diff --git a/gradle/build.gradle b/gradle/build.gradle
index 343a25bcb..c60ea9ce1 100644
--- a/gradle/build.gradle
+++ b/gradle/build.gradle
@@ -1,4 +1,18 @@
 buildscript {
+  ext.repositoryUrl = project.findProperty('repositoryUrl')
+  ext.publishUrl = project.findProperty('publishUrl')
+  repositories {
+    if (repositoryUrl == null) {
+      println "Using Maven central..."
+      mavenCentral()
+    } else {
+      maven {
+        println "Using GCS Maven repo..."
+        url repositoryUrl
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   // Lock buildscript dependencies.
   configurations.classpath {
     resolutionStrategy.activateDependencyLocking()
@@ -57,7 +71,7 @@ task stage {
 }
 
 
-if (publishUrl) {
+if (publishUrl != null) {
   publishing {
     repositories {
       maven {
@@ -115,12 +129,12 @@ allprojects {
   if (project.name == 'services') return
 
   repositories {
-    if (rootProject.repositoryUrl) {
+    if (rootProject.repositoryUrl == null) {
+      mavenCentral()
+    } else {
       maven {
         url rootProject.repositoryUrl
       }
-    } else {
-      mavenCentral()
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/gradle/gradle.properties b/gradle/gradle.properties
deleted file mode 100644
index 8035c0843..000000000
--- a/gradle/gradle.properties
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-repositoryUrl=
-publishUrl=
diff --git a/gradle/settings.gradle b/gradle/settings.gradle
index cb3438ba0..30879379f 100644
--- a/gradle/settings.gradle
+++ b/gradle/settings.gradle
@@ -1,16 +1,3 @@
-if (repositoryUrl) {
-  println "Using repository $repositoryUrl for plugins"
-  pluginManagement {
-    repositories {
-      maven {
-        url repositoryUrl
-      }
-    }
-  }
-} else {
-  println "Using default repository for plugins"
-}
-
 rootProject.name = 'nomulus'
 
 include 'core'