diff --git a/tools/make.py b/tools/make.py
index e8d5a06d8b..4434931f8e 100644
--- a/tools/make.py
+++ b/tools/make.py
@@ -21,8 +21,7 @@ TEST BUILD & RUN
 import sys
 from time import sleep
 from shutil import copy
-from os.path import join, abspath, dirname, exists
-from distutils.spawn import find_executable
+from os.path import join, abspath, dirname
 
 # Be sure that the tools directory is in the search path
 ROOT = abspath(join(dirname(__file__), ".."))
diff --git a/tools/toolchains/__init__.py b/tools/toolchains/__init__.py
index 92f5f2e1f1..28a485d63a 100644
--- a/tools/toolchains/__init__.py
+++ b/tools/toolchains/__init__.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ from inspect import getmro
 from copy import deepcopy
 from tools.config import Config
 from abc import ABCMeta, abstractmethod
+from distutils.spawn import find_executable
 
 from multiprocessing import Pool, cpu_count
 from tools.utils import run_cmd, mkdir, rel_path, ToolException, NotSupportedException, split_path, compile_worker
@@ -1091,6 +1092,44 @@ class mbedToolchain:
         self.config_processed = True
         return self.config_file
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def generic_check_executable(tool_key, executable_name, levels_up,
+                                 nested_dir=None):
+        """
+        Positional args:
+        tool_key: the key to index TOOLCHAIN_PATHS
+        executable_name: the toolchain's named executable (ex. armcc)
+        levels_up: each toolchain joins the toolchain_path, some
+        variable directories (bin, include), and the executable name,
+        so the TOOLCHAIN_PATH value must be appropriately distanced
+
+        Keyword args:
+        nested_dir: the directory within TOOLCHAIN_PATHS where the executable
+          is found (ex: 'bin' for ARM\bin\armcc (necessary to check for path
+          that will be used by toolchain's compile)
+
+        Returns True if the executable location specified by the user
+        exists and is valid OR the executable can be found on the PATH.
+        Returns False otherwise.
+        """
+        # Search PATH if user did not specify a path or specified path doesn't
+        # exist.
+        if not TOOLCHAIN_PATHS[tool_key] or not exists(TOOLCHAIN_PATHS[tool_key]):
+            exe = find_executable(executable_name)
+            if not exe:
+                return False
+            for level in range(levels_up):
+                # move up the specified number of directories
+                exe = dirname(exe)
+            TOOLCHAIN_PATHS[tool_key] = exe
+        if nested_dir:
+            subdir = join(TOOLCHAIN_PATHS[tool_key], nested_dir,
+                          executable_name)
+        else:
+            subdir = join(TOOLCHAIN_PATHS[tool_key],executable_name)
+        # User could have specified a path that exists but does not contain exe
+        return exists(subdir) or exists(subdir +'.exe')
+
     @abstractmethod
     def get_config_option(self, config_header):
         """Generate the compiler option that forces the inclusion of the configuration
diff --git a/tools/toolchains/arm.py b/tools/toolchains/arm.py
index 26f6441833..7ec6bad145 100644
--- a/tools/toolchains/arm.py
+++ b/tools/toolchains/arm.py
@@ -15,8 +15,7 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 """
 import re
-from os.path import join, dirname, splitext, basename, exists
-from distutils.spawn import find_executable
+from os.path import join, dirname, splitext, basename
 
 from tools.toolchains import mbedToolchain, TOOLCHAIN_PATHS
 from tools.hooks import hook_tool
@@ -47,12 +46,7 @@ class ARM(mbedToolchain):
         """Returns True if the executable (armcc) location specified by the
          user exists OR the executable can be found on the PATH.
          Returns False otherwise."""
-        if not TOOLCHAIN_PATHS["ARM"] or not exists(TOOLCHAIN_PATHS['ARM']):
-            exe = find_executable('armcc')
-            if not exe:
-                return False
-            TOOLCHAIN_PATHS['ARM'] = dirname(dirname(exe))
-        return True
+        return mbedToolchain.generic_check_executable("ARM", 'armcc', 2, 'bin')
 
     def __init__(self, target, options=None, notify=None, macros=None, silent=False, extra_verbose=False):
         mbedToolchain.__init__(self, target, options, notify, macros, silent, extra_verbose=extra_verbose)
diff --git a/tools/toolchains/gcc.py b/tools/toolchains/gcc.py
index fc54c25dae..451711a93d 100644
--- a/tools/toolchains/gcc.py
+++ b/tools/toolchains/gcc.py
@@ -15,8 +15,7 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 """
 import re
-from os.path import join, basename, splitext, dirname, exists
-from distutils.spawn import find_executable
+from os.path import join, basename, splitext
 
 from tools.toolchains import mbedToolchain, TOOLCHAIN_PATHS
 from tools.hooks import hook_tool
@@ -275,12 +274,7 @@ class GCC_ARM(GCC):
         """Returns True if the executable (arm-none-eabi-gcc) location
         specified by the user exists OR the executable can be found on the PATH.
         Returns False otherwise."""
-        if not TOOLCHAIN_PATHS["GCC_ARM"] or not exists(TOOLCHAIN_PATHS['GCC_ARM']):
-            exe = find_executable('arm-none-eabi-gcc')
-            if not exe:
-                return False
-            TOOLCHAIN_PATHS['GCC_ARM'] = dirname(exe)
-        return True
+        return mbedToolchain.generic_check_executable("GCC_ARM", 'arm-none-eabi-gcc', 1)
 
     def __init__(self, target, options=None, notify=None, macros=None, silent=False, extra_verbose=False):
         GCC.__init__(self, target, options, notify, macros, silent, TOOLCHAIN_PATHS['GCC_ARM'], extra_verbose=extra_verbose)
@@ -312,12 +306,7 @@ class GCC_CR(GCC):
         """Returns True if the executable (arm-none-eabi-gcc) location
         specified by the user exists OR the executable can be found on the PATH.
         Returns False otherwise."""
-        if not TOOLCHAIN_PATHS["GCC_CR"] or not exists(TOOLCHAIN_PATHS['GCC_CR']):
-            exe = find_executable('arm-none-eabi-gcc')
-            if not exe:
-                return False
-            TOOLCHAIN_PATHS['GCC_CR'] = dirname(exe)
-        return True
+        return mbedToolchain.generic_check_executable("GCC_CR", 'arm-none-eabi-gcc', 1)
 
     def __init__(self, target, options=None, notify=None, macros=None, silent=False, extra_verbose=False):
         GCC.__init__(self, target, options, notify, macros, silent, TOOLCHAIN_PATHS['GCC_CR'], extra_verbose=extra_verbose)
diff --git a/tools/toolchains/iar.py b/tools/toolchains/iar.py
index 01ac99846d..447761944d 100644
--- a/tools/toolchains/iar.py
+++ b/tools/toolchains/iar.py
@@ -16,8 +16,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 """
 import re
 from os import remove
-from os.path import join, exists, dirname, splitext, exists
-from distutils.spawn import find_executable
+from os.path import join, splitext
 
 from tools.toolchains import mbedToolchain, TOOLCHAIN_PATHS
 from tools.hooks import hook_tool
@@ -50,12 +49,7 @@ class IAR(mbedToolchain):
         """Returns True if the executable (arm-none-eabi-gcc) location
         specified by the user exists OR the executable can be found on the PATH.
         Returns False otherwise."""
-        if not TOOLCHAIN_PATHS["IAR"] or not exists(TOOLCHAIN_PATHS['IAR']):
-            exe = find_executable('iccarm')
-            if not exe:
-                return False
-            TOOLCHAIN_PATHS['IAR'] = dirname(dirname(exe))
-        return True
+        return mbedToolchain.generic_check_executable("IAR", 'iccarm', 2, "bin")
 
     def __init__(self, target, options=None, notify=None, macros=None, silent=False, extra_verbose=False):
         mbedToolchain.__init__(self, target, options, notify, macros, silent, extra_verbose=extra_verbose)