diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 4d015ee0b..1170195d5 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ def configurePlatform(env):
 
 
 
-def defineSetupTargets(env, artifacts):
+def defineSetupTargets(env):
     """ build operations and targets to be done /before/ compiling.
         things like creating a source tarball or preparing a version header.
     """
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ def defineSetupTargets(env, artifacts):
 
 
 
-def defineBuildTargets(env, artifacts):
+def defineBuildTargets(env):
     """ define the source file/dirs comprising each artifact to be built.
         setup sub-environments with special build options if necessary.
         We use a custom function to declare a whole tree of srcfiles. 
@@ -336,52 +336,51 @@ def defineBuildTargets(env, artifacts):
     # define Icons to render and install
     vector_icon_dir      = env.subst(env.path.srcIcon+'svg')
     prerendered_icon_dir = env.subst(env.path.srcIcon+'prerendered')
-    print "ICON: vector_icon_dir=%s prerendered=%s" % (vector_icon_dir,prerendered_icon_dir)
-    artifacts['icons']   = ( [env.IconRender(f)   for f in scanSubtree(vector_icon_dir,      ['*.svg'])]
-                           + [env.IconResource(f) for f in scanSubtree(prerendered_icon_dir, ['*.png'])]
-                           )
+    icons   = ( [env.IconRender(f)   for f in scanSubtree(vector_icon_dir,      ['*.svg'])]
+              + [env.IconResource(f) for f in scanSubtree(prerendered_icon_dir, ['*.png'])]
+              )
     
     #define Configuration files to install
-    artifacts['config']  = ( env.ConfigData(env.path.srcConf+'setup.ini', targetDir='$ORIGIN')
-                           + env.ConfigData(env.path.srcConf+'dummy_lumiera.ini')
-                           )
+    config  = ( env.ConfigData(env.path.srcConf+'setup.ini', targetDir='$ORIGIN')
+              + env.ConfigData(env.path.srcConf+'dummy_lumiera.ini')
+              )
     
     # call subdir SConscript(s) for independent components
-    SConscript(dirs=['src','src/tool','research','tests'], exports='env artifacts')
+    SConscript(dirs=['src','src/tool','research','tests'], exports='env icons config')
 
 
 
-def definePostBuildTargets(env, artifacts):
+def definePostBuildTargets(env):
     """ define further actions after the core build (e.g. Documentation).
         define alias targets to trigger the installing.
     """
-    build = env.Alias('build', ( artifacts['lumiera']
-                               + artifacts['plugins']
-                               + artifacts['tools']
-                               + artifacts['gui']
-                               ))
+    Import('lumiera plugins tools gui testsuite')
+    build = env.Alias('build', lumiera + plugins + tools +gui)
+    
     # additional files to be cleaned when cleaning 'build'
     env.Clean ('build', [ 'scache.conf', '.sconf_temp', '.sconsign.dblite', 'config.log' ])
     env.Clean ('build', [ 'src/pre.gch' ])
     
-    doxydoc = artifacts['doxydoc'] = env.Doxygen('doc/devel/Doxyfile')
+    doxydoc = env.Doxygen('doc/devel/Doxyfile')
     env.Alias ('doc', doxydoc)
     env.Clean ('doc', doxydoc + ['doc/devel/,doxylog','doc/devel/warnings.txt'])
     
-    env.Alias ('all', build+artifacts['testsuite']+doxydoc)
+    env.Alias ('all', build + testsuite + doxydoc)
     env.Default('build')
     # SCons default target
 
 
-def defineInstallTargets(env, artifacts):
+def defineInstallTargets(env):
     """ define additional artifacts to be installed into target locations.
         @note: we use customised SCons builders defining install targets 
                for all executables automatically. see LumieraEnvironment.py
     """
-    env.SymLink('$DESTDIR/bin/lumiera',env.path.installExe+'lumiera','../lib/lumiera/lumiera')
-#   env.Install(dir = '$DESTDIR/share/doc/lumiera$VERSION/devel', source=artifacts['doxydoc'])
+    Import('lumiera plugins tools gui testsuite')
     
-    env.Alias('install', artifacts['gui'])
+    env.SymLink('$DESTDIR/bin/lumiera',env.path.installExe+'lumiera','../lib/lumiera/lumiera')
+#   env.Install(dir = '$DESTDIR/share/doc/lumiera$VERSION/devel', source=doxydoc)
+    
+    env.Alias('install', gui)
     env.Alias('install', '$DESTDIR')
 
 #####################################################################
@@ -397,7 +396,6 @@ env = setupBasicEnvironment(localDefinitions)
 if not (isCleanupOperation(env) or isHelpRequest()):
     env = configurePlatform(env)
     
-artifacts = {}
 # the various things we build. 
 # Each entry actually is a SCons-Node list.
 # Passing these entries to other builders defines dependencies.
@@ -406,8 +404,8 @@ artifacts = {}
 # 'plugins'     : plugin shared lib
 # 'tools'       : small tool applications (e.g mpegtoc)
 
-defineSetupTargets(env, artifacts)
-defineBuildTargets(env, artifacts)
-definePostBuildTargets(env, artifacts)
-defineInstallTargets(env, artifacts)
+defineSetupTargets(env)
+defineBuildTargets(env)
+definePostBuildTargets(env)
+defineInstallTargets(env)
 
diff --git a/research/SConscript b/research/SConscript
index 0fef0dae8..1d3263a72 100644
--- a/research/SConscript
+++ b/research/SConscript
@@ -4,9 +4,8 @@
 ##                Things defined here usuall won't be installed
 ##
 
-Import('env','artifacts','core')
+Import('env core support_lib')
 
-support_lib = artifacts['support']
 
 
 
diff --git a/src/SConscript b/src/SConscript
index 10cea7404..c0718205d 100644
--- a/src/SConscript
+++ b/src/SConscript
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 from Buildhelper import srcSubtree
 from Buildhelper import scanSubtree
 
-Import('env','artifacts')
+Import('env icons config')
 
 
 lLib  = env.SharedLibrary('lumiera',        srcSubtree('lib'),    install=True)
@@ -15,16 +15,16 @@ lApp  = env.SharedLibrary('lumieracommon',  srcSubtree('common'), install=True,
 lBack = env.SharedLibrary('lumierabackend', srcSubtree('backend'),install=True)
 lProc = env.SharedLibrary('lumieraproc',    srcSubtree('proc'),   install=True)
 
-core = lLib+lApp+lBack+lProc
+core        = lLib+lApp+lBack+lProc
+core_lib    = core
+support_lib = lLib
 
-artifacts['corelib'] = core
-artifacts['support'] = lLib
-artifacts['lumiera'] = ( env.Program('lumiera', ['lumiera/main.cpp'] + core, install=True)
-                       + artifacts['config']
-                       )
+lumiera = ( env.Program('lumiera', ['lumiera/main.cpp'] + core, install=True)
+          + config
+          )
 
 # building Lumiera Plugins
-artifacts['plugins'] = [] # currently none 
+plugins = [] # currently none 
 
 
 # the Lumiera GTK GUI
@@ -33,10 +33,10 @@ envGtk.mergeConf(['gtkmm-2.4','gthread-2.0','cairomm-1.0','gdl','xv','xext','sm'
 envGtk.Append(LIBS=core)
 
 guimodule = envGtk.LumieraPlugin('gtk_gui', srcSubtree('gui'), install=True)
-artifacts['gui'] = ( guimodule
-                   + [env.GuiResource(f) for f in env.Glob('gui/*.rc')]
-                   + artifacts['icons']
-                   )
+gui       = ( guimodule
+            + icons
+            + [env.GuiResource(f) for f in env.Glob('gui/*.rc')]
+            )
 
 
-Export('core')
+Export('lumiera core core_lib support_lib plugins gui')
diff --git a/src/tool/SConscript b/src/tool/SConscript
index 49f03addf..85a858d5e 100644
--- a/src/tool/SConscript
+++ b/src/tool/SConscript
@@ -3,9 +3,8 @@
 ## SConscript  -  SCons buildscript for tool subdirectory (called by SConstruct)
 ##
 
-Import('env','artifacts','core')
+Import('env core support_lib icons')
 
-support_lib = artifacts['support']
 
 envSvg = env.Clone()
 envSvg.mergeConf(['librsvg-2.0'])
@@ -16,11 +15,12 @@ luidgen =    env.Program('luidgen', ['luidgen.c'] + support_lib, install=True)
 rsvg    = envSvg.Program('rsvg-convert','rsvg-convert.c')                        ## for rendering SVG icons (uses librsvg) 
 
 # build additional test and administrative tools....
-artifacts['tools'] = [ env.Program('hello-world','hello.c', install=True)      #### hello world (checks C build)      
-                     + luidgen
-                     + rsvg
-                     ]
+tools = [ env.Program('hello-world','hello.c', install=True)                   #### hello world (checks C build)      
+        + luidgen
+        + rsvg
+        ]
+Export('tools')
 
 # Rendering the SVG Icons depends on rsvg-convert
-env.Depends(artifacts['icons'], rsvg)
+env.Depends(icons, rsvg)
 
diff --git a/tests/SConscript b/tests/SConscript
index abbe86d35..12672cd79 100644
--- a/tests/SConscript
+++ b/tests/SConscript
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ from Buildhelper import scanSubtree
 from Buildhelper import globRootdirs
 from Buildhelper import createPlugins
 
-Import('env','artifacts','core')
+Import('env core tools config')
 env = env.Clone()
 env.Append(CPPPATH='include')  # additional headers for tests
 
@@ -56,27 +56,28 @@ moduledirs = globRootdirs('*')
 
 
 
-artifacts['testsuite'] = ts = ( [ testExecutable(env, dir) for dir in ['lib','components'] ]
-                              + [ testCollection(env, dir) for dir in moduledirs if not dir in specials]
-                              + createPlugins(env, 'plugin')
-                              + env.File(glob('*.tests'))     # depending on the test definition files for test.sh
-                              + artifacts['config']
-                              )
+testsuite = ( [ testExecutable(env, dir) for dir in ['lib','components'] ]
+            + [ testCollection(env, dir) for dir in moduledirs if not dir in specials]
+            + createPlugins(env, 'plugin')
+            + env.File(glob('*.tests'))     # depending on the test definition files for test.sh
+            + config
+            )
+Export('testsuite')
 
 
 
 
 # for creating a Valgrind-Suppression file
 vgsuppr = env.Program('vgsuppression','tool/vgsuppression.c', LIBS=core)   ## for suppressing false valgrind alarms
-artifacts['tools'] += [vgsuppr]
-Depends(ts,vgsuppr)
+tools  += [vgsuppr]
+Depends(testsuite,vgsuppr)
 
 
 #
 # actually run the Testsuite
 #
 #  - the product of running the Testsuite is the ",testlog"
-#  - it depends on all artifacts defined as "ts" above
+#  - it depends on all artifacts defined as "testsuite" above
 #  - including the tests/*.tests (suite definition files)
 #  - if not set via options switch, the environment variables
 #    TESTSUITES and VALGRINDFLAGS are explicitly propagated to test.sh
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@ testEnv['ENV']['TEST_CONF'] = env.File("test.conf").abspath
 testDir = env.Dir('#$TARGDIR')
 runTest = env.File("test.sh").abspath
 
-runTs = testEnv.Command('#$TARGDIR/,testlog', ts, runTest,  chdir=testDir)
+runTests = testEnv.Command('#$TARGDIR/,testlog', testsuite, runTest,  chdir=testDir)
 
 
 
@@ -115,8 +116,8 @@ runTs = testEnv.Command('#$TARGDIR/,testlog', ts, runTest,  chdir=testDir)
 #  - 'scons testcode' triggers building of the Testsuite
 #  - 'scons check' triggers building and running
 #
-env.Alias('testcode', ts )
-env.Alias('check', runTs )
+env.Alias('testcode', testsuite )
+env.Alias('check',    runTests )
 
 # allow tempfiles of test.sh to be cleaned  
 env.Clean ('check', [',testlog',',testlog.pre',',expect_stdout',',stdout',',stderr',',testtmp','.libs'])