diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c94aeb428..e6a125f9e 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ Thumbs.db
 #######################
 /build/
 /cmake/postinst
+/third_party/libosmium/tmp/
 
 # Eclipse related files #
 #########################
diff --git a/scripts/build_osmium_tools.sh b/scripts/build_osmium_tools.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..81777ec39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/build_osmium_tools.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# Builds command line tools shipped with libosmium for example osmium_convert
+# CMake build directory is build/osmium; binaries are located under build/osmium/examples
+
+
+# e: exit on first error, x: print commands
+set -ex
+
+BUILD_DIR=build/osmium
+
+cmake -E remove_directory $BUILD_DIR
+cmake -E make_directory $BUILD_DIR
+cmake -E chdir $BUILD_DIR cmake ../../third_party/libosmium -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DBUILD_EXAMPLES=1 -DBUILD_TESTING=0
+cmake -E chdir $BUILD_DIR cmake --build .