diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index db86e6d..3b8f645 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -40,29 +40,38 @@
     // Upstream registry to simplify filling out the comps table below
     upstreamReg = project.hasProperty('upstreamReg') ? project.getProperty('upstreamReg') : 'docker.io'
 
-    // Target registry to be used to publish docker images needed for deployment
-    targetReg = project.hasProperty('targetReg') ? project.getProperty('targetReg') : 'localhost:5000'
-
-    // The tag used to tag the docker images push to the target registry
-    targetTag = project.hasProperty('targetTag') ? project.getProperty('targetTag') : 'candidate'
-
-    // Component table
-    comps = [
-    ]
-
     // Deployment target config file (yaml format); this can be overwritten from the command line
     // using the -PdeployConfig=<file-path> syntax.
     deployConfig = project.hasProperty('deployConfig') ? project.getProperty('deployConfig') : './config/default.yml'
 
+    println "Using deployment config: $deployConfig"
+    File configFile = new File(deployConfig)
+    def yaml = new Yaml()
+    config = yaml.load(configFile.newReader())
+
+
+    // Target registry to be used to publish docker images needed for deployment
+    targetReg = project.hasProperty('targetReg')
+        ? project.getProperty('targetReg')
+        : config.docker && config.docker.registry
+            ? config.docker.registry
+            : 'localhost:5000'
+
+    // The tag used to tag the docker images push to the target registry
+    targetTag = project.hasProperty('targetTag')
+        ? project.getProperty('targetTag')
+        : config.docker && config.docker.imageVersion
+            ? config.docker.imageVersion
+            : 'candidate'    
+
+    println "targetReg = $targetReg, targetTag = $targetTag"
+
+    // Component table
+    comps = [
+    ]
 }
 
 task copyAnsibleInventory(type: Copy) {
-    inputs.file deployConfig
-
-    File configFile = new File(deployConfig)
-    def yaml = new Yaml()
-    def config = yaml.load(configFile.newReader())
-
     from 'inventory/templates/single-prod'
     into 'inventory'
     expand([
@@ -79,14 +88,6 @@
 task prime {
     // TODO this is a place-holder.
     // dependsOn updateDocker
-    doFirst {
-        println "Using deployment config: $deployConfig"
-        File configFile = new File(deployConfig)
-        def yaml = new Yaml()
-        def config = yaml.load(configFile.newReader())
-        println "Config: $config"
-        println "Access some data in config:\n\tSeed server IP=${config.seedServer.ip}"
-    }
 }
 
 // ---------------- Useful tasks ----------------
@@ -144,11 +145,6 @@
 task deployPlatform (type: Exec) {
     dependsOn copyAnsibleInventory
 
-    println "Using deployment config: $deployConfig"
-    File configFile = new File(deployConfig)
-    def yaml = new Yaml()
-    def config = yaml.load(configFile.newReader())
-
     executable = "ansible-playbook"
     args = ["-i", "inventory/single-prod"]
 
@@ -184,10 +180,8 @@
             .p(config.otherServers.role, "prov_role")
     }
 
-    if (config.docker) {
-        extraVars = extraVars.p(config.docker.registry, "docker_registry")
-            .p(config.docker.imageVersion, "docker_image_version")
-    }
+    extraVars = extraVars.p("$targetReg", "deploy_docker_registry")
+        .p("$targetTag", "deploy_docker_tag")
 
     def skipTags = [].p(config.seedServer.skipTags)
 
@@ -197,11 +191,6 @@
 task deploySingle (type: Exec) {
     dependsOn copyAnsibleInventory
 
-    println "Using deployment config: $deployConfig"
-    File configFile = new File(deployConfig)
-    def yaml = new Yaml()
-    def config = yaml.load(configFile.newReader())
-
     executable = "ansible-playbook"
     args = ["-i", "inventory/single-prod"]
 
@@ -237,10 +226,8 @@
             .p(config.otherServers.role, "prov_role")
     }
 
-    if (config.docker) {
-        extraVars = extraVars.p(config.docker.registry, "docker_registry")
-            .p(config.docker.imageVersion, "docker_image_version")
-    }
+    extraVars = extraVars.p("$targetReg", "deploy_docker_registry")
+        .p("$targetTag", "deploy_docker_tag")
 
     def skipTags = [].p(config.seedServer.skipTags)
 
@@ -250,11 +237,6 @@
 task postDeployTests (type: Exec) {
     dependsOn copyAnsibleInventory
 
-    println "Using deployment config: $deployConfig"
-    File configFile = new File(deployConfig)
-    def yaml = new Yaml()
-    def config = yaml.load(configFile.newReader())
-
     executable = "ansible-playbook"
     args = ["-i", "inventory/single-prod"]
 
@@ -290,10 +272,8 @@
             .p(config.otherServers.role, "prov_role")
     }
 
-    if (config.docker) {
-        extraVars = extraVars.p(config.docker.registry, "docker_registry")
-            .p(config.docker.imageVersion, "docker_image_version")
-    }
+    extraVars = extraVars.p("$targetReg", "deploy_docker_registry")
+        .p("$targetTag", "deploy_docker_tag")
 
     def skipTags = [].p(config.seedServer.skipTags)
 
diff --git a/roles/xos-build/defaults/main.yml b/roles/xos-build/defaults/main.yml
index 3d67ba2..4467e45 100644
--- a/roles/xos-build/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/xos-build/defaults/main.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
 ---
 
 xos_repo_dir: "{{ playbook_dir }}/../../orchestration/xos/containers/xos"
-docker_registry: "{{ inventory_hostname }}:5000"
diff --git a/roles/xos-build/tasks/main.yml b/roles/xos-build/tasks/main.yml
index 6bf54a0..847a4e7 100644
--- a/roles/xos-build/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/xos-build/tasks/main.yml
@@ -11,14 +11,11 @@
       xosdir.stat.exists == True
 
 - name: tag xos base container image
-  local_action: command docker tag xosproject/xos-base {{ docker_registry }}/xosproject/xos-base:candidate
+  local_action: command docker tag xosproject/xos-base {{ deploy_docker_registry }}/xosproject/xos-base:{{ deploy_docker_tag }}
   when:
       xosdir.stat.exists == True
 
 - name: publish XOS base container image to local repo
-  local_action: shell cd {{ xos_repo_dir }} && docker push {{ docker_registry }}/xosproject/xos-base:candidate
+  local_action: shell cd {{ xos_repo_dir }} && docker push {{ deploy_docker_registry }}/xosproject/xos-base:{{ deploy_docker_tag }}
   when:
       xosdir.stat.exists == True
-
-
-
diff --git a/roles/xos-vm-install/defaults/main.yml b/roles/xos-vm-install/defaults/main.yml
index 0be9d5b..14d04ab 100644
--- a/roles/xos-vm-install/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/xos-vm-install/defaults/main.yml
@@ -17,4 +17,6 @@
 docker_opts: ""
 docker_tag: "latest"
 docker_registry: "docker.io"
+
 local_docker_registry: "docker-registry:5000"
+local_docker_tag: "{{ deploy_docker_tag | default('candidate') }}"
diff --git a/roles/xos-vm-install/files/xos-setup-cord-pod-playbook.yml b/roles/xos-vm-install/files/xos-setup-cord-pod-playbook.yml
index bf613be..ac4adc6 100644
--- a/roles/xos-vm-install/files/xos-setup-cord-pod-playbook.yml
+++ b/roles/xos-vm-install/files/xos-setup-cord-pod-playbook.yml
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
       with_items: "{{ xos_images }}"
 
     - name: Check to see if registry is reachable
-      command: curl -sf http://docker-registry:5000/
+      command: curl -sf http://{{ local_docker_registry }}
       ignore_errors: yes
       register: docker_registry_check
       tags:
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
       set_fact:
          docker_registry: "{{ local_docker_registry }}"
          docker_opts: "--insecure-registry {{ local_docker_registry }}"
-         docker_tag: "candidate"
+         docker_tag: "{{ deploy_docker_tag }}"
       when: docker_registry_check|succeeded
 
     - name: Set docker options
diff --git a/roles/xos-vm-install/templates/xos-setup-vars.yml.j2 b/roles/xos-vm-install/templates/xos-setup-vars.yml.j2
index ed22592..95b21b4 100644
--- a/roles/xos-vm-install/templates/xos-setup-vars.yml.j2
+++ b/roles/xos-vm-install/templates/xos-setup-vars.yml.j2
@@ -24,3 +24,5 @@
 docker_registry: "{{ docker_registry }}"
 
 local_docker_registry: "{{ local_docker_registry }}"
+deploy_docker_registry: "{{ deploy_docker_registry }}"
+deploy_docker_tag: "{{ deploy_docker_tag }}"