diff --git a/build.properties b/build.properties
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2e8534c31b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# Do NOT change the values directly in this file. If you need to change the value of a property,
+# create a file called "build.local.properties" in the same folder and change the value in that file.
+
+# The application war file properties
+app.war.version=4.2.0
+app.war.groupId=org.alfresco
+app.war.packaging=war
+
+# Executable properties
+mvn.exec=${env.MAVEN_HOME}/bin/mvn.bat
+bash.exec=${env.CYGWIN_HOME}/bin/bash
+catalina.exec=${app.tomcat.folder}/bin/catalina.sh
+
+# Maven build directory properties
+mvn.build.directory=target
+
+# Tomcat properties
+app.tomcat.folder=${mvn.build.directory}/../../../software/${app.tomcat}
+app.tomcat.webapps=${app.tomcat.folder}/webapps
+
+# Application properties
+app.folder=${app.tomcat.webapps}/${app.war.artifactId}
+app.package=${app.war.artifactId}.${app.war.packaging}
+app.package.path=${app.tomcat.webapps}/${app.package}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 40dc5db6af..56cfcc5695 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -1,47 +1,40 @@
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
 <project name="rm-parent" basedir=".">
+
+   <!-- The properties 'app.war.artifactId' and 'app.tomcat' are defined in the modules -->
+
    <property file="build.local.properties" />
    <property file="build.properties" />
-   <!-- The properties 'artifactId' and 'tomcat' are defined in the modules -->
-   <property name="groupId" value="org.alfresco"/>
-   <property name="version" value="4.2.0"/>
-   <property name="packaging" value="war"/>
+
    <property environment="env" />
-   <property name="mvn" value="${env.MAVEN_HOME}/bin/mvn.bat" />
-   <property name="bash" value="${env.CYGWIN_HOME}/bin/bash" />
-   <property name="target" location="target" />
-   <property name="tomcat.folder" location="${target}/../../../software/${tomcat}" />
-   <property name="catalina" value="${tomcat.folder}/bin/catalina.sh" />
-   <property name="webapps" value="${tomcat.folder}/webapps" />
-   <property name="app.folder" location="${webapps}/${artifactId}" />
-   <property name="app.package" value="${artifactId}.${packaging}" />
-   <property name="app.package.path" location="${webapps}/${app.package}" />
 
    <target name="cleanTarget">
-      <delete dir="${target}" />
+      <delete dir="${mvn.build.directory}" />
    </target>
 
    <target name="install" depends="cleanTarget, updateClassPath">
-      <exec executable="${mvn}">
+      <exec executable="${mvn.exec}">
          <arg value="install" />
          <arg value="-DskipTests" />
       </exec>
    </target>
 
    <target name="updateClassPath">
-      <exec executable="${mvn}">
+      <exec executable="${mvn.exec}">
          <arg value="eclipse:eclipse" />
       </exec>
    </target>
 
+   <target name="prepareEnv" depends="updateClassPath" description="" />
+
    <target name="fetchWarFile">
-      <exec executable="${mvn}">
+      <exec executable="${mvn.exec}">
          <arg value="dependency:get" />
-         <arg value="-DgroupId=${groupId}" />
-         <arg value="-DartifactId=${artifactId}" />
-         <arg value="-Dversion=${version}" />
-         <arg value="-Dpackaging=${packaging}" />
-         <arg value="-Ddest=${target}/${app.package}" />
+         <arg value="-DgroupId=${app.war.groupId}" />
+         <arg value="-DartifactId=${app.war.artifactId}" />
+         <arg value="-Dversion=${app.war.version}" />
+         <arg value="-Dpackaging=${app.war.packaging}" />
+         <arg value="-Ddest=${mvn.build.directory}/${app.package}" />
       </exec>
    </target>
 
@@ -54,41 +47,41 @@
    </target>
 
    <target name="alfresco:amp" depends="install">
-      <exec executable="${mvn}">
+      <exec executable="${mvn.exec}">
          <arg value="alfresco:amp" />
       </exec>
    </target>
 
    <target name="alfresco:install" depends="deleteWarFile, deleteExplodedWar, alfresco:amp, fetchWarFile">
-      <exec executable="${mvn}">
+      <exec executable="${mvn.exec}">
          <arg value="alfresco:install" />
       </exec>
    </target>
 
    <target name="copyWarFileToTomcat">
-      <copy file="${target}/${app.package}" todir="${webapps}"/>
+      <copy file="${mvn.build.directory}/${app.package}" todir="${app.tomcat.webapps}"/>
    </target>
-   
+
    <target name="buildAndDeploy" depends="alfresco:install, copyWarFileToTomcat" description=""/>
 
    <target name="tomcat-start" description="">
-      <exec executable="${bash}">
-         <arg value="${catalina}"/>
+      <exec executable="${bash.exec}">
+         <arg value="${catalina.exec}"/>
          <arg value="run"/>
       </exec>
    </target>
 
    <target name="tomcat-start-debug" description="">
-      <exec executable="${bash}">
-         <arg value="${catalina}"/>
+      <exec executable="${bash.exec}">
+         <arg value="${catalina.exec}"/>
          <arg value="jpda"/>
          <arg value="run"/>
       </exec>
    </target>
 
    <target name="tomcat-stop" description="">
-      <exec executable="${bash}">
-         <arg value="${catalina}"/>
+      <exec executable="${bash.exec}">
+         <arg value="${catalina.exec}"/>
          <arg value="stop"/>
       </exec>
    </target>
diff --git a/rm-server/build.local.properties b/rm-server/build.local.properties
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29bb2..0000000000
diff --git a/rm-server/build.properties b/rm-server/build.properties
index e69de29bb2..2adce02fe7 100644
--- a/rm-server/build.properties
+++ b/rm-server/build.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# Do NOT change the values directly in this file. If you need to change the value of a property,
+# create a file called "build.local.properties" in the same folder and change the value in that file.
+
+# War file id for the alfresco application
+app.war.artifactId=alfresco
+
+# Tomcat folder name used by the alfresco application
+app.tomcat=tomcat
+
+# DB driver properties
+db.driver.groupId=postgresql
+db.driver.artifactId=${db.driver.groupId}
+db.driver.version=9.1-901.jdbc4
+db.driver.packaging=jar
+db.driver.destination=${tomcat.folder}/lib
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/rm-server/build.xml b/rm-server/build.xml
index 3688b80e26..44d44f1dc3 100644
--- a/rm-server/build.xml
+++ b/rm-server/build.xml
@@ -1,28 +1,26 @@
 <?xml version="1.0"?>
 <project name="rm-server" basedir=".">
-   <property name="artifactId" value="alfresco"/>
-   <property name="tomcat" value="tomcat" />
-   <import file="../build.xml"/>
+   <import file="../build.xml" />
 
-   <property name="dbGroupId" value="postgresql"/>
-   <property name="dbArtifactId" value="${dbGroupId}"/>
-   <property name="dbVersion" value="9.1-901.jdbc4"/>
-   <property name="dbPackaging" value="jar"/>
+   <property file="../build.local.properties" />
+   <property file="../build.properties" />
+   <property file="build.local.properties" />
+   <property file="build.properties" />
 
    <target name="copyDBDriver">
-      <exec executable="${mvn}">
+      <exec executable="${mvn.exec}">
          <arg value="dependency:get" />
-         <arg value="-DgroupId=${dbGroupId}" />
-         <arg value="-DartifactId=${dbArtifactId}" />
-         <arg value="-Dversion=${dbVersion}" />
-         <arg value="-Dpackaging=${dbPackaging}" />
-         <arg value="-Ddest=${tomcat.folder}/lib" />
+         <arg value="-DgroupId=${db.driver.groupId}" />
+         <arg value="-DartifactId=${db.driver.artifactId}" />
+         <arg value="-Dversion=${db.driver.version}" />
+         <arg value="-Dpackaging=${db.driver.packaging}" />
+         <arg value="-Ddest=${app.tomcat.folder}/lib" />
       </exec>
    </target>
 
    <target name="copyDevContextFile">
       <property name="devContextFile" value="../root/projects/repository/config/alfresco/extension/dev-context.xml" />
-      <copy file="${devContextFile}" todir="${tomcat.folder}/shared/classes/alfresco/extension"/>
+      <copy file="${devContextFile}" todir="${app.tomcat.folder}/shared/classes/alfresco/extension"/>
       <copy file="${devContextFile}" todir="src/main/resources/alfresco/extension"/>
    </target>