diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 81fe22c3465..9b345df9204 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ plugins {
 apply plugin: 'kotlin'
 apply plugin: 'project-report'
 apply plugin: 'com.github.ben-manes.versions'
-apply plugin: 'maven-publish'
 apply plugin: 'net.corda.plugins.publish-utils'
 apply plugin: 'net.corda.plugins.quasar-utils'
 apply plugin: 'net.corda.plugins.cordformation'
@@ -153,9 +152,6 @@ task deployNodes(type: net.corda.plugins.Cordform, dependsOn: ['build']) {
     }
 }
 
-// Aliasing the publishToMavenLocal for simplicity.
-task(install, dependsOn: 'publishToMavenLocal')
-
 bintrayConfig {
     user = System.getenv('CORDA_BINTRAY_USER')
     key = System.getenv('CORDA_BINTRAY_KEY')
diff --git a/client/build.gradle b/client/build.gradle
index 4d2780e9bf3..1748bef18d3 100644
--- a/client/build.gradle
+++ b/client/build.gradle
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 apply plugin: 'kotlin'
 apply plugin: 'net.corda.plugins.quasar-utils'
 apply plugin: 'net.corda.plugins.publish-utils'
-apply plugin: 'maven-publish'
-apply plugin: 'com.jfrog.bintray'
 
 description 'Corda client modules'
 
diff --git a/core/build.gradle b/core/build.gradle
index 67bf9034095..2265ea4402c 100644
--- a/core/build.gradle
+++ b/core/build.gradle
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 apply plugin: 'kotlin'
 apply plugin: 'net.corda.plugins.quasar-utils'
 apply plugin: 'net.corda.plugins.publish-utils'
-apply plugin: 'maven-publish'
-apply plugin: 'com.jfrog.bintray'
 
 description 'Corda core'
 
diff --git a/finance/build.gradle b/finance/build.gradle
index 699f18a92e8..656e4e0b1a5 100644
--- a/finance/build.gradle
+++ b/finance/build.gradle
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ apply plugin: 'kotlin'
 apply plugin: CanonicalizerPlugin
 apply plugin: 'net.corda.plugins.publish-utils'
 apply plugin: 'net.corda.plugins.quasar-utils'
-apply plugin: 'maven-publish'
-apply plugin: 'com.jfrog.bintray'
 
 description 'Corda finance modules'
 
diff --git a/gradle-plugins/publish-utils/src/main/groovy/net/corda/plugins/PublishTasks.groovy b/gradle-plugins/publish-utils/src/main/groovy/net/corda/plugins/PublishTasks.groovy
index ff59810e449..46bf6d0dc41 100644
--- a/gradle-plugins/publish-utils/src/main/groovy/net/corda/plugins/PublishTasks.groovy
+++ b/gradle-plugins/publish-utils/src/main/groovy/net/corda/plugins/PublishTasks.groovy
@@ -24,36 +24,38 @@ class PublishTasks implements Plugin<Project> {
 
         createTasks()
         createExtensions()
-        checkAndApplyPublishing()
+        checkAndConfigurePublishing()
     }
 
-    void checkAndApplyPublishing() {
+    void checkAndConfigurePublishing() {
+        project.logger.info("Checking whether to publish ${project.name}")
         def bintrayConfig = project.rootProject.extensions.findByType(BintrayConfigExtension.class)
         if((bintrayConfig != null) && (bintrayConfig.publications) && (bintrayConfig.publications.findAll { it == project.name }.size() > 0)) {
-            applyPublishing(bintrayConfig)
+            configurePublishing(bintrayConfig)
         }
     }
 
-    void applyPublishing(BintrayConfigExtension bintrayConfig) {
+    void configurePublishing(BintrayConfigExtension bintrayConfig) {
         project.afterEvaluate {
             project.logger.info("Configuring bintray for ${project.name}")
-            project.configure(project) {
-                apply plugin: 'maven-publish'
-                apply plugin: 'com.jfrog.bintray'
-            }
-            def bintray = project.extensions.findByName("bintray")
-            configureBintray(bintray, bintrayConfig)
-            project.publishing.publications.create(project.name, MavenPublication) {
-                from project.components.java
-                groupId project.group
-                artifactId project.name
+            configureMavenPublish(bintrayConfig)
+            configureBintray(bintrayConfig)
+        }
+    }
 
-                artifact project.tasks.sourceJar
-                artifact project.tasks.javadocJar
+    void configureMavenPublish(BintrayConfigExtension bintrayConfig) {
+        project.apply([plugin: 'maven-publish'])
+        project.publishing.publications.create(project.name, MavenPublication) {
+            from project.components.java
+            groupId project.group
+            artifactId project.name
 
-                extendPomForMavenCentral(pom, bintrayConfig)
-            }
+            artifact project.tasks.sourceJar
+            artifact project.tasks.javadocJar
+
+            extendPomForMavenCentral(pom, bintrayConfig)
         }
+        project.task("install", dependsOn: "publishToMavenLocal")
     }
 
     // Maven central requires all of the below fields for this to be a valid POM
@@ -87,7 +89,9 @@ class PublishTasks implements Plugin<Project> {
         }
     }
 
-    void configureBintray(def bintray, BintrayConfigExtension bintrayConfig) {
+    void configureBintray(BintrayConfigExtension bintrayConfig) {
+        project.apply([plugin: 'com.jfrog.bintray'])
+        def bintray = project.extensions.findByName("bintray")
         bintray.user = bintrayConfig.user
         bintray.key = bintrayConfig.key
         bintray.publications = [ project.name ]
diff --git a/node/build.gradle b/node/build.gradle
index 34d18c18f3a..7e39c1b5e60 100644
--- a/node/build.gradle
+++ b/node/build.gradle
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ apply plugin: 'kotlin'
 apply plugin: 'java'
 apply plugin: 'net.corda.plugins.quasar-utils'
 apply plugin: 'net.corda.plugins.publish-utils'
-apply plugin: 'maven-publish'
-apply plugin: 'com.jfrog.bintray'
 
 description 'Corda node modules'
 
diff --git a/test-utils/build.gradle b/test-utils/build.gradle
index 7c8e36c2a34..b220b3ce4b2 100644
--- a/test-utils/build.gradle
+++ b/test-utils/build.gradle
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 apply plugin: 'kotlin'
 apply plugin: 'net.corda.plugins.quasar-utils'
 apply plugin: 'net.corda.plugins.publish-utils'
-apply plugin: 'maven-publish'
-apply plugin: 'com.jfrog.bintray'
 
 description 'Testing utilities for Corda'
 
@@ -20,7 +18,6 @@ repositories {
 
 //noinspection GroovyAssignabilityCheck
 configurations {
-
     // we don't want isolated.jar in classPath, since we want to test jar being dynamically loaded as an attachment
     runtime.exclude module: 'isolated'
 }