diff --git a/roles/onos-load-apps/defaults/main.yml b/roles/onos-load-apps/defaults/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2dd2a2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/onos-load-apps/defaults/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+---
+# onos-load-apps/defaults/main.yml
+
+onos_cord_vm_hostname: "onos-cord-1"
+onos_web_user: "onos"
+onos_web_pass: "rocks"
+
+cord_apps:
+  - name: cord-config
+    onos_name: org.opencord.config
+  - name: vtn
+    onos_name: org.opencord.vtn
+
+cord_apps_repo_url: "https://oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/public"
+cord_apps_version: "latest"
+
diff --git a/roles/onos-load-apps/files/config.xml b/roles/onos-load-apps/files/config.xml
deleted file mode 100644
index 58aad2a..0000000
--- a/roles/onos-load-apps/files/config.xml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-<app name="org.opencord.config" origin="ON.Lab" version="1.0-SNAPSHOT" 
-        category="Configuration" url="http://opencord.org" title="CORD Configuration" 
-        featuresRepo="mvn:org.opencord/config/1.0-SNAPSHOT/xml/features" 
-        features="cord-config"> 
-    <description>CORD Configuration</description> 
-    <artifact>mvn:org.opencord/config/1.0-SNAPSHOT</artifact> 
-</app> 
diff --git a/roles/onos-load-apps/files/onos-app b/roles/onos-load-apps/files/onos-app
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fb6fff6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/onos-load-apps/files/onos-app
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Tool to manage ONOS applications using REST API.
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+node=${1:-$OCI}
+cmd=${2:-list}
+app=${3}
+
+export URL=http://$node:8181/onos/v1/applications
+export HDR="-HContent-Type:application/octet-stream"
+export HAJ="-HContent-Type:application/json"
+export curl="curl -sS --user $ONOS_WEB_USER:$ONOS_WEB_PASS"
+
+# Prints usage help
+function usage {
+    echo "usage: onos-app <node-ip> list" >&2
+    echo "       onos-app <node-ip> {install|install!} <app-file>" >&2
+    echo "       onos-app <node-ip> {reinstall|reinstall!} [<app-name>] <app-file>" >&2
+    echo "       onos-app <node-ip> {activate|deactivate|uninstall} <app-name>" >&2
+    exit 1
+}
+
+# Extract app name from the specified *.oar file
+function appName {
+    aux=/tmp/aux$$.jar
+    cp $1 $aux
+    pushd /tmp >/dev/null
+    jar xf $aux app.xml && grep name= app.xml | cut -d\" -f2
+    rm -f $aux /tmp/app.xml
+    popd >/dev/null
+}
+
+[ -z $node -o "$node" = "-h" -o "$node" = "--help" -o "$node" = "-?" ] && usage
+
+case $cmd in
+    list) $curl -X GET $URL;;
+    installUrl!|installUrl)
+        activate="false"
+        [ $cmd = "installUrl!" ] && activate="true"
+        [ $# -lt 3 ] && usage
+        appurl=$3
+        $curl -X POST $HAJ -d '{"url" : "'"$appurl"'", "activate" : "'$activate'" }' $URL
+        ;;
+    install!|install)
+        [ $cmd = "install!" ] && activate="?activate=true"
+        [ $# -lt 3 -o ! -f $app ] && usage
+        $curl -X POST $HDR $URL$activate --data-binary @$app
+        ;;
+
+    reinstall!|reinstall)
+        [ $cmd = "reinstall!" ] && activate="?activate=true"
+        [ $# -lt 4 -a ! -f "$3" ] && usage
+        [ $# -eq 4 -a ! -f "$4" ] && usage
+        oar=$4
+        [ $# -lt 4 ] && oar=$3 && app=$(appName $oar)
+        $curl -X DELETE $URL/$app
+        $curl -X POST $HDR $URL$activate --data-binary @$oar
+        ;;
+
+    uninstall)
+        [ $# -lt 3 ] && usage
+        $curl -X DELETE $URL/$app
+        ;;
+    activate)
+        [ $# -lt 3 ] && usage
+        $curl -X POST $URL/$app/active
+        ;;
+    deactivate)
+        [ $# -lt 3 ] && usage
+        $curl -X DELETE $URL/$app/active
+        ;;
+
+    *) usage;;
+esac
+
+
+status=$?
+echo # new line for prompt
+exit $status
diff --git a/roles/onos-load-apps/files/vtn.xml b/roles/onos-load-apps/files/vtn.xml
deleted file mode 100644
index 9b3eae7..0000000
--- a/roles/onos-load-apps/files/vtn.xml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-<app name="org.opencord.vtn" origin="ON.Lab" version="1.0-SNAPSHOT" 
-        category="Traffic Steering" url="http://onosproject.org" title="CORD Virtual Tenant Network" 
-        featuresRepo="mvn:org.opencord/vtn/1.0-SNAPSHOT/xml/features" 
-        features="cord-vtn" 
-        apps="org.onosproject.ovsdb-base,org.onosproject.dhcp,org.onosproject.xosclient,org.opencord.config"> 
-    <description>VTN for CORD</description> 
-    <artifact>mvn:org.opencord/vtn/1.0-SNAPSHOT</artifact> 
-</app> 
diff --git a/roles/onos-load-apps/tasks/main.yml b/roles/onos-load-apps/tasks/main.yml
index e4f165a..32a8a21 100644
--- a/roles/onos-load-apps/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/onos-load-apps/tasks/main.yml
@@ -1,18 +1,46 @@
 ---
 # onos-load-apps/tasks/main.yml
-#
-# Install CORD ONOS apps from local containers
 
-- name: Disable loading from Maven repo
+- name: Disable loading of CORD apps from Maven repo
   command: ansible xos-1 -u ubuntu -m lineinfile \
     -a "dest=~/service-profile/{{ xos_configuration }}/make-vtn-external-yaml.sh state=absent regexp='install_dependencies'"
 
-- name: Load the apps using Docker
-  command: ansible xos-1 -u ubuntu -m shell \
-    -a "cd ~/xos/containers/cord-apps; make {{ item }}; sudo docker run xosproject/cord-app-{{ item }}"
+- name: Create directory for CORD apps and load script
+  file:
+    state: directory
+    dest: "{{ ansible_user_dir }}/cord_apps/"
+
+- name: Create cord_app_loader.sh script to load CORD apps
+  template:
+    src: "{{ item }}.j2"
+    dest: "{{ ansible_user_dir }}/cord_apps/{{ item }}"
+    mode: 0755
+  with_items:
+    - cord_app_loader.sh
+
+- name: Copy onos-app REST API app loader tool
+  copy:
+    src: "{{ item }}"
+    dest: "{{ ansible_user_dir }}/cord_apps/{{ item }}"
+    mode: 0755
+  with_items:
+   - onos-app
+
+- name: Download CORD apps from maven repo
+  maven_artifact:
+    repository_url: "{{ cord_apps_repo_url }}"
+    group_id: "org.opencord"
+    artifact_id: "{{ item.name }}"
+    version: "{{ cord_apps_version }}"
+    extension: "oar"
+    dest: "{{ ansible_user_dir }}/cord_apps/{{ item.name }}.oar"
   with_items: "{{ cord_apps }}"
 
-- name: Enable debugging for cord apps
-  shell: "sshpass -p 'karaf' ssh -p 8101 karaf@onos-cord-1 log:set DEBUG org.opencord.{{ item }}"
-  with_items: "{{ cord_apps }}"
+- name: Wait for ONOS to be ready
+  wait_for:
+    host: "{{ onos_cord_vm_hostname }}"
+    port: 8181
+
+- name: Install CORD apps
+  command: "{{ ansible_user_dir }}/cord_apps/cord_app_loader.sh"
 
diff --git a/roles/onos-load-apps/templates/cord_app_loader.sh.j2 b/roles/onos-load-apps/templates/cord_app_loader.sh.j2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..742f2d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/roles/onos-load-apps/templates/cord_app_loader.sh.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# onos-vm-install/templates/cord_loader.sh.j2
+# loads/activates .oar CORD app files into ONOS instance
+
+export ONOS_WEB_USER={{ onos_web_user }}
+export ONOS_WEB_PASS={{ onos_web_pass }}
+
+BASEDIR=$(dirname "$0") # current directory of script
+
+{% for cord_app in cord_apps %}
+${BASEDIR}/onos-app {{ onos_cord_vm_hostname }} install ${BASEDIR}/{{ cord_app.name }}.oar
+${BASEDIR}/onos-app {{ onos_cord_vm_hostname }} activate {{ cord_app.onos_name }}
+{% endfor %}
+
diff --git a/roles/onos-load-apps/vars/main.yml b/roles/onos-load-apps/vars/main.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 8bce3aa..0000000
--- a/roles/onos-load-apps/vars/main.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
----
-
-cord_apps:
-- config
-- vtn