diff --git a/selfdrive/common/clutil.cc b/selfdrive/common/clutil.cc
index 952fc6863f..313978525e 100644
--- a/selfdrive/common/clutil.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/common/clutil.cc
@@ -1,12 +1,8 @@
 #include "selfdrive/common/clutil.h"
 
-#include <sys/stat.h>
-
 #include <cassert>
-#include <cstring>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <memory>
-#include <vector>
 
 #include "selfdrive/common/util.h"
 
@@ -78,8 +74,10 @@ cl_device_id cl_get_device_id(cl_device_type device_type) {
 }
 
 cl_program cl_program_from_file(cl_context ctx, cl_device_id device_id, const char* path, const char* args) {
-  std::string src = util::read_file(path);
-  assert(src.length() > 0);
+  return cl_program_from_source(ctx, device_id, util::read_file(path), args);
+}
+
+cl_program cl_program_from_source(cl_context ctx, cl_device_id device_id, const std::string& src, const char* args) {
   cl_program prg = CL_CHECK_ERR(clCreateProgramWithSource(ctx, 1, (const char*[]){src.c_str()}, NULL, &err));
   if (int err = clBuildProgram(prg, 1, &device_id, args, NULL, NULL); err != 0) {
     cl_print_build_errors(prg, device_id);
@@ -88,6 +86,15 @@ cl_program cl_program_from_file(cl_context ctx, cl_device_id device_id, const ch
   return prg;
 }
 
+cl_program cl_program_from_binary(cl_context ctx, cl_device_id device_id, const uint8_t* binary, size_t length, const char* args) {
+  cl_program prg = CL_CHECK_ERR(clCreateProgramWithBinary(ctx, 1, &device_id, &length, (const uint8_t*[]){binary}, NULL, &err));
+  if (int err = clBuildProgram(prg, 1, &device_id, args, NULL, NULL); err != 0) {
+    cl_print_build_errors(prg, device_id);
+    assert(0);
+  }
+  return prg;
+}
+
 // Given a cl code and return a string representation
 #define CL_ERR_TO_STR(err) case err: return #err
 const char* cl_get_error_string(int err) {
diff --git a/selfdrive/common/clutil.h b/selfdrive/common/clutil.h
index ffddafadbb..be1a07c332 100644
--- a/selfdrive/common/clutil.h
+++ b/selfdrive/common/clutil.h
@@ -1,14 +1,13 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#include <cstdint>
-#include <cstdlib>
-
 #ifdef __APPLE__
 #include <OpenCL/cl.h>
 #else
 #include <CL/cl.h>
 #endif
 
+#include <string>
+
 #define CL_CHECK(_expr)          \
   do {                           \
     assert(CL_SUCCESS == (_expr)); \
@@ -23,5 +22,7 @@
   })
 
 cl_device_id cl_get_device_id(cl_device_type device_type);
+cl_program cl_program_from_source(cl_context ctx, cl_device_id device_id, const std::string& src, const char* args = nullptr);
+cl_program cl_program_from_binary(cl_context ctx, cl_device_id device_id, const uint8_t* binary, size_t length, const char* args = nullptr);
 cl_program cl_program_from_file(cl_context ctx, cl_device_id device_id, const char* path, const char* args);
 const char* cl_get_error_string(int err);
diff --git a/selfdrive/modeld/thneed/serialize.cc b/selfdrive/modeld/thneed/serialize.cc
index 46452480e8..cd5584553b 100644
--- a/selfdrive/modeld/thneed/serialize.cc
+++ b/selfdrive/modeld/thneed/serialize.cc
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #include "json11.hpp"
 #include "selfdrive/common/util.h"
+#include "selfdrive/common/clutil.h"
 #include "selfdrive/modeld/thneed/thneed.h"
 using namespace json11;
 
@@ -61,44 +62,17 @@ void Thneed::load(const char *filename) {
   }
 
   map<string, cl_program> g_programs;
-  for (auto &obj : jdat["programs"].object_items()) {
-    const char *srcs[1];
-    srcs[0] = (const char *)obj.second.string_value().c_str();
-    size_t length = obj.second.string_value().size();
-
-    if (record & THNEED_DEBUG) printf("building %s with size %zu\n", obj.first.c_str(), length);
-
-    cl_program program = clCreateProgramWithSource(context, 1, srcs, &length, NULL);
-    int err_ = clBuildProgram(program, 1, &device_id, "", NULL, NULL);
-    if (err_ != 0) {
-      printf("got err %d\n", err_);
-      size_t length_;
-      char buffer[2048];
-      clGetProgramBuildInfo(program, device_id, CL_PROGRAM_BUILD_LOG, sizeof(buffer), buffer, &length_);
-      buffer[length_] = '\0';
-      printf("%s\n", buffer);
-    }
-    assert(err_ == 0);
-
-    g_programs[obj.first] = program;
+  for (const auto &[name, source] : jdat["programs"].object_items()) {
+    if (record & THNEED_DEBUG) printf("building %s with size %zu\n", name.c_str(), source.string_value().size());
+    g_programs[name] = cl_program_from_source(context, device_id, source.string_value());
   }
 
   for (auto &obj : jdat["binaries"].array_items()) {
     string name = obj["name"].string_value();
     size_t length = obj["length"].int_value();
-    const unsigned char *srcs[1];
-    srcs[0] = (const unsigned char *)&buf[ptr];
-    ptr += length;
-
     if (record & THNEED_DEBUG) printf("binary %s with size %zu\n", name.c_str(), length);
-
-    cl_int err_;
-    cl_program program = clCreateProgramWithBinary(context, 1, &device_id, &length, srcs, NULL, &err_);
-    assert(program != NULL && err_ == CL_SUCCESS);
-    err_ = clBuildProgram(program, 1, &device_id, "", NULL, NULL);
-    assert(err_ == CL_SUCCESS);
-
-    g_programs[name] = program;
+    g_programs[name] = cl_program_from_binary(context, device_id, (const uint8_t*)&buf[ptr], length);
+    ptr += length;
   }
 
   for (auto &obj : jdat["kernels"].array_items()) {