diff --git a/scripts/process-text-files.py b/scripts/process-text-files.py
index bb14c37..96e6214 100644
--- a/scripts/process-text-files.py
+++ b/scripts/process-text-files.py
@@ -76,6 +76,19 @@ class Cmd(jwutils.Cmd):
             return data
         return r
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def _cleanup_spaces(data, src, target, context=None):
+        lines = data.splitlines()
+        last = len(lines) - 1
+        r = ''
+        while last >= 0 and len(lines[last].strip()) == 0:
+            last -= 1
+        i = 0
+        while i <= last:
+            r += lines[i].rstrip() + '\n'
+            i += 1
+        return r
+
     @staticmethod
     def _replace_cpp_symbol(data, src, target, context=None):
 	stopc  = "^a-zA-Z0-9_"
@@ -313,6 +326,7 @@ class CmdIndentMakefileEquals(Cmd):
         return p
 
     def process(self, args, files):
+        slog(NOTICE, "Beautifying", len(files), "makefiles:")
         context = dict()
         right_align_match = 2
         context["indent"] = args.equal_pos - right_align_match
@@ -323,11 +337,30 @@ class CmdIndentMakefileEquals(Cmd):
         context["skip-short"] = args.skip_short
         context["min-assignments"] = args.min_assignments
         replacements = {"blah": "blub"} # just a dummy to use _replace_in_file, TODO: obviate the need
-        slog(NOTICE, "indenting equal signs in", len(files), "makefiles:")
         for dir, name in files:
             path = dir + '/' + name
+            if self._replace_in_file(path, replacements, func=self._cleanup_spaces):
+                slog(NOTICE, "+ purged spaces  :", path)
             if self._replace_in_file(path, replacements, func=self._indent_pattern, context=context):
-                slog(NOTICE, "+ changed", path)
+                slog(NOTICE, "+ aligned equals :", path)
+
+class CmdCleanupSpaces(Cmd):
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        super(CmdCleanupSpaces, self).__init__("cleanup-spaces", "Remove trailing empty lines")
+
+    def add_parser(self, parsers):
+        p = super(CmdCleanupSpaces, self).add_parser(parsers)
+        return p
+
+    def process(self, args, files):
+        slog(NOTICE, "Cleaning up unnecessary space in", len(files), "files:")
+        context = dict()
+        replacements = {"blah": "blub"} # just a dummy to use _replace_in_file, TODO: obviate the need
+        for dir, name in files:
+            path = dir + '/' + name
+            if self._replace_in_file(path, replacements, func=self._cleanup_spaces, context=context):
+                slog(NOTICE, "+ purged spaces  :", path)
 
 class CmdAddCppNamespace(Cmd):