diff --git a/.flake8.ini b/.flake8.ini
deleted file mode 100644
index b20ffbc2b1..0000000000
--- a/.flake8.ini
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-[flake8]
-max-line-length = 120
-
-# Hound CI runs with Python 3 (no way around it),
-# so we need to specify some Python 2 builtins to avoid that it complains about them
-# cfr. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/47427916/how-to-config-hound-ci-to-support-python2-7
-builtins = 'basestring'
diff --git a/.hound.yml b/.hound.yml
index 2916903576..9449e4f823 100644
--- a/.hound.yml
+++ b/.hound.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 # configuration for houndci, see https://houndci.com/configuration#python
 flake8:
   enabled: true
-  config_file: .flake8.ini
+  config_file: setup.cfg
diff --git a/easybuild/tools/options.py b/easybuild/tools/options.py
index f35dd0b3da..339bf1f33d 100644
--- a/easybuild/tools/options.py
+++ b/easybuild/tools/options.py
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@
 from vsc.utils import fancylogger
 from vsc.utils.fancylogger import setLogLevel
 from vsc.utils.generaloption import GeneralOption
-from vsc.utils.missing import nub
 
 import easybuild.tools.environment as env
 from easybuild.framework.easyblock import MODULE_ONLY_STEPS, SOURCE_STEP, FETCH_STEP, EasyBlock
@@ -56,7 +55,7 @@
 from easybuild.framework.easyconfig.format.pyheaderconfigobj import build_easyconfig_constants_dict
 from easybuild.framework.easyconfig.tools import get_paths_for
 from easybuild.tools import build_log, run  # build_log should always stay there, to ensure EasyBuildLog
-from easybuild.tools.build_log import DEVEL_LOG_LEVEL, EasyBuildError, print_warning, raise_easybuilderror
+from easybuild.tools.build_log import DEVEL_LOG_LEVEL, EasyBuildError, raise_easybuilderror
 from easybuild.tools.config import CONT_IMAGE_FORMATS, CONT_TYPES, DEFAULT_CONT_TYPE
 from easybuild.tools.config import DEFAULT_ALLOW_LOADED_MODULES, DEFAULT_FORCE_DOWNLOAD, DEFAULT_JOB_BACKEND
 from easybuild.tools.config import DEFAULT_LOGFILE_FORMAT, DEFAULT_MAX_FAIL_RATIO_PERMS, DEFAULT_MNS
@@ -71,7 +70,7 @@
 from easybuild.tools.docs import avail_toolchain_opts, avail_easyconfig_params, avail_easyconfig_templates
 from easybuild.tools.docs import list_easyblocks, list_toolchains
 from easybuild.tools.environment import restore_env, unset_env_vars
-from easybuild.tools.filetools import CHECKSUM_TYPE_SHA256, CHECKSUM_TYPES, mkdir
+from easybuild.tools.filetools import CHECKSUM_TYPE_SHA256, CHECKSUM_TYPES
 from easybuild.tools.github import GITHUB_EB_MAIN, GITHUB_EASYCONFIGS_REPO, HAVE_GITHUB_API, HAVE_KEYRING
 from easybuild.tools.github import fetch_github_token
 from easybuild.tools.hooks import KNOWN_HOOKS
@@ -86,7 +85,6 @@
 from easybuild.tools.run import run_cmd
 from easybuild.tools.package.utilities import avail_package_naming_schemes
 from easybuild.tools.toolchain.compiler import DEFAULT_OPT_LEVEL, OPTARCH_MAP_CHAR, OPTARCH_SEP, Compiler
-from easybuild.tools.toolchain.utilities import search_toolchain
 from easybuild.tools.repository.repository import avail_repositories
 from easybuild.tools.version import this_is_easybuild
 
@@ -101,6 +99,7 @@ def terminal_supports_colors(stream):
             # in case of errors do not bother and just return the safe default
             return False
 
+
 # monkey patch shell_quote in vsc.utils.generaloption, used by generate_cmd_line,
 # to fix known issue, cfr. https://github.com/hpcugent/vsc-base/issues/152;
 # inspired by https://github.com/hpcugent/vsc-base/pull/151
@@ -117,6 +116,7 @@ def eb_shell_quote(token):
     # escape any non-escaped single quotes, and wrap entire token in single quotes
     return "'%s'" % re.sub(r"(?<!\\)'", r"\'", token)
 
+
 vsc.utils.generaloption.shell_quote = eb_shell_quote
 
 
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ def cleanup_and_exit(tmpdir):
 
     sys.exit(0)
 
+
 def pretty_print_opts(opts_dict):
     """
     Pretty print options dict.
@@ -321,7 +322,8 @@ def override_options(self):
         descr = ("Override options", "Override default EasyBuild behavior.")
 
         opts = OrderedDict({
-            'add-dummy-to-minimal-toolchains': ("Include dummy in minimal toolchain searches", None, 'store_true', False),
+            'add-dummy-to-minimal-toolchains': ("Include dummy in minimal toolchain searches",
+                                                None, 'store_true', False),
             'allow-loaded-modules': ("List of software names for which to allow loaded modules in initial environment",
                                      'strlist', 'store', DEFAULT_ALLOW_LOADED_MODULES),
             'allow-modules-tool-mismatch': ("Allow mismatch of modules tool and definition of 'module' function",
@@ -336,7 +338,7 @@ def override_options(self):
             'cleanup-builddir': ("Cleanup build dir after successful installation.", None, 'store_true', True),
             'cleanup-tmpdir': ("Cleanup tmp dir after successful run.", None, 'store_true', True),
             'color': ("Colorize output", 'choice', 'store', fancylogger.Colorize.AUTO, fancylogger.Colorize,
-                      {'metavar':'WHEN'}),
+                      {'metavar': 'WHEN'}),
             'consider-archived-easyconfigs': ("Also consider archived easyconfigs", None, 'store_true', False),
             'containerize': ("Generate container recipe/image", None, 'store_true', False, 'C'),
             'debug-lmod': ("Run Lmod modules tool commands in debug module", None, 'store_true', False),
@@ -368,11 +370,12 @@ def override_options(self):
                                                'store_true', False),
             'force-download': ("Force re-downloading of sources and/or patches, "
                                "even if they are available already in source path",
-                                'choice', 'store_or_None', DEFAULT_FORCE_DOWNLOAD, FORCE_DOWNLOAD_CHOICES),
+                               'choice', 'store_or_None', DEFAULT_FORCE_DOWNLOAD, FORCE_DOWNLOAD_CHOICES),
             'group': ("Group to be used for software installations (only verified, not set)", None, 'store', None),
             'group-writable-installdir': ("Enable group write permissions on installation directory after installation",
                                           None, 'store_true', False),
-            'hidden': ("Install 'hidden' module file(s) by prefixing their version with '.'", None, 'store_true', False),
+            'hidden': ("Install 'hidden' module file(s) by prefixing their version with '.'",
+                       None, 'store_true', False),
             'hide-deps': ("Comma separated list of dependencies that you want automatically hidden, "
                           "(e.g. --hide-deps=zlib,ncurses)", 'strlist', 'extend', None),
             'hide-toolchains': ("Comma separated list of toolchains that you want automatically hidden, "
@@ -477,7 +480,7 @@ def config_options(self):
             'modules-tool': ("Modules tool to use",
                              'choice', 'store', DEFAULT_MODULES_TOOL, sorted(avail_modules_tools().keys())),
             'packagepath': ("The destination path for the packages built by package-tool",
-                             None, 'store', mk_full_default_path('packagepath')),
+                            None, 'store', mk_full_default_path('packagepath')),
             'package-naming-scheme': ("Packaging naming scheme choice",
                                       'choice', 'store', DEFAULT_PNS, sorted(avail_package_naming_schemes().keys())),
             'prefix': (("Change prefix for buildpath, installpath, sourcepath and repositorypath "
@@ -646,7 +649,6 @@ def container_options(self):
         self.log.debug("container_options: descr %s opts %s" % (descr, opts))
         self.add_group_parser(opts, descr, prefix='container')
 
-
     def easyconfig_options(self):
         # easyconfig options (to be passed to easyconfig instance)
         descr = ("Options for Easyconfigs", "Options to be passed to all Easyconfig.")
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index 7b4bba08d3..b169270d34 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -7,3 +7,12 @@ requires = environment-modules, bash, python >= 2.6, python < 3
 
 [easy_install]
 
+[flake8]
+max-line-length = 120
+
+# Hound CI runs with Python 3 (no way around it),
+# so we need to specify some Python 2 builtins to avoid that it complains about them
+# cfr. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/47427916/how-to-config-hound-ci-to-support-python2-7
+builtins =
+    basestring,
+    reduce