diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8ab3ac7bc..3ba1b0db1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ lib: $(DPDKBUILD)
 app: lib
 test: lib
 examples: lib
+pkgdep:
+	sh ./scripts/pkgdep.sh
 
 $(DIRS-y): mk/cc.mk config.h
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2984a4985..b611e7e5b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -36,43 +36,6 @@ The development kit currently includes:
 well as a [Porting Guide](http://www.spdk.io/doc/porting.html) for porting SPDK to different frameworks
 and operating systems.
 
-<a id="prerequisites"></a>
-## Prerequisites
-
-Note: The requirements for building the docs can take a while to
-install so you may want to skip them unless you need them.
-
-Fedora/CentOS:
-
-~~~{.sh}
-sudo dnf install -y gcc gcc-c++ make CUnit-devel libaio-devel openssl-devel \
-	git astyle-devel python-pep8 lcov python clang-analyzer
-# Additional dependencies for RDMA (NVMe over Fabrics)
-sudo dnf install -y libibverbs-devel librdmacm-devel
-# Additional dependencies for building docs
-sudo dnf install -y doxygen mscgen
-~~~
-
-Ubuntu/Debian:
-
-~~~{.sh}
-sudo apt-get install -y gcc g++ make libcunit1-dev libaio-dev libssl-dev \
-	git astyle pep8 lcov clang
-# Additional dependencies for RDMA (NVMe over Fabrics)
-sudo apt-get install -y libibverbs-dev librdmacm-dev
-# Additional dependencies for building docs
-sudo apt-get install -y doxygen mscgen
-~~~
-
-FreeBSD:
-
-~~~{.sh}
-sudo pkg install gmake cunit openssl git devel/astyle bash devel/pep8 \
-	python
-# Additional dependencies for building docs
-sudo pkg install doxygen mscgen
-~~~
-
 <a id="source"></a>
 ## Source Code
 
@@ -82,6 +45,15 @@ cd spdk
 git submodule update --init
 ~~~
 
+<a id="prerequisites"></a>
+## Prerequisites
+
+The dependencies can be installed automatically by `scripts/pkgdep.sh`.
+
+~~~{.sh}
+./scripts/pkgdep.sh
+~~~
+
 <a id="libraries"></a>
 ## Build
 
diff --git a/scripts/pkgdep.sh b/scripts/pkgdep.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..ab02564d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/pkgdep.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Please run this script as root.
+
+SYSTEM=`uname -s`
+
+if [ -s /etc/redhat-release ]; then
+	# Includes Fedora, CentOS
+	if [ -f /etc/centos-release ]; then
+		# Add EPEL repository for CUnit-devel
+		yum --enablerepo=extras install -y epel-release
+	fi
+	yum install -y gcc gcc-c++ make CUnit-devel libaio-devel openssl-devel \
+		git astyle-devel python-pep8 lcov python clang-analyzer
+	# Additional dependencies for NVMe over Fabrics
+	yum install -y libibverbs-devel librdmacm-devel
+	# Additional dependencies for building docs
+	yum install -y doxygen mscgen
+elif [ -f /etc/debian_version ]; then
+	# Includes Ubuntu, Debian
+	apt-get install -y gcc g++ make libcunit1-dev libaio-dev libssl-dev \
+		git astyle pep8 lcov clang
+	# Additional dependencies for NVMe over Fabrics
+	apt-get install -y libibverbs-dev librdmacm-dev
+	# Additional dependencies for building docs
+	apt-get install -y doxygen mscgen
+elif [ $SYSTEM = "FreeBSD" ] ; then
+	pkg install gmake cunit openssl git devel/astyle bash devel/pep8 \
+		python
+	# Additional dependencies for building docs
+	pkg install doxygen mscgen
+else
+	echo "pkgdep: unknown system type."
+	exit 1
+fi
diff --git a/scripts/vagrant/build.sh b/scripts/vagrant/build.sh
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index e2281abc5..7ac0162c4
--- a/scripts/vagrant/build.sh
+++ b/scripts/vagrant/build.sh
@@ -32,15 +32,8 @@ echo DISTRIB_RELEASE: $DISTRIB_RELEASE
 echo DISTRIB_CODENAME: $DISTRIB_CODENAME
 echo DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION: $DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION
 
-if [ -f /etc/lsb-release ]; then
-    apt-get install -y gcc g++ make libcunit1-dev libaio-dev libssl-dev
-elif [ -f /etc/redhat-release ]; then
-    # Add EPEL repository for CUnit-devel
-    yum --enablerepo=extras install -y epel-release
-    yum install -y gcc gcc-c++ CUnit-devel libaio-devel openssl-devel
-fi
-
 cd $SPDK_DIR
+$SUDOCMD ./scripts/pkgdep.sh
 $SUDOCMD ./configure --enable-debug
 $SUDOCMD make clean
 $SUDOCMD make -j2