diff --git a/maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/openmrs/maven/plugins/BuildDistro.java b/maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/openmrs/maven/plugins/BuildDistro.java
index 40f3ccf2..3ddf5d80 100644
--- a/maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/openmrs/maven/plugins/BuildDistro.java
+++ b/maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/openmrs/maven/plugins/BuildDistro.java
@@ -138,6 +138,8 @@ public void executeTask() throws MojoExecutionException, MojoFailureException {
 			if (distroFile.exists()) {
 				wizard.showMessage("Building distribution from the distro file at " + distroFile + "...\n");
 				distroProperties = new DistroProperties(distroFile);
+				distroArtifact = distroProperties.getParentArtifact();
+				distroProperties = handleParentDistroProperties(distroArtifact, buildDirectory, distroProperties);
 			} else if (Project.hasProject(userDir)) {
 				Project config = Project.loadProject(userDir);
 				distroArtifact = DistroHelper
@@ -157,6 +159,8 @@ public void executeTask() throws MojoExecutionException, MojoFailureException {
 			}
 		} else if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(distro)) {
 			distroProperties = distroHelper.resolveDistroPropertiesForStringSpecifier(distro, versionsHelper);
+			distroArtifact = distroProperties.getParentArtifact();
+			distroProperties = handleParentDistroProperties(distroArtifact, buildDirectory, distroProperties);
 		}
 
 		if (distroProperties == null) {
@@ -198,6 +202,18 @@ public void executeTask() throws MojoExecutionException, MojoFailureException {
 						+ buildDirectory.getAbsolutePath() + "\n");
 	}
 
+	private DistroProperties handleParentDistroProperties(Artifact distroArtifact, File buildDirectory, DistroProperties distroProperties) throws MojoExecutionException {
+		if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(distroArtifact.getArtifactId()) && StringUtils.isNotBlank(distroArtifact.getGroupId()) && StringUtils.isNotBlank(distroArtifact.getVersion())) {
+			Server tempServer = new Server.ServerBuilder().build();
+			tempServer.setDistroArtifactId(distroArtifact.getArtifactId());
+			tempServer.setDistroGroupId(distroArtifact.getGroupId());
+			tempServer.setVersion(distroArtifact.getVersion());
+			tempServer.setServerDirectory(buildDirectory);
+			distroProperties = distroHelper.resolveParentArtifact(distroArtifact, tempServer, distroProperties, appShellVersion);
+		}
+		return distroProperties;
+	}
+
 	private File getBuildDirectory() throws MojoExecutionException {
 		final File targetDir;
 		if (StringUtils.isBlank(dir)) {
diff --git a/maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/openmrs/maven/plugins/Setup.java b/maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/openmrs/maven/plugins/Setup.java
index b1019428..00b23e95 100644
--- a/maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/openmrs/maven/plugins/Setup.java
+++ b/maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/openmrs/maven/plugins/Setup.java
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Objects;
-import java.util.Properties;
 
 import net.lingala.zip4j.core.ZipFile;
 import net.lingala.zip4j.exception.ZipException;
@@ -219,20 +218,7 @@ private DistroProperties resolveDistroProperties(Server server) throws MojoExecu
 				default:  // distro properties from current directory
 					Artifact distroArtifact = distroProperties.getParentArtifact();
 					if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(distroArtifact.getArtifactId()) && StringUtils.isNotBlank(distroArtifact.getGroupId()) && StringUtils.isNotBlank(distroArtifact.getVersion())) {
-						server.setDistroArtifactId(distroArtifact.getArtifactId());
-						server.setDistroGroupId(distroArtifact.getGroupId());
-						server.setVersion(distroArtifact.getVersion());
-						Properties properties = distroHelper.getArtifactProperties(distroArtifact, server, appShellVersion);
-						for (Object key : distroProperties.getAllKeys()) {
-							String keyStr = (String) key;
-							properties.setProperty(keyStr, distroProperties.getParam(keyStr));
-						}
-						List<String> exclusions = distroProperties.getExclusions();
-
-						for (String exclusion : exclusions) {
-							properties.remove(exclusion);
-						}
-						distroProperties = new DistroProperties(properties);
+						distroProperties = distroHelper.resolveParentArtifact(distroArtifact, server, distroProperties, appShellVersion);
 					} else {
 						server.setPlatformVersion(
 								distroProperties.getPlatformVersion(distroHelper, server.getServerTmpDirectory()));
diff --git a/sdk-commons/src/main/java/org/openmrs/maven/plugins/utility/DistroHelper.java b/sdk-commons/src/main/java/org/openmrs/maven/plugins/utility/DistroHelper.java
index 4152fd86..e897ab24 100644
--- a/sdk-commons/src/main/java/org/openmrs/maven/plugins/utility/DistroHelper.java
+++ b/sdk-commons/src/main/java/org/openmrs/maven/plugins/utility/DistroHelper.java
@@ -517,4 +517,21 @@ public Properties getArtifactProperties(Artifact artifact, Server server, String
 		return properties;
 	}
 
+	public DistroProperties resolveParentArtifact(Artifact parentArtifact, Server server, DistroProperties distroProperties, String appShellVersion) throws MojoExecutionException {
+		server.setDistroArtifactId(parentArtifact.getArtifactId());
+		server.setDistroGroupId(parentArtifact.getGroupId());
+		server.setVersion(parentArtifact.getVersion());
+		Properties properties = getArtifactProperties(parentArtifact, server, appShellVersion);
+		for (Object key : distroProperties.getAllKeys()) {
+			String keyStr = (String) key;
+			properties.setProperty(keyStr, distroProperties.getParam(keyStr));
+		}
+		List<String> exclusions = distroProperties.getExclusions();
+
+		for (String exclusion : exclusions) {
+			properties.remove(exclusion);
+		}
+		return new DistroProperties(properties);
+	}
+
 }