diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/BuildPlugin.groovy b/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/BuildPlugin.groovy
index 9b0e303d009c1..7e1384eccd4e4 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/BuildPlugin.groovy
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/BuildPlugin.groovy
@@ -365,6 +365,16 @@ 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'
@@ -375,7 +385,7 @@ 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)
diff --git a/client/rest-high-level/build.gradle b/client/rest-high-level/build.gradle
index 60381802b4a73..f3112d825160d 100644
--- a/client/rest-high-level/build.gradle
+++ b/client/rest-high-level/build.gradle
@@ -28,14 +28,6 @@ apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.rest-resources'
 group = 'org.elasticsearch.client'
 archivesBaseName = 'elasticsearch-rest-high-level-client'
 
-publishing {
-  publications {
-    nebula {
-      artifactId = archivesBaseName
-    }
-  }
-}
-
 restResources {
   //we need to copy the yaml spec so we can check naming (see RestHighlevelClientTests#testApiNamingConventions)
   restApi {
diff --git a/client/rest/build.gradle b/client/rest/build.gradle
index be48321be1278..e6895d54e7f95 100644
--- a/client/rest/build.gradle
+++ b/client/rest/build.gradle
@@ -28,14 +28,6 @@ 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 a0bea7a7b69bf..bcb405fbc98c4 100644
--- a/client/sniffer/build.gradle
+++ b/client/sniffer/build.gradle
@@ -26,14 +26,6 @@ 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 5515acf6fa3dd..d5283cc625769 100644
--- a/libs/core/build.gradle
+++ b/libs/core/build.gradle
@@ -64,14 +64,6 @@ 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 3f25f247a2b67..a73ec4a7e922d 100644
--- a/modules/lang-painless/spi/build.gradle
+++ b/modules/lang-painless/spi/build.gradle
@@ -24,14 +24,6 @@ apply plugin: 'nebula.maven-scm'
 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 0254cbabcf3a5..d8d5a190a3580 100644
--- a/x-pack/transport-client/build.gradle
+++ b/x-pack/transport-client/build.gradle
@@ -31,11 +31,3 @@ testingConventions {
     }
   }
 }
-
-publishing {
-  publications {
-    nebula(MavenPublication) {
-      artifactId = archivesBaseName
-    }
-  }
-}