diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 798961f..213d232 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -259,15 +259,7 @@
 
 
 # ONOS targets
-$(M)/build-onos-apps: | $(M)/prep-buildnode $(BUILD_ONOS_APPS_PREREQS)
-	$(SSH_BUILD) "cd $(BUILD_CORD_DIR)/onos-apps; make MAKE_CONFIG=../build/$(MAKEFILE_CONFIG) build" $(LOGCMD)
-	touch $@
-
-$(M)/publish-onos-apps: | $(M)/build-onos-apps
-	$(SSH_BUILD) "cd $(BUILD_CORD_DIR)/onos-apps; make MAKE_CONFIG=../build/$(MAKEFILE_CONFIG) publish" $(LOGCMD)
-	touch $@
-
-$(M)/deploy-mavenrepo: | $(M)/build-onos-apps $(DEPLOY_MAVENREPO_PREREQS)
+$(M)/deploy-mavenrepo: | $(M)/docker-images $(DEPLOY_MAVENREPO_PREREQS)
 	$(ANSIBLE_PB) $(PI)/deploy-mavenrepo-playbook.yml $(LOGCMD)
 	touch $@
 
diff --git a/ansible/roles/genconfig/templates/config.mk.j2 b/ansible/roles/genconfig/templates/config.mk.j2
index 9bfb0fa..caf108b 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/genconfig/templates/config.mk.j2
+++ b/ansible/roles/genconfig/templates/config.mk.j2
@@ -73,9 +73,6 @@
 {% if start_xos_prereqs is defined %}
 START_XOS_PREREQS       = $(M)/{{ start_xos_prereqs | join(" $(M)/") }}
 {% endif %}
-{% if build_onos_apps_prereqs is defined %}
-BUILD_ONOS_APPS_PREREQS = $(M)/{{ build_onos_apps_prereqs | join(" $(M)/") }}
-{% endif %}
 {% if deploy_onos_prereqs is defined %}
 DEPLOY_ONOS_PREREQS     = $(M)/{{ deploy_onos_prereqs | join(" $(M)/") }}
 {% endif %}
diff --git a/docker_images.yml b/docker_images.yml
index 4654c84..e316bed 100644
--- a/docker_images.yml
+++ b/docker_images.yml
@@ -49,6 +49,11 @@
 #    dest: destination path to copy components to, relative to context
 
 buildable_images:
+
+  - name: opencord/mavenrepo
+    repo: cord-onos-publisher
+    dockerfile: "Dockerfile.make"
+
   - name: xosproject/xos-base
     repo: xos
     path: "containers/xos"
@@ -233,3 +238,4 @@
     repo: templateservice
     path: "xos/synchronizer"
     dockerfile: "Dockerfile.synchronizer"
+
diff --git a/scenarios/cord/config.yml b/scenarios/cord/config.yml
index 3d249a9..2ffd2b4 100644
--- a/scenarios/cord/config.yml
+++ b/scenarios/cord/config.yml
@@ -68,13 +68,7 @@
 deploy_openstack_prereqs:
   - deploy-maas
 
-build_onos_apps_prereqs:
-  - deploy-maas
-
 deploy_mavenrepo_prereqs:
-  - publish-onos-apps
-
-deploy_onos_prereqs:
   - publish-docker-images
 
 setup_automation_prereqs:
@@ -151,6 +145,7 @@
   - "gliderlabs/registrator"
   - "nginx"
   - "onosproject/onos"
+  - "opencord/mavenrepo"
   - "redis"
   - "node"
 
diff --git a/scenarios/single/config.yml b/scenarios/single/config.yml
index a58fca0..22c8d78 100644
--- a/scenarios/single/config.yml
+++ b/scenarios/single/config.yml
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@
   - "gliderlabs/registrator"
   - "nginx"
   - "onosproject/onos"
+  - "opencord/mavenrepo"
   - "redis"
   - "node"
 
diff --git a/scripts/imagebuilder.py b/scripts/imagebuilder.py
index 674a2f8..a107db8 100755
--- a/scripts/imagebuilder.py
+++ b/scripts/imagebuilder.py
@@ -673,8 +673,8 @@
             t_fh = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile()
             t = tarfile.open(mode='w', fileobj=t_fh, dereference=True)
 
-            # exclude files in this list
-            exclusion_list = ['.git']
+            # exclude git directories anywhere in the context
+            exclusion_list = ['**/.git']
 
             docker_ignore = os.path.join(context_path, '.dockerignore')
             if os.path.exists(docker_ignore):