diff --git a/Jenkinsfile.newBuildSystem b/Jenkinsfile.newBuildSystem
index 78685e4..3f2f298 100644
--- a/Jenkinsfile.newBuildSystem
+++ b/Jenkinsfile.newBuildSystem
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@
                 }
 
                 stage ("Generate CORD configuration") {
-                    sh "make USECASE=${pod_config.cord_profile} PODCONFIG_D=../orchestration/profiles PODCONFIG=automation/${deployment_config.pod_config.file_name} config"
+                    sh "make PODCONFIG_PATH=../orchestration/profiles/automation/${deployment_config.pod_config.file_name} config"
                 }
 
                 if (deployment_config.fabric_switches != null) {
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c86725e..c3c3038 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -3,9 +3,6 @@
 # Timestamp for log files
 TS               := $(shell date +'%Y%m%dT%H%M%SZ')
 
-# Podconfig must be specified, so an invalid default
-PODCONFIG        ?= invalid
-
 # Source path
 BUILD            ?= .
 CORD             ?= ..
@@ -14,7 +11,14 @@
 ONOS_APPS        ?= $(CORD)/onos-apps
 
 # Configuration paths
-USECASE          := $(shell echo $(PODCONFIG) | awk -F '-' '{ print $$1}')
+ifdef PODCONFIG_PATH
+	USECASE      := $(shell grep cord_profile: $(PODCONFIG_PATH) | awk '{print $$2}')
+else ifdef PODCONFIG
+	USECASE      := $(shell echo $(PODCONFIG) | awk -F '-' '{print $$1}')
+else
+	USECASE      = invalid
+endif
+
 PROFILE_D        ?= $(CORD)/orchestration/profiles/$(USECASE)
 
 PODCONFIG_D      ?= $(PROFILE_D)/podconfig
@@ -96,7 +100,7 @@
 	@echo "Run 'make -j4 build' to continue."
 
 $(CONFIG_FILES):
-	test -e "$(PODCONFIG_PATH)" || { echo "PODCONFIG file $(PODCONFIG_PATH) doesn't exist!" ; exit 1; }
+	@test -e "$(PODCONFIG_PATH)" || { echo ""; echo "PODCONFIG file $(PODCONFIG_PATH) doesn't exist!" ; echo "*** Specify a valid CORD config file using PODCONFIG or PODCONFIG_PATH ***"; echo ""; exit 1; }
 	ansible-playbook -i 'localhost,' --extra-vars="cord_podconfig='$(PODCONFIG_PATH)' genconfig_dir='$(GENCONFIG_D)' scenarios_dir='$(SCENARIOS_D)' platform_install_dir='$(PI)' cord_profile_src_dir='$(PROFILE_D)' " $(BUILD)/ansible/genconfig.yml $(LOGCMD)
 
 printconfig:
diff --git a/docs/install.md b/docs/install.md
index ae1e19f..9904a29 100644
--- a/docs/install.md
+++ b/docs/install.md
@@ -133,13 +133,16 @@
 [build/platform-install/profile_manifests](https://github.com/opencord/platform-install/tree/{{
   book.branch }}/profile_manifests).
 
-The included POD configs are generally named `<profile>-<scenario>.yml`, except
+The included POD configs must be named `<profile>-<scenario>.yml`, except
 for the `physical-example.yml` file which is used for a [Physical
   POD](install_physical.md) and requires a bit more work to configured.
 
 POD configs are used during a build by passing them with the `PODCONFIG`
 variable to `make` - ex: `make PODCONFIG=rcord-virtual.yml config`
 
+You can also specify a full path to the POD config file to use with
+`PODCONFIG_PATH`.  This will override the `PODCONFIG` variable.
+
 ### Profiles
 
 The set of services that XOS on-boards into CORD -- the  _Service Graph_, and