diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index 8b6350ba..3fd519f3 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -1,31 +1,7 @@
-# Rakefile to build a project using HUDSON
 RAKE_ROOT = File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__))
 
-begin
-  require 'rdoc/task'
-rescue LoadError
-  require 'rake/rdoctask'
-end
-
-require 'rake/packagetask'
-require 'rake/clean'
-require 'find'
-require 'rubygems/package_task'
-
-PROJ_DOC_TITLE = "The Marionette Collective"
-PROJ_VERSION = "2.3.2"
-PROJ_RELEASE = "1"
-PROJ_NAME = "mcollective"
-PROJ_RPM_NAMES = [PROJ_NAME]
-PROJ_FILES = ["#{PROJ_NAME}.init", "COPYING", "doc", "etc", "lib", "plugins", "ext", "bin"]
-PROJ_FILES.concat(Dir.glob("mc-*"))
-RDOC_EXCLUDES = ["mcollective/vendor", "spec", "ext", "website", "plugins"]
-
-ENV["RPM_VERSION"] ? CURRENT_VERSION = ENV["RPM_VERSION"] : CURRENT_VERSION = PROJ_VERSION
-ENV["BUILD_NUMBER"] ? CURRENT_RELEASE = ENV["BUILD_NUMBER"] : CURRENT_RELEASE = PROJ_RELEASE
-ENV["DEB_DISTRIBUTION"] ? PKG_DEB_DISTRIBUTION = ENV["DEB_DISTRIBUTION"] : PKG_DEB_DISTRIBUTION = "unstable"
-
-CLEAN.include(["build", "doc"])
+# Allow override of RELEASE using BUILD_NUMBER
+ENV["RELEASE"] = ENV["BUILD_NUMBER"] if ENV["BUILD_NUMBER"]
 
 begin
   load File.join(RAKE_ROOT, 'ext', 'packaging.rake')
@@ -38,80 +14,85 @@ def announce(msg='')
   STDERR.puts "================"
 end
 
-def init
-  FileUtils.mkdir("build") unless File.exist?("build")
-end
-
 def safe_system *args
   raise RuntimeError, "Failed: #{args.join(' ')}" unless system(*args)
 end
 
-spec = Gem::Specification.new do |s|
-  s.name = "mcollective-client"
-  s.version = PROJ_VERSION
-  s.author = "R.I.Pienaar"
-  s.email = "rip@puppetlabs.com"
-  s.homepage = "https://docs.puppetlabs.com/mcollective/"
-  s.summary = "Client libraries for The Marionette Collective"
-  s.description = "Client libraries for the mcollective Application Server"
-  s.files = FileList["{bin,lib}/**/*"].to_a
-  s.require_path = "lib"
-  s.test_files = FileList["spec/**/*"].to_a
-  s.has_rdoc = true
-  s.executables = "mco"
-  s.default_executable = "mco"
-  s.add_dependency "systemu"
-  s.add_dependency "json"
-  s.add_dependency "stomp"
-  s.add_dependency "i18n"
-
-  excluded_files = ["bin/mcollectived", "lib/mcollective/runner.rb", "lib/mcollective/vendor/json", "lib/mcollective/vendor/systemu", "lib/mcollective/vendor/i18n", "lib/mcollective/vendor/load"]
-
-  excluded_files.each do |file|
-    s.files.delete_if {|f| f.match(/^#{file}/)}
+def load_tools
+  unless File.directory?(File.join(RAKE_ROOT, 'ext', 'packaging'))
+    Rake::Task["package:bootstrap"].invoke
+    begin
+      load File.join(RAKE_ROOT, 'ext', 'packaging.rake')
+    rescue LoadError
+      STDERR.puts "Could not load packaging tools. exiting"
+      exit 1
+    end
   end
 end
 
-Gem::PackageTask.new(spec) do |pkg|
-  pkg.need_tar = false
-  pkg.need_zip = false
-  pkg.package_dir = "build"
+def move_artifacts
+  mv("pkg", "build")
 end
 
-desc "Build documentation, tar balls and rpms"
-task :default => [:clean, :doc, :package]
+desc "Cleanup"
+task :clean do
+  rm_rf "build"
+  rm_rf "doc"
+end
 
-# task for building docs
-rd = Rake::RDocTask.new(:doc) { |rdoc|
-  rdoc.rdoc_dir = 'doc'
-  rdoc.title    = "#{PROJ_DOC_TITLE} version #{CURRENT_VERSION}"
-  rdoc.options << '--line-numbers' << '--main' << 'MCollective'
+desc "Create the .debs"
+task :deb => :clean do
+  load_tools
+  announce("Building debian packages for #{@build.project}-#{@build.version}-#{@build.release}")
+  Rake::Task["package:deb"].invoke
 
-  RDOC_EXCLUDES.each do |ext|
-    rdoc.options << '--exclude' << ext
+  if ENV['SIGNED'] == '1'
+    deb_flag = "-k#{ENV['SIGNWITH']}" if ENV['SIGNWITH']
+    safe_system %{/usr/bin/debsign #{deb_flag} pkg/deb/*.changes}
   end
-}
+  move_artifacts
+end
 
-desc "Run spec tests"
-task :test do
-  sh "cd spec && rake"
+desc "Build documentation"
+task :doc => :clean do
+  load_tools
+  Rake::Task["package:doc"].invoke
 end
 
-desc "Create a tarball for this release"
-task :package => [:clean, :doc] do
-  announce "Creating #{PROJ_NAME}-#{CURRENT_VERSION}.tgz"
+desc "Build a gem"
+task :gem => :clean do
+  load_tools
+  Rake::Task["gem"].reenable
+  Rake::Task["package:gem"].invoke
+end
 
-  FileUtils.mkdir_p("build/#{PROJ_NAME}-#{CURRENT_VERSION}")
-  safe_system("cp -R #{PROJ_FILES.join(' ')} build/#{PROJ_NAME}-#{CURRENT_VERSION}")
+desc "Create a tarball for this release"
+task :package => :clean do
+  load_tools
+  announce "Creating #{@build.project}-#{@build.version}.tar.gz"
+  Rake::Task["package:tar"].invoke
+  move_artifacts
+end
 
-  announce "Setting MCollective.version to #{CURRENT_VERSION}"
-  safe_system("cd build/#{PROJ_NAME}-#{CURRENT_VERSION}/lib && sed -i -e s/@DEVELOPMENT_VERSION@/#{CURRENT_VERSION}/ mcollective.rb")
+desc "Creates a RPM"
+task :rpm => :clean do
+  load_tools
+  announce("Building RPM for #{@build.project}-#{@build.version}-#{@build.release}")
+  Rake::Task["package:rpm"].invoke
+  Rake::Task["package:srpm"].invoke
+  if ENV['SIGNED'] == '1'
+    safe_system %{/usr/bin/rpm --sign pkg/**/*.rpm}
+  end
+  move_artifacts
+end
 
-  safe_system("cd build && tar --exclude .svn -cvzf #{PROJ_NAME}-#{CURRENT_VERSION}.tgz #{PROJ_NAME}-#{CURRENT_VERSION}")
+desc "Run spec tests"
+task :test do
+  sh "cd spec && rake"
 end
 
 desc "Creates the website as a tarball"
-task :website => [:clean] do
+task :website => :clean do
   FileUtils.mkdir_p("build/marionette-collective.org/html")
 
   Dir.chdir("website") do
@@ -127,81 +108,6 @@ task :website => [:clean] do
   end
 end
 
-desc "Creates a RPM"
-task :rpm => [:clean, :doc, :package] do
-  announce("Building RPM for #{PROJ_NAME}-#{CURRENT_VERSION}-#{CURRENT_RELEASE}")
-
-  sourcedir = `rpm --eval '%_sourcedir'`.chomp
-  specsdir = `rpm --eval '%_specdir'`.chomp
-  srpmsdir = `rpm --eval '%_srcrpmdir'`.chomp
-  rpmdir = `rpm --eval '%_rpmdir'`.chomp
-  lsbdistrel = `lsb_release -r -s | cut -d . -f1`.chomp
-  lsbdistro = `lsb_release -i -s`.chomp
-
-  `which rpmbuild-md5`
-  rpmcmd = $?.success? ? 'rpmbuild-md5' : 'rpmbuild'
-
-  case lsbdistro
-  when 'CentOS'
-    rpmdist = ".el#{lsbdistrel}"
-  when 'Fedora'
-    rpmdist = ".fc#{lsbdistrel}"
-  else
-    rpmdist = ""
-  end
-
-  safe_system %{cp build/#{PROJ_NAME}-#{CURRENT_VERSION}.tgz #{sourcedir}}
-  safe_system %{cat ext/redhat/#{PROJ_NAME}.spec|sed -e s/%{rpm_release}/#{CURRENT_RELEASE}/g | sed -e s/%{version}/#{CURRENT_VERSION}/g > #{specsdir}/#{PROJ_NAME}.spec}
-
-  if ENV['SIGNED'] == '1'
-    safe_system %{#{rpmcmd} --sign -D 'version #{CURRENT_VERSION}' -D 'rpm_release #{CURRENT_RELEASE}' -D 'dist #{rpmdist}' -D 'use_lsb 0' -ba #{specsdir}/#{PROJ_NAME}.spec}
-  else
-    safe_system %{#{rpmcmd} -D 'version #{CURRENT_VERSION}' -D 'rpm_release #{CURRENT_RELEASE}' -D 'dist #{rpmdist}' -D 'use_lsb 0' -ba #{specsdir}/#{PROJ_NAME}.spec}
-  end
-
-  safe_system %{cp #{srpmsdir}/#{PROJ_NAME}-#{CURRENT_VERSION}-#{CURRENT_RELEASE}#{rpmdist}.src.rpm build/}
-
-  safe_system %{cp #{rpmdir}/*/#{PROJ_NAME}*-#{CURRENT_VERSION}-#{CURRENT_RELEASE}#{rpmdist}.*.rpm build/}
-end
-
-desc "Create the .debs"
-task :deb => [:clean, :doc, :package] do
-  announce("Building debian packages")
-
-  FileUtils.mkdir_p("build/deb")
-  Dir.chdir("build/deb") do
-    safe_system %{tar -xzf ../#{PROJ_NAME}-#{CURRENT_VERSION}.tgz}
-    safe_system %{cp ../#{PROJ_NAME}-#{CURRENT_VERSION}.tgz #{PROJ_NAME}_#{CURRENT_VERSION}.orig.tar.gz}
-
-    Dir.chdir("#{PROJ_NAME}-#{CURRENT_VERSION}") do
-      safe_system %{cp -R ext/debian .}
-      safe_system %{cp -R ext/debian/mcollective.init .}
-
-      File.open("debian/changelog", "w") do |f|
-        f.puts("mcollective (#{CURRENT_VERSION}-#{CURRENT_RELEASE}) #{PKG_DEB_DISTRIBUTION}; urgency=low")
-        f.puts
-        f.puts("  * Automated release for #{CURRENT_VERSION}-#{CURRENT_RELEASE} by rake deb")
-        f.puts
-        f.puts("    See http://marionette-collective.org/releasenotes.html for full details")
-        f.puts
-        f.puts(" -- The Marionette Collective <mcollective-dev@googlegroups.com>  #{Time.new.strftime('%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S %z')}")
-      end
-
-      if ENV['SIGNED'] == '1'
-        if ENV['SIGNWITH']
-          safe_system %{debuild -i -k#{ENV['SIGNWITH']}}
-        else
-          safe_system %{debuild -i}
-        end
-      else
-        safe_system %{debuild -i -us -uc}
-      end
-    end
-
-    safe_system %{cp *.deb *.dsc *.diff.gz *.orig.tar.gz *.changes ..}
-  end
-end
-
 desc "Update the website error code reference based on current local"
 task :update_msgweb do
   mcollective_dir = File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__))