diff --git a/split.py b/split.py
index 4d8b307417..a417472206 100755
--- a/split.py
+++ b/split.py
@@ -2,66 +2,127 @@
 
 """This script splits httplib.h into .h and .cc parts."""
 
-import argparse
 import os
+import re
 import sys
 
-border = '// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
-
-args_parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
-args_parser.add_argument(
-    "-e", "--extension", help="extension of the implementation file (default: cc)",
-    default="cc"
-)
-args_parser.add_argument(
-    "-o", "--out", help="where to write the files (default: out)", default="out"
+BORDER = (
+    "// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------"
 )
-args = args_parser.parse_args()
-
-cur_dir = os.path.dirname(sys.argv[0])
-lib_name = 'httplib'
-header_name = '/' + lib_name + '.h'
-source_name = '/' + lib_name + '.' + args.extension
-# get the input file
-in_file = cur_dir + header_name
-# get the output file
-h_out = args.out + header_name
-cc_out = args.out + source_name
-
-# if the modification time of the out file is after the in file,
-# don't split (as it is already finished)
-do_split = True
-
-if os.path.exists(h_out):
-    in_time = os.path.getmtime(in_file)
-    out_time = os.path.getmtime(h_out)
-    do_split = in_time > out_time
-
-if do_split:
-    with open(in_file) as f:
-        lines = f.readlines()
-
-    python_version = sys.version_info[0]
-    if python_version < 3:
-        os.makedirs(args.out)
+INLINE_RE = re.compile(r"inline(?! namespace) ")
+
+
+def walk_dir(file_name, directory):
+    for root, subdirs, files in os.walk(directory):
+        if file_name in files:
+            return os.path.join(root, file_name)
+        for subdir in subdirs:
+            return walk_dir(file_name, os.path.join(root, subdir))
+
+
+def locate_file(file_name, search_dirs, base_directory=None):
+    cur_dir = base_directory or os.path.dirname(sys.argv[0])
+    initial_path = os.path.join(cur_dir, file_name)
+
+    if os.path.isfile(initial_path):
+        return initial_path
+
+    for directory in search_dirs:
+        result = walk_dir(file_name, os.path.join(cur_dir, directory))
+        if result:
+            return result
+
+    return None
+
+
+def split(lib_name, search_dirs=[], extension="cc", out="out", base_directory=None):
+    header_name = lib_name + ".h"
+    source_name = lib_name + "." + extension
+    in_file = locate_file(header_name, search_dirs, base_directory)
+    if not in_file:
+        print("File not found: {}".format(header_name))
+        return
+
+    h_out = os.path.join(out, header_name)
+    cc_out = os.path.join(out, source_name)
+
+    # if the modification time of the out file is after the in file,
+    # don't split (as it is already finished)
+    do_split = True
+
+    if os.path.exists(h_out):
+        in_time = os.path.getmtime(in_file)
+        out_time = os.path.getmtime(h_out)
+        do_split = in_time > out_time
+
+    if do_split:
+        with open(in_file) as f:
+            lines = f.readlines()
+
+        python_version = sys.version_info[0]
+        if python_version < 3:
+            os.makedirs(out)
+        else:
+            os.makedirs(out, exist_ok=True)
+
+        in_implementation = False
+        with open(h_out, "w") as fh, open(cc_out, "w") as fc:
+            fc.write('#include "{}"\n'.format(header_name))
+            fc.write("namespace httplib {\n")
+            for line in lines:
+                is_border_line = BORDER in line
+                if is_border_line:
+                    in_implementation = not in_implementation
+                elif in_implementation:
+                    fc.write(INLINE_RE.sub("", line))
+                else:
+                    fh.write(line)
+            fc.write("} // namespace httplib\n")
+
+        print("Wrote {} and {}".format(h_out, cc_out))
     else:
-        os.makedirs(args.out, exist_ok=True)
-
-    in_implementation = False
-    cc_out = args.out + source_name
-    with open(h_out, 'w') as fh, open(cc_out, 'w') as fc:
-        fc.write('#include "httplib.h"\n')
-        fc.write('namespace httplib {\n')
-        for line in lines:
-            is_border_line = border in line
-            if is_border_line:
-                in_implementation = not in_implementation
-            elif in_implementation:
-                fc.write(line.replace('inline ', ''))
-            else:
-                fh.write(line)
-        fc.write('} // namespace httplib\n')
-
-    print("Wrote {} and {}".format(h_out, cc_out))
-else:
-    print("{} and {} are up to date".format(h_out, cc_out))
+        print("{} and {} are up to date".format(h_out, cc_out))
+
+
+def main():
+    import argparse
+
+    args_parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
+    args_parser.add_argument(
+        "-e",
+        "--extension",
+        help="extension of the implementation file (default: cc)",
+        default="cc",
+    )
+    args_parser.add_argument(
+        "-o", "--out", help="where to write the files (default: out)", default="out"
+    )
+    args_parser.add_argument(
+        "-l",
+        "--library",
+        action="append",
+        dest="libraries",
+        help="the libraries to split (default: [httplib])",
+    )
+    args_parser.add_argument(
+        "-b",
+        "--base-directory",
+        help="where to look for files (default: <script directory>)",
+    )
+    args = args_parser.parse_args()
+
+    default_libraries = ["httplib"]
+    search_dirs = ["example"]
+
+    for lib_name in args.libraries or default_libraries:
+        split(
+            lib_name,
+            search_dirs,
+            args.extension,
+            args.out,
+            args.base_directory,
+        )
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()