diff --git a/common/CMakeLists.txt b/common/CMakeLists.txt
index 034fa552dd..210f7545a9 100644
--- a/common/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/common/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -328,7 +328,6 @@ set( PCB_COMMON_SRCS
     base_screen.cpp
     eda_text.cpp
     class_page_info.cpp
-    pcbcommon.cpp
     lset.cpp
     footprint_info.cpp
     ../pcbnew/basepcbframe.cpp
diff --git a/common/pcbcommon.cpp b/common/pcbcommon.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 02c9d9ea97..0000000000
--- a/common/pcbcommon.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,73 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * This program source code file is part of KiCad, a free EDA CAD application.
- *
- * Copyright (C) 2008 Wayne Stambaugh <stambaughw@verizon.net>
- * Copyright (C) 1992-2008 KiCad Developers, see change_log.txt for contributors.
- *
- * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
- * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
- * as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
- * of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
- *
- * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
- * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
- * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
- * GNU General Public License for more details.
- *
- * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
- * along with this program; if not, you may find one here:
- * http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html
- * or you may search the http://www.gnu.org website for the version 2 license,
- * or you may write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
- * 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA
- */
-
-/*
- * This file contains some functions used in the PCB
- * applications Pcbnew and CvPcb.
- */
-
-#include <fctsys.h>
-#include <pgm_base.h>
-#include <kiface_i.h>
-
-#include <pcbcommon.h>
-#include <class_board.h>
-
-
-wxString LayerMaskDescribe( const BOARD *aBoard, LSET aMask )
-{
-    // Try the single or no- layer case (easy)
-    LAYER_ID layer = aMask.ExtractLayer();
-
-    switch( (int) layer )
-    {
-    case UNSELECTED_LAYER:
-        return _( "No layers" );
-
-    case UNDEFINED_LAYER:
-        break;
-
-    default:
-        return aBoard->GetLayerName( layer );
-    }
-
-    // Try to be smart and useful, starting with outer copper
-    // (which are more important than internal ones)
-    wxString layerInfo;
-
-    if( aMask[F_Cu] )
-        AccumulateDescription( layerInfo, aBoard->GetLayerName( F_Cu ) );
-
-    if( aMask[B_Cu] )
-        AccumulateDescription( layerInfo, aBoard->GetLayerName( B_Cu ) );
-
-    if( ( aMask & LSET::InternalCuMask() ).any() )
-        AccumulateDescription( layerInfo, _("Internal" ) );
-
-    if( ( aMask & LSET::AllNonCuMask() ).any() )
-        AccumulateDescription( layerInfo, _("Non-copper" ) );
-
-    return layerInfo;
-}
-
diff --git a/cvpcb/class_DisplayFootprintsFrame.cpp b/cvpcb/class_DisplayFootprintsFrame.cpp
index 50706ecb58..3888361e4a 100644
--- a/cvpcb/class_DisplayFootprintsFrame.cpp
+++ b/cvpcb/class_DisplayFootprintsFrame.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /*
  * This program source code file is part of KiCad, a free EDA CAD application.
  *
- * Copyright (C) 2015 Jean-Pierre Charras, jp.charras at wanadoo.fr
+ * Copyright (C) 2016 Jean-Pierre Charras, jp.charras at wanadoo.fr
  * Copyright (C) 2015-2016 Wayne Stambaugh <stambaughw@verizon.net>
  * Copyright (C) 2007-2016 KiCad Developers, see AUTHORS.txt for contributors.
  *
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
  */
 
 #include <fctsys.h>
-#include <pgm_base.h>
 #include <common.h>
 #include <class_drawpanel.h>
 #include <class_draw_panel_gal.h>
@@ -39,7 +38,6 @@
 #include <wildcards_and_files_ext.h>
 #include <lib_id.h>
 #include <fp_lib_table.h>
-#include <pcbcommon.h>
 
 #include <io_mgr.h>
 #include <class_module.h>
diff --git a/cvpcb/cvpcb.cpp b/cvpcb/cvpcb.cpp
index b40dc0137d..c7a98aa034 100644
--- a/cvpcb/cvpcb.cpp
+++ b/cvpcb/cvpcb.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
 #include <pgm_base.h>
 #include <wxstruct.h>
 #include <confirm.h>
-#include <pcbcommon.h>
 
 #include <cvpcb.h>
 #include <zones.h>
diff --git a/include/layers_id_colors_and_visibility.h b/include/layers_id_colors_and_visibility.h
index 42b83c5946..3ac8c90557 100644
--- a/include/layers_id_colors_and_visibility.h
+++ b/include/layers_id_colors_and_visibility.h
@@ -663,12 +663,6 @@ LAYER_ID FlipLayer( LAYER_ID aLayerId, int aCopperLayersCount = 0 );
  */
 LSET FlipLayerMask( LSET aMask, int aCopperLayersCount = 0 );
 
-/**
- * Return a string (to be shown to the user) describing a layer mask.
- * Useful for showing where is a pad, track, entity, etc.
- * The BOARD is needed because layer names are (somewhat) customizable
- */
-wxString LayerMaskDescribe( const BOARD* aBoard, LSET aMask );
 
 /**
  * Returns a netname layer corresponding to the given layer.
diff --git a/include/macros.h b/include/macros.h
index bf81070340..e216dcd327 100644
--- a/include/macros.h
+++ b/include/macros.h
@@ -60,6 +60,16 @@ static inline wxString FROM_UTF8( const char* cstring )
     return line;
 }
 
+
+/// Utility to build comma separated lists in messages
+inline void AccumulateDescription( wxString &aDesc, const wxString &aItem )
+{
+    if( !aDesc.IsEmpty() )
+        aDesc << wxT(", ");
+
+    aDesc << aItem;
+}
+
 /**
  * Function GetChars
  * returns a wxChar* to the actual wxChar* data within a wxString, and is
diff --git a/include/pcbcommon.h b/include/pcbcommon.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 7dbb5b6abb..0000000000
--- a/include/pcbcommon.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,42 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * This program source code file is part of KiCad, a free EDA CAD application.
- *
- * Copyright (C) 1992-2014 KiCad Developers, see AUTHORS.txt for contributors.
- *
- * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
- * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
- * as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
- * of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
- *
- * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
- * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
- * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
- * GNU General Public License for more details.
- *
- * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
- * along with this program; if not, you may find one here:
- * http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html
- * or you may search the http://www.gnu.org website for the version 2 license,
- * or you may write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
- * 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA
- */
-
-/**
- * @file pcbcommon.h
- */
-
-#ifndef PCBCOMMON_H_
-#define PCBCOMMON_H_
-
-class PGM_BASE;
-
-
-/// Utility for comma separated lists
-inline void AccumulateDescription( wxString &aDesc, const wxString &aItem )
-{
-    if( !aDesc.IsEmpty() )
-        aDesc << wxT(", ");
-    aDesc << aItem;
-}
-
-#endif  // PCBCOMMON_H_
diff --git a/pcbnew/class_pad.cpp b/pcbnew/class_pad.cpp
index 081e020a46..cab53dbda6 100644
--- a/pcbnew/class_pad.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/class_pad.cpp
@@ -45,6 +45,14 @@
 #include <convert_basic_shapes_to_polygon.h>
 
 
+/**
+ * Helper function
+ * Return a string (to be shown to the user) describing a layer mask.
+ * Useful for showing where is a pad.
+ * The BOARD is needed because layer names are (somewhat) customizable
+ */
+static wxString LayerMaskDescribe( const BOARD* aBoard, LSET aMask );
+
 int D_PAD::m_PadSketchModePenSize = 0;      // Pen size used to draw pads in sketch mode
 
 
@@ -991,3 +999,40 @@ const BOX2I D_PAD::ViewBBox() const
     return BOX2I( VECTOR2I( bbox.GetOrigin() ) - VECTOR2I( xMargin, yMargin ),
                   VECTOR2I( bbox.GetSize() ) + VECTOR2I( 2 * xMargin, 2 * yMargin ) );
 }
+
+
+wxString LayerMaskDescribe( const BOARD *aBoard, LSET aMask )
+{
+    // Try the single or no- layer case (easy)
+    LAYER_ID layer = aMask.ExtractLayer();
+
+    switch( (int) layer )
+    {
+    case UNSELECTED_LAYER:
+        return _( "No layers" );
+
+    case UNDEFINED_LAYER:
+        break;
+
+    default:
+        return aBoard->GetLayerName( layer );
+    }
+
+    // Try to be smart and useful, starting with outer copper
+    // (which are more important than internal ones)
+    wxString layerInfo;
+
+    if( aMask[F_Cu] )
+        AccumulateDescription( layerInfo, aBoard->GetLayerName( F_Cu ) );
+
+    if( aMask[B_Cu] )
+        AccumulateDescription( layerInfo, aBoard->GetLayerName( B_Cu ) );
+
+    if( ( aMask & LSET::InternalCuMask() ).any() )
+        AccumulateDescription( layerInfo, _("Internal" ) );
+
+    if( ( aMask & LSET::AllNonCuMask() ).any() )
+        AccumulateDescription( layerInfo, _("Non-copper" ) );
+
+    return layerInfo;
+}
diff --git a/pcbnew/class_zone.cpp b/pcbnew/class_zone.cpp
index 912f47ace1..0ac7966a05 100644
--- a/pcbnew/class_zone.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/class_zone.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
 #include <class_pcb_screen.h>
 #include <class_drawpanel.h>
 #include <kicad_string.h>
-#include <pcbcommon.h>
 #include <colors_selection.h>
 #include <richio.h>
 #include <macros.h>
diff --git a/pcbnew/dialogs/dialog_pad_properties.cpp b/pcbnew/dialogs/dialog_pad_properties.cpp
index a73eaeb783..cfa50d3e6e 100644
--- a/pcbnew/dialogs/dialog_pad_properties.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/dialogs/dialog_pad_properties.cpp
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@
 #include <confirm.h>
 #include <pcbnew.h>
 #include <wxBasePcbFrame.h>
-#include <pcbcommon.h>
 #include <base_units.h>
 #include <board_commit.h>
 
diff --git a/pcbnew/dialogs/dialog_pad_properties.h b/pcbnew/dialogs/dialog_pad_properties.h
index 09541c8204..74ffac520d 100644
--- a/pcbnew/dialogs/dialog_pad_properties.h
+++ b/pcbnew/dialogs/dialog_pad_properties.h
@@ -32,12 +32,9 @@
 #ifndef _DIALOG_PAD_PROPERTIES_H_
 #define _DIALOG_PAD_PROPERTIES_H_
 
-#include <fctsys.h>
-#include <common.h>
 #include <class_drawpanel.h>
 #include <pcbnew.h>
 #include <wxBasePcbFrame.h>
-#include <pcbcommon.h>
 #include <base_units.h>
 #include <wx/valnum.h>
 
diff --git a/pcbnew/pcbnew.cpp b/pcbnew/pcbnew.cpp
index 5f6189e67b..b760c5b202 100644
--- a/pcbnew/pcbnew.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/pcbnew.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@
 #include <class_drawpanel.h>
 #include <wxPcbStruct.h>
 #include <eda_dde.h>
-#include <pcbcommon.h>
 #include <colors_selection.h>
 #include <wx/stdpaths.h>
 
diff --git a/pcbnew/router/pns_tool_base.cpp b/pcbnew/router/pns_tool_base.cpp
index b4aafec5ae..0f90500d3a 100644
--- a/pcbnew/router/pns_tool_base.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/router/pns_tool_base.cpp
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ using namespace std::placeholders;
 #include <macros.h>
 #include <pcbnew_id.h>
 #include <view/view_controls.h>
-#include <pcbcommon.h>
 #include <pcb_painter.h>
 #include <dialogs/dialog_pns_settings.h>
 #include <dialogs/dialog_pns_diff_pair_dimensions.h>
diff --git a/pcbnew/router/router_tool.cpp b/pcbnew/router/router_tool.cpp
index f3c37b5966..144e2d1617 100644
--- a/pcbnew/router/router_tool.cpp
+++ b/pcbnew/router/router_tool.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ using namespace std::placeholders;
 #include <pcbnew_id.h>
 #include <view/view.h>
 #include <view/view_controls.h>
-#include <pcbcommon.h>
 #include <pcb_painter.h>
 #include <dialogs/dialog_pns_settings.h>
 #include <dialogs/dialog_pns_diff_pair_dimensions.h>