diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 6f896119..e4ae0c4c 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ if(LIBDPDK_STATIC_FOUND)
   enable_testing()
   add_subdirectory(tests)
   add_subdirectory(apps)
+  add_subdirectory(tools)
 else()
   message(WARNING "DPDK not found and RTE_SDK is not set. Building only msg_gen.")
   add_subdirectory(apps/msg_gen)
diff --git a/src/apps/CMakeLists.txt b/src/apps/CMakeLists.txt
index 905eea0c..a4b3c39e 100644
--- a/src/apps/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/apps/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,9 +1,5 @@
 include_directories(../modules)
 
-add_subdirectory(pktgen)
 add_subdirectory(machnet)
 add_subdirectory(msg_gen)
-add_subdirectory(ping)
 add_subdirectory(rocksdb_server)
-add_subdirectory(jring_perf)
-add_subdirectory(jring2_perf)
diff --git a/src/apps/hello_world/CMakeLists.txt b/src/apps/hello_world/CMakeLists.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 09cce407..00000000
--- a/src/apps/hello_world/CMakeLists.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-set(target_name hello_world)
-add_executable (${target_name} main.cc)
-target_link_libraries(${target_name} PUBLIC glog core machnet_shim rt gflags)
diff --git a/src/tools/CMakeLists.txt b/src/tools/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..eb2ceb0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tools/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+include_directories(../modules)
+
+add_subdirectory(pktgen)
+add_subdirectory(ping)
+add_subdirectory(jring_perf)
+add_subdirectory(jring2_perf)
diff --git a/src/apps/jring2_perf/CMakeLists.txt b/src/tools/jring2_perf/CMakeLists.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from src/apps/jring2_perf/CMakeLists.txt
rename to src/tools/jring2_perf/CMakeLists.txt
diff --git a/src/apps/jring2_perf/main.cc b/src/tools/jring2_perf/main.cc
similarity index 100%
rename from src/apps/jring2_perf/main.cc
rename to src/tools/jring2_perf/main.cc
diff --git a/src/apps/jring_perf/CMakeLists.txt b/src/tools/jring_perf/CMakeLists.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from src/apps/jring_perf/CMakeLists.txt
rename to src/tools/jring_perf/CMakeLists.txt
diff --git a/src/apps/jring_perf/main.cc b/src/tools/jring_perf/main.cc
similarity index 100%
rename from src/apps/jring_perf/main.cc
rename to src/tools/jring_perf/main.cc
diff --git a/src/apps/ping/CMakeLists.txt b/src/tools/ping/CMakeLists.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from src/apps/ping/CMakeLists.txt
rename to src/tools/ping/CMakeLists.txt
diff --git a/src/apps/ping/README.md b/src/tools/ping/README.md
similarity index 86%
rename from src/apps/ping/README.md
rename to src/tools/ping/README.md
index 7bb9c70a..bfe74590 100644
--- a/src/apps/ping/README.md
+++ b/src/tools/ping/README.md
@@ -33,9 +33,8 @@ Other legal configuration options are safely ignored (for example, `engine_threa
 
 ### Running
 
-From `${REPOROOT}/build/src/apps/ping`:
+From `${REPOROOT}/build/src/tools/ping`:
 
 ```bash
 sudo GLOG_logtostderr=1 ./ping --remote_ip 10.0.0.1
 ```
-**Attention**: Currently the utility expects the remote host to be specified with its IP address. This will be fixed in the future to support hostnames as well.
diff --git a/src/apps/ping/main.cc b/src/tools/ping/main.cc
similarity index 100%
rename from src/apps/ping/main.cc
rename to src/tools/ping/main.cc
diff --git a/src/apps/pktgen/CMakeLists.txt b/src/tools/pktgen/CMakeLists.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from src/apps/pktgen/CMakeLists.txt
rename to src/tools/pktgen/CMakeLists.txt
diff --git a/src/apps/pktgen/README.md b/src/tools/pktgen/README.md
similarity index 89%
rename from src/apps/pktgen/README.md
rename to src/tools/pktgen/README.md
index d1e27139..09abffd2 100644
--- a/src/apps/pktgen/README.md
+++ b/src/tools/pktgen/README.md
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ When running in this mode the application is actively generating packets. It als
 # Send packets to a remote host.
 REMOTE_IP="10.0.0.254"
 cd ${REPOROOT}/build/
-sudo GLOG_logtostderr=1 ./src/apps/pktgen/pktgen --remote_ip $REMOTE_IP --active-generator
+sudo GLOG_logtostderr=1 ./src/tools/pktgen/pktgen --remote_ip $REMOTE_IP --active-generator
 
 # If ran from a different directory, you may need to specify the path to the config file:
 sudo GLOG_logtostderr=1 ./pktgen --config_file ${REPOROOT}/src/apps/machnet/config.json --remote_ip $REMOTE_IP --active-generator
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ The above command will run the `pktgen` application to a remote machine with IP
 
 ```bash
 # From ${REPOROOT}/build/
-sudo GLOG_logtostderr=1 ./src/apps/pktgen/pktgen --remote_ip $REMOTE_IP --active-generator --pkt_size 1500
+sudo GLOG_logtostderr=1 ./src/tools/pktgen/pktgen --remote_ip $REMOTE_IP --active-generator --pkt_size 1500
 ```
 
 ### Running in ping mode (RTT measurement)
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ The `pktgen` is collecting roundtrip time measurements. When stopping the apppli
 ```bash
 REMOTE_IP="10.0.0.254"
 # From ${REPOROOT}/build/
-sudo GLOG_logtostderr=1 ./src/apps/pktgen/pktgen --remote_ip $REMOTE_IP --ping
+sudo GLOG_logtostderr=1 ./src/tools/pktgen/pktgen --remote_ip $REMOTE_IP --ping
 ```
 
 If you want RTT measurements printed every 1 second, add option `--v=1` to the previous invocation.
@@ -66,12 +66,12 @@ To save the samples in a log file add option: `--rtt_log path/to/file`.
 When running in this mode the application is only bouncing packets to the remote host. It does not generate any other packets.
 
 
-From `${REPOROOT}/build/src/apps/pktgen`:
+From `${REPOROOT}/build/src/tools/pktgen`:
 
 ```bash
 REMOTE_IP="10.0.0.254"
 # From ${REPOROOT}/build/
-sudo GLOG_logtostderr=1 ./src/apps/pktgen/pktgen
+sudo GLOG_logtostderr=1 ./src/tools/pktgen/pktgen
 ```
 
 The above command will run the `pktgen` application in **passive** mode on local machine. It will send all received packets to the originating remote server.
diff --git a/src/apps/pktgen/main.cc b/src/tools/pktgen/main.cc
similarity index 100%
rename from src/apps/pktgen/main.cc
rename to src/tools/pktgen/main.cc