diff --git a/group_vars/all b/group_vars/all
index 8471ce6..8cdff65 100644
--- a/group_vars/all
+++ b/group_vars/all
@@ -4,61 +4,62 @@
 # Defaults for XOS container build and publish roles.
 # Can be overridden by variables in the profile manifest.
 
-cord_dir: "{{ ansible_user_dir + '/cord' }}"
+# the path below is a hack, and going away soon
+build_cord_dir: "{{ playbook_dir ~ '/../..' }}"
 
 chameleon_dirs:
-  - "{{ cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos/containers/chameleon/tmp.chameleon"
-  - "{{ cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos/containers/xos/tmp.chameleon"
+  - "{{ build_cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos/containers/chameleon/tmp.chameleon"
+  - "{{ build_cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos/containers/xos/tmp.chameleon"
 
 docker_images:
   - name: "xosproject/xos-base"
-    path: "{{ cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos/containers/xos"
+    path: "{{ build_cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos/containers/xos"
     dockerfile: "Dockerfile.base"
     pull: True
     build: False
     publish: False
   - name: "xosproject/xos-postgres"
-    path: "{{ cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos/containers/postgresql"
+    path: "{{ build_cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos/containers/postgresql"
     dockerfile: "Dockerfile"
     pull: True
     publish: True
   - name: "xosproject/xos"
-    path: "{{ cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos"
+    path: "{{ build_cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos"
     dockerfile: "containers/xos/Dockerfile.xos"
     pull: False
     publish: True
   - name: "xosproject/chameleon"
-    path: "{{ cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos/containers/chameleon"
+    path: "{{ build_cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos/containers/chameleon"
     dockerfile: "Dockerfile.chameleon"
     pull: False
     publish: True
   - name: "xosproject/xos-client"
-    path: "{{ cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos"
+    path: "{{ build_cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos"
     dockerfile: "containers/xos/Dockerfile.client"
     pull: False
     publish: True
   - name: "xosproject/xos-synchronizer-base"
-    path: "{{ cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos"
+    path: "{{ build_cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos"
     dockerfile: "containers/xos/Dockerfile.synchronizer-base"
     pull: False
     publish: True
   - name: "xosproject/xos-ws"
-    path: "{{ cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos-rest-gw" # TODO rename repo
+    path: "{{ build_cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos-rest-gw" # TODO rename repo
     dockerfile: "Dockerfile"
     pull: False
     publish: True
   - name: "xosproject/xos-gui"
-    path: "{{ cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos-gui"
+    path: "{{ build_cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos-gui"
     dockerfile: "Dockerfile"
     pull: False
     publish: True
   - name: "xosproject/xos-gui-extension-builder"
-    path: "{{ cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos-gui/"
+    path: "{{ build_cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos-gui/"
     dockerfile: "Dockerfile.xos-gui-extension-builder"
     pull: False
     publish: False
   - name: "xosproject/xos-corebuilder"
-    path: "{{ cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos"
+    path: "{{ build_cord_dir }}/orchestration/xos"
     dockerfile: "containers/xos/Dockerfile.corebuilder"
     pull: False
     publish: True