diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/BuildPlugin.groovy b/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/BuildPlugin.groovy
index 0cd869ddf6a87..5b745fca8128b 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/BuildPlugin.groovy
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/BuildPlugin.groovy
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import nebula.plugin.info.InfoBrokerPlugin
 import org.apache.commons.io.IOUtils
 import org.elasticsearch.gradle.info.BuildParams
 import org.elasticsearch.gradle.info.GlobalBuildInfoPlugin
-import org.elasticsearch.gradle.info.JavaHome
 import org.elasticsearch.gradle.plugin.PluginBuildPlugin
 import org.elasticsearch.gradle.precommit.DependencyLicensesTask
 import org.elasticsearch.gradle.precommit.PrecommitTasks
@@ -56,13 +55,11 @@ import org.gradle.api.artifacts.repositories.IvyPatternRepositoryLayout
 import org.gradle.api.artifacts.repositories.MavenArtifactRepository
 import org.gradle.api.credentials.HttpHeaderCredentials
 import org.gradle.api.execution.TaskActionListener
-import org.gradle.api.execution.TaskExecutionGraph
 import org.gradle.api.file.CopySpec
 import org.gradle.api.plugins.BasePlugin
 import org.gradle.api.plugins.BasePluginConvention
 import org.gradle.api.plugins.ExtraPropertiesExtension
 import org.gradle.api.plugins.JavaPlugin
-import org.gradle.api.plugins.JavaPluginExtension
 import org.gradle.api.publish.PublishingExtension
 import org.gradle.api.publish.maven.MavenPublication
 import org.gradle.api.publish.maven.plugins.MavenPublishPlugin
@@ -71,16 +68,13 @@ import org.gradle.api.tasks.SourceSet
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.SourceSetContainer
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.TaskProvider
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.bundling.Jar
-import org.gradle.api.tasks.compile.GroovyCompile
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.compile.JavaCompile
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.javadoc.Javadoc
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.testing.Test
-import org.gradle.api.tasks.testing.logging.TestLoggingContainer
 import org.gradle.authentication.http.HttpHeaderAuthentication
 import org.gradle.external.javadoc.CoreJavadocOptions
 import org.gradle.internal.jvm.Jvm
 import org.gradle.language.base.plugins.LifecycleBasePlugin
-import org.gradle.process.CommandLineArgumentProvider
 import org.gradle.util.GradleVersion
 
 import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets
@@ -313,6 +307,16 @@ class BuildPlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
 
     /**Configuration generation of maven poms. */
     static void configurePomGeneration(Project project) {
+        // have to defer this until archivesBaseName is set
+        project.afterEvaluate {
+            project.pluginManager.withPlugin('maven-publish') {
+                PublishingExtension publishing = project.extensions.getByType(PublishingExtension)
+                publishing.publications.withType(MavenPublication) { MavenPublication publication ->
+                    publication.artifactId = project.convention.getPlugin(BasePluginConvention).archivesBaseName
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
         project.plugins.withType(MavenPublishPlugin).whenPluginAdded {
             TaskProvider generatePomTask = project.tasks.register("generatePom") { Task task ->
                 task.dependsOn 'generatePomFileForNebulaPublication'
@@ -323,7 +327,7 @@ class BuildPlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
             }
 
             project.tasks.withType(GenerateMavenPom).configureEach({ GenerateMavenPom pomTask ->
-                pomTask.destination = "${project.buildDir}/distributions/${project.convention.getPlugin(BasePluginConvention).archivesBaseName}-${project.version}.pom"
+                pomTask.destination = { "${project.buildDir}/distributions/${project.convention.getPlugin(BasePluginConvention).archivesBaseName}-${project.version}.pom" }
             } as Action<GenerateMavenPom>)
 
             PublishingExtension publishing = project.extensions.getByType(PublishingExtension)
@@ -336,7 +340,7 @@ class BuildPlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
                 // Here we manually add any project dependencies in the "shadow" configuration to our generated POM
                 publication.pom.withXml(this.&addScmInfo)
                 publication.pom.withXml { xml ->
-                    Node root = xml.asNode();
+                    Node root = xml.asNode()
                     root.appendNode('name', project.name)
                     root.appendNode('description', project.description)
                     Node dependenciesNode = (root.get('dependencies') as NodeList).get(0) as Node
diff --git a/client/rest/build.gradle b/client/rest/build.gradle
index 6721e7a9d7723..b9af6f7ca58f9 100644
--- a/client/rest/build.gradle
+++ b/client/rest/build.gradle
@@ -27,14 +27,6 @@ sourceCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8
 group = 'org.elasticsearch.client'
 archivesBaseName = 'elasticsearch-rest-client'
 
-publishing {
-  publications {
-    nebula {
-      artifactId = archivesBaseName
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 dependencies {
   compile "org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient:${versions.httpclient}"
   compile "org.apache.httpcomponents:httpcore:${versions.httpcore}"
diff --git a/client/sniffer/build.gradle b/client/sniffer/build.gradle
index 33820e3139efd..437b361313386 100644
--- a/client/sniffer/build.gradle
+++ b/client/sniffer/build.gradle
@@ -25,14 +25,6 @@ sourceCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8
 group = 'org.elasticsearch.client'
 archivesBaseName = 'elasticsearch-rest-client-sniffer'
 
-publishing {
-  publications {
-    nebula {
-      artifactId = archivesBaseName
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 dependencies {
   compile project(":client:rest")
   compile "org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient:${versions.httpclient}"
diff --git a/libs/core/build.gradle b/libs/core/build.gradle
index 0ca0148e76593..5c63c6d53094a 100644
--- a/libs/core/build.gradle
+++ b/libs/core/build.gradle
@@ -63,14 +63,6 @@ if (!isEclipse) {
   }
 }
 
-publishing {
-  publications {
-    nebula {
-      artifactId = archivesBaseName
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 dependencies {
   // This dependency is used only by :libs:core for null-checking interop with other tools
   compileOnly "com.google.code.findbugs:jsr305:3.0.2"
diff --git a/modules/lang-painless/spi/build.gradle b/modules/lang-painless/spi/build.gradle
index e8325a86faf88..32604c0f84fd2 100644
--- a/modules/lang-painless/spi/build.gradle
+++ b/modules/lang-painless/spi/build.gradle
@@ -23,14 +23,6 @@ apply plugin: 'nebula.maven-base-publish'
 group = 'org.elasticsearch.plugin'
 archivesBaseName = 'elasticsearch-scripting-painless-spi'
 
-publishing {
-  publications {
-    nebula {
-      artifactId = archivesBaseName
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 dependencies {
   compile project(":server")
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/transport-client/build.gradle b/x-pack/transport-client/build.gradle
index 7b39cffcbaa82..0e7444ddb34b8 100644
--- a/x-pack/transport-client/build.gradle
+++ b/x-pack/transport-client/build.gradle
@@ -30,11 +30,3 @@ testingConventions {
     }
   }
 }
-
-publishing {
-  publications {
-    nebula(MavenPublication) {
-      artifactId = archivesBaseName
-    }
-  }
-}