diff --git a/board/aarch64/board.mk b/board/aarch64/board.mk
index 1259825a..d825ceb7 100644
--- a/board/aarch64/board.mk
+++ b/board/aarch64/board.mk
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 
 .PHONY: board-enable-qemu-uboot
 board-enable-qemu-uboot:
-	@echo "Enabling build of QEMU compatible U-Boot"
+	@$(call IXMSG,"Enabling build of QEMU compatible U-Boot")
 	./utils/config --file $(BR2_CONFIG) \
 		--enable PACKAGE_HOST_UBOOT_TOOLS \
 		--enable PACKAGE_HOST_UBOOT_TOOLS_FIT_SUPPORT \
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ board-enable-qemu-uboot:
 
 .PHONY: board-enable-sparx-fit
 board-enable-sparx-fit:
-	@echo "Enabling SparX-5i compatible FIT options"
+	@$(call IXMSG,"Enabling SparX-5i compatible FIT options")
 	@BR2_PREFIX= ./utils/config --file $(BR2_CONFIG) \
 	 	--enable FIT_IMAGE \
 	 	--set-str FIT_KERNEL_LOAD_ADDR "0x7 0x00000000"
diff --git a/board/common/uboot/uboot.mk b/board/common/uboot/uboot.mk
index 35adf6bb..3d8d459a 100644
--- a/board/common/uboot/uboot.mk
+++ b/board/common/uboot/uboot.mk
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 # built in to the final U-Boot image's control DT via the
 # CONFIG_DEVICE_TREE_INCLUDES option (see extras.config).
 define UBOOT_PRE_BUILD_INSTALL_KEY
-	@echo "Installing Infix signing key ($(SIGN_KEY))"
+	@$(call IXMSG,"Installing Infix signing key ($(SIGN_KEY))")
 	$(HOST_DIR)/bin/dtc <(echo '/dts-v1/; / { signature {}; };') >$(@D)/infix-key.dtb
 	$(HOST_DIR)/bin/mkimage \
 		-k $(SIGN_KEY) \
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ endef
 UBOOT_PRE_BUILD_HOOKS += UBOOT_PRE_BUILD_INSTALL_KEY
 
 define UBOOT_PRE_BUILD_INSTALL_ENV
-	@echo "Installing Infix environment extensions"
+	@$(call IXMSG,"Installing Infix environment extensions")
 	cp -f $(BR2_EXTERNAL_INFIX_PATH)/board/common/uboot/env.dtsi \
 		$(@D)/arch/$(UBOOT_ARCH)/dts/infix-env.dtsi
 	cp -af $(BR2_EXTERNAL_INFIX_PATH)/board/common/uboot/scripts \
diff --git a/external.mk b/external.mk
index b9a7cd5d..ca353c2f 100644
--- a/external.mk
+++ b/external.mk
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
+IXMSG = printf "\e[37;44m>>>   $(call qstrip,$(1))\e[0m\n"
+
 include $(sort $(wildcard $(BR2_EXTERNAL_INFIX_PATH)/package/*/*.mk))
 include $(BR2_EXTERNAL_INFIX_PATH)/board/common/common.mk
 -include $(BR2_EXTERNAL_INFIX_PATH)/board/$(patsubst "%",%,$(BR2_ARCH))/board.mk
 
 .PHONY: local.mk
 local.mk:
-	@echo "Installing local override for certain packages ..."
+	@$(call IXMSG,"Installing local override for certain packages")
 	@(cd $O && ln -s $(BR2_EXTERNAL_INFIX_PATH)/local.mk .)
 
 .PHONY: run