@")
-        fi
-      done
-    fi
-
-    export DISTCC_HOSTS DISTCC_IO_TIMEOUT
-  fi
-else
-  # Remove $distccsympath
-  PATH="${PATH//$distccsympath:/}"
-fi
+}
 
 # Validate everything related to ccache if globalccache is set
 if [[ $globalccache = 1 ]]; then
   if [[ ! -x $ccachebinpath ]] ; then
-    err "Ccache binary was not found but building with it was requested! 
-Either ensure ccache is in your $PATH or disable this option in bldpkg.conf."
+    err "Ccache binary was not found globalccache is enabled in bldpkg.conf!"
   fi
 
-  if [[ ! $(echo $PATH | grep $ccachesympath) ]] ; then
-    err "'"$ccachesympath"' directory not found in your env PATH"
-  elif [[ ! -d $ccachesympath ]] ; then 
-    err "'$ccachesympath' directory containing symlinks to ccache does not exist! 
-Kindly create it and create symlinks based on instructions in bldpkg.conf."
+  checkcompilersymlink $ccachesymdirpath $ccachebinpath
+  
+  # Prepare $PATH and export it only if ccache is unset in the pkg build file
+  if [[ -z $ccache ]] ; then
+    PATH="$ccachesymdirpath:$PATH"
+    export PATH
   fi
-
-  for f in gcc g++ cc c++ ; do 
-    if [[ -e $ccachesympath/$f ]] && [[ -L $ccachesympath/$f ]]; then
-      # We use "realpath" to follow the $ccachesympath/$f symlink and act on the exit code
-      if [[ $(realpath -e $ccachesympath/$f) != $ccachebinpath ]] ; then
-        err "'$ccachesympath/$f' does not point to '$ccachebinpath'. Kindly fix this!"
-      fi
-    else
-      err "Symlink '$f' either does not exist or is not a symlink inside '$ccachesympath'! Kindly fix this!"
-    fi
-
-    validatecompiler ccache $ccachesympath $f
-
-  done
-
-  # If ccache=0 is set in the package build file to disable ccache, remove the value of ccachesympath
-  # from $PATH and export it again
-  if [[ $ccache = 0 ]]; then
-    PATH="${PATH//$ccachesympath:/}"
-  fi
-else
-   # Remove $ccachesympath
-    PATH="${PATH//$ccachesympath:/}"
 fi
 
 # Validate everything related to sccache if globalccache is set
@@ -722,6 +630,39 @@ rustc-wrapper = "/bin/sccache"'
   fi
 fi
 
+# Validate everything related to distcc if globaldistcc is set
+if [[ $globaldistcc = 1 ]] ; then
+  # Check if distcc exists and is an executable
+  if [[ ! -x $distccbinpath ]]; then
+    err "Distcc binary was not found but globaldistcc is enabled in bldpkg.conf"
+  fi
+
+  checkcompilersymlink $distccsymdirpath $distccbinpath
+
+  # Prepare $PATH and export DISTCC_HOSTS and DISTCC_IO_TIMEOUT only if distcc is unset in the pkg build file
+  if [[ -z $distcc ]] ; then
+    # netcat hosts inside $DISTCC_HOSTS by checking for an open port
+    info "Validating distcc hosts..."
+    # Check if we have nc
+    if [[ ! -x /bin/nc ]] ; then
+      warn "nc does not exist! Ignoring this..."
+    else 
+      # Remove the common options along with the slash and the numbers after it
+      hosts=$(echo "$DISTCC_HOSTS" | sed -e 's@/[a-z0-9,]*@@g' -e 's@--randomize@@' -e 's@localhost@@')
+      for host in ${hosts[@]} ; do
+        # We only run distccd on TCP port 3632
+        if ! /bin/nc -z -w 1 "$host" 3632 > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
+          warn "Distcc host '$host' is OFFLINE! Rewriting DISTCC_HOSTS"
+          DISTCC_HOSTS=$(echo "$DISTCC_HOSTS" | sed "s@$host/[a-z0-9,]*@@")
+        fi
+      done
+    fi
+    
+    PATH="$distccsymdirpath:$PATH"
+    export DISTCC_HOSTS DISTCC_IO_TIMEOUT PATH
+  fi
+fi
+
 # Apply CPU-specific compiler variables defined inside bldpkg.conf
 # https://github.com/sakaki-/gentoo-on-rpi-64bit/blob/master/reference/compile_run_benchmarks.sh
 # https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=11629
@@ -1046,13 +987,15 @@ EOF
     --show-stored-names | "$compressor" "$compressopts" > "$newpkglocation"
   pkgstatus=$?
 
-  echo ""
+  echo
   info "SMLinux package '$app-$version-$arch-$build.$pkgext' successfully generated in $pkgdest."
 
   # Terminate sccache
   if [[ $globalsccache = 1  ]] ; then
-    info "Terminating sccache"
-    /bin/sccache --stop-server
+    if nc -z -w 1 localhost 4226 > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
+      info "Terminating sccache"
+      $sccachebinpath --stop-server
+    fi
   fi
 
   info "Leaving staging directory $pkg"
@@ -1377,8 +1320,10 @@ interruptoutput() {
 
   # Terminate sccache
   if [[ $globalsccache = 1 ]] ; then
-    info "Terminating sccache"
-    /bin/sccache --stop-server
+    if nc -z -w 1 localhost 4226 > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
+      info "Terminating sccache"
+      $sccachebinpath --stop-server
+    fi
   fi
 
   # If installprompt and extractprompt are set and the prompt is invoked after a successful build, hitting