diff --git a/tools/source_text.py b/tools/source_text.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fd20809
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/source_text.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+"""Read a source file the way the compiler sees it after its split parts are included.
+
+Large translation units (probes/xnuboot.c, compat/device.c and others) are kept under 1,000 lines per file by
+moving ordered parts of them into a directory named after the file's stem, and `#include`-ing those parts back
+in their original order. The compiler therefore still sees one translation unit, and the binaries are unchanged.
+
+Tools that inspect source text (pattern checks, function extraction, replays that copy a function verbatim)
+must read the whole unit, not just the main file. `read_source(path)` returns the main file with every quoted
+`#include "<stem>/<part>"` line replaced by that part's text, recursively. Includes of anything outside the
+file's own part directory are left untouched.
+
+    from source_text import read_source
+    text = read_source(ROOT / 'probes/xnuboot.c')
+"""
+import re
+from pathlib import Path
+
+_QUOTED_INCLUDE = re.compile(r'^[ \t]*#[ \t]*include[ \t]+"([^"]+)"[^\n]*$', re.M)
+
+
+def part_directory(path):
+    """The directory holding the parts of `path`: probes/xnuboot.c -> probes/xnuboot/."""
+    path = Path(path)
+    return path.parent / path.stem
+
+
+def read_source(path):
+    """Return the text of `path` with its own split parts expanded inline, in include order."""
+    path = Path(path)
+    text = path.read_text()
+    parts = part_directory(path).resolve()
+
+    def expand(match):
+        target = (path.parent / match.group(1)).resolve()
+        if target.parent != parts or not target.is_file():
+            return match.group(0)
+        return read_source(target).rstrip('\n')
+
+    return _QUOTED_INCLUDE.sub(expand, text)
+
+
+def source_files(path):
+    """`path` followed by every part file it includes, in include order (for hashing or watching a unit)."""
+    path = Path(path).resolve()
+    files = [path]
+    parts = part_directory(path).resolve()
+    for match in _QUOTED_INCLUDE.finditer(path.read_text()):
+        target = (path.parent / match.group(1)).resolve()
+        if target.parent == parts and target.is_file():
+            files.extend(source_files(target))
+    return files