diff --git a/tools/export/uvision4.py b/tools/export/uvision4.py
index 1bc41e46a9..02c630f26d 100644
--- a/tools/export/uvision4.py
+++ b/tools/export/uvision4.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ from project_generator_definitions.definitions import ProGenDef
 
 from tools.export.exporters import Exporter, ExporterTargetsProperty
 from tools.targets import TARGET_MAP, TARGET_NAMES
+from tools.utils import remove_if_in
 
 # If you wish to add a new target, add it to project_generator_definitions, and then
 # define progen_target name in the target class (`` self.progen_target = 'my_target_name' ``)
@@ -87,11 +88,11 @@ class Uvision4(Exporter):
                                                    + self.flags['c_flags']
                                                    + self.flags['cxx_flags']))
         # not compatible with c99 flag set in the template
-        project_data['misc']['c_flags'].remove("--c99")
+        remove_if_in(project_data['misc']['c_flags'], "--c99")
         # cpp is not required as it's implicit for cpp files
-        project_data['misc']['c_flags'].remove("--cpp")
+        remove_if_in(project_data['misc']['c_flags'], "--cpp")
         # we want no-vla for only cxx, but it's also applied for C in IDE, thus we remove it
-        project_data['misc']['c_flags'].remove("--no_vla")
+        remove_if_in(project_data['misc']['c_flags'], "--no_vla")
         project_data['misc']['ld_flags'] = self.flags['ld_flags']
 
         project_data['build_dir'] = project_data['build_dir'] + '\\' + 'uvision4'
diff --git a/tools/export/uvision5.py b/tools/export/uvision5.py
index ab04ffd9dd..5b4a6756e0 100644
--- a/tools/export/uvision5.py
+++ b/tools/export/uvision5.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ from project_generator_definitions.definitions import ProGenDef
 
 from tools.export.exporters import Exporter, ExporterTargetsProperty
 from tools.targets import TARGET_MAP, TARGET_NAMES
+from tools.utils import remove_if_in
 
 # If you wish to add a new target, add it to project_generator_definitions, and then
 # define progen_target name in the target class (`` self.progen_target = 'my_target_name' ``)
@@ -83,14 +84,12 @@ class Uvision5(Exporter):
                                                    + self.flags['c_flags']
                                                    + self.flags['cxx_flags']))
         # not compatible with c99 flag set in the template
-        try:project_data['misc']['c_flags'].remove("--c99")
-        except ValueError: pass
+        remove_if_in(project_data['misc']['c_flags'], "--c99")
         # cpp is not required as it's implicit for cpp files
-        try:project_data['misc']['c_flags'].remove("--cpp")
-        except ValueError: pass
-        # we want no-vla for only cxx, but it's also applied for C in IDE, thus we remove it=
-        try:project_data['misc']['c_flags'].remove("--no_vla")
-        except ValueError: pass
+        remove_if_in(project_data['misc']['c_flags'], "--cpp")
+        # we want no-vla for only cxx, but it's also applied for C in IDE, thus we remove it
+        remove_if_in(project_data['misc']['c_flags'], "--no_vla")
+        # not compatible with c99 flag set in the template
         project_data['misc']['ld_flags'] = self.flags['ld_flags']
 
         i = 0
diff --git a/tools/utils.py b/tools/utils.py
index b250491dc0..9ad74de63d 100644
--- a/tools/utils.py
+++ b/tools/utils.py
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ import json
 from collections import OrderedDict
 import logging
 
+def remove_if_in(lst, thing):
+    if thing in lst:
+        lst.remove(thing)
+
 def compile_worker(job):
     """Standard task runner used for compiling