diff --git a/build-crosstool-ng b/build-crosstool-ng
index 6e81021..af40db3 100755
--- a/build-crosstool-ng
+++ b/build-crosstool-ng
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ Build crosstool-NG with Newlib for bare metal compilation
                 'defconfig', LF,
             ],
         )
-        os.unlink(defconfig_dest)
+        self.sh.rmrf(defconfig_dest)
         self.sh.run_cmd(
             [
                 self.env['crosstool_ng_executable'], LF,
diff --git a/build-gem5 b/build-gem5
index f1e79a8..06e7bd8 100755
--- a/build-gem5
+++ b/build-gem5
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ class Main(common.BuildCliFunction):
             # Otherwise self.sh.cp would fail with "Text file busy" if you
             # tried to rebuild while running m5term:
             # https://stackoverflow.com/questions/16764946/what-generates-the-text-file-busy-message-in-unix/52427512#52427512
-            os.unlink(self.env['gem5_m5term'])
+            self.sh.rmrf(self.env['gem5_m5term'])
         self.sh.cp(m5term_build, self.env['gem5_m5term'])
 
     def get_build_dir(self):
diff --git a/common.py b/common.py
index bf15407..24cf4fa 100644
--- a/common.py
+++ b/common.py
@@ -721,7 +721,12 @@ Valid emulators: {}
             tried.append('{}-{}'.format(prefix, tool))
             if exists:
                 return prefix
-        raise Exception('Tool not found. Tried:\n' + '\n'.join(tried))
+        error_message = 'Tool not found. Tried:\n' + '\n'.join(tried)
+        if self.env['dry_run']:
+            self.log_error(error_message)
+            return ''
+        else:
+            raise Exception(error_message)
 
     def get_toolchain_tool(self, tool, allowed_toolchains=None):
         return '{}-{}'.format(self.get_toolchain_prefix(tool, allowed_toolchains), tool)
diff --git a/release-zip b/release-zip
index a89f8ab..40e5ef6 100755
--- a/release-zip
+++ b/release-zip
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from shell_helpers import LF
 def main():
     os.makedirs(self.env['release_dir'], exist_ok=True)
     if os.path.exists(self.env['release_zip_file']):
-        os.unlink(self.env['release_zip_file'])
+        self.sh.rmrf(self.env['release_zip_file'])
     zipf = zipfile.ZipFile(self.env['release_zip_file'], 'w', zipfile.ZIP_DEFLATED)
     for arch in self.env['all_long_archs']:
         self.setup(common.get_argparse(default_args={'arch': arch}))
diff --git a/shell_helpers.py b/shell_helpers.py
index 9996d9b..9ba1da9 100644
--- a/shell_helpers.py
+++ b/shell_helpers.py
@@ -269,11 +269,12 @@ class ShellHelpers:
         '''
         if config_fragments is None:
             config_fragments = []
-        with open(config_path, 'a') as config_file:
-            for config_fragment in config_fragments:
-                with open(config_fragment, 'r') as config_fragment_file:
-                    self.print_cmd(['cat', config_fragment, '>>', config_path])
-                    if not self.dry_run:
+        for config_fragment in config_fragments:
+            self.print_cmd(['cat', config_fragment, '>>', config_path])
+        if not self.dry_run:
+            with open(config_path, 'a') as config_file:
+                for config_fragment in config_fragments:
+                    with open(config_fragment, 'r') as config_fragment_file:
                         for line in config_fragment_file:
                             config_file.write(line)
         self.write_string_to_file(config_path, '\n'.join(configs), mode='a')