diff --git a/tools/scripts/embed_image.sh b/tools/scripts/embed_image.sh
index f6423e028690d7d1b9e7ccbac69314c9aa5613f2..8691fbbb349057fe0f959eb0d64a7295a1a34dc8 100755
--- a/tools/scripts/embed_image.sh
+++ b/tools/scripts/embed_image.sh
@@ -3,6 +3,22 @@
 # embeds an exe/elf file into a the Flocklab XML config file
 
 XMLFILE=flocklab.xml
+SEDCMD=sed
+B64CMD=base64
+
+which $SEDCMD > /dev/null 2>&1
+if [ $? -ne 0 ];
+then
+  echo "command '$SEDCMD' not found"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+which $B64CMD > /dev/null 2>&1
+if [ $? -ne 0 ];
+then
+  echo "command '$B64CMD' not found"
+  exit 1
+fi
 
 if [ $# -lt 1 ];
 then
@@ -29,9 +45,9 @@ fi
 
 B64FILE="$1.b64"
 
-base64 $1 > $B64FILE
-sed -i -n '1h;1!H;${ g;s/<data>.*<\/data>/<data>\n<\/data>/;p}' $XMLFILE
-sed -i "/<data>/r ${B64FILE}" $XMLFILE
+$B64CMD $1 > $B64FILE
+$SEDCMD -i -n '1h;1!H;${ g;s/<data>.*<\/data>/<data>\n<\/data>/;p}' $XMLFILE
+$SEDCMD -i "/<data>/r ${B64FILE}" $XMLFILE
 rm $B64FILE
 
 echo "image $1 embedded into $XMLFILE"