diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 2d7ffd5cd4..d16963fe99 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ def javaHome = System.getProperty('java.home')
 def vmVersion = "0.3.2"
 def dirRuntimeJars = 'jars' // we'll store mod and lib stuff in here
 
+
 allprojects { 
 
     apply plugin: 'java'
@@ -251,11 +252,14 @@ build {
 task prePack(type:Exec)  {
     dependsOn ':aion_api:cleanPack' 
     dependsOn ':aion_api:build'
-    if (project.hasProperty('noGui')) {
-        environment "noGui", "true"
+
+    if(findProject(":modGui") != null && gradle.useGui) { 
+        dependsOn ':modGui:setupAionRootProject';
+        environment "useGui", "true"
     }
     commandLine 'bash', 'script/prepack.sh' 
 }
+
 task postPack(type:Exec) { commandLine 'sh', 'script/postpack.sh' }
 
 /** Replaces `ant pack_build` */
@@ -277,9 +281,6 @@ task pack(type: Tar) {
     into('/aion/') { 
         from dirWorkspace
         include 'aion.sh'
-        if (!project.hasProperty('noGui')) {
-            include 'aion_gui.sh'
-        }
     }
     into('/aion/native') {
         from dirNative
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 50611691d0..a696b84724 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -2,3 +2,6 @@ org.gradle.java.home=/usr/lib/jvm/jdk-11.0.1
 org.gradle.daemon=true
 org.gradle.jvmargs=-Xmx6g -XX:MaxPermSize=4g -XX:ReservedCodeCacheSize=1024m
 org.gradle.parallel=false
+
+# Uncomment to include modGui in build 
+# modGuiPath=modGui
diff --git a/aion_gui.sh b/modGui/aion_gui.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from aion_gui.sh
rename to modGui/aion_gui.sh
diff --git a/modGui/build.gradle b/modGui/build.gradle
index ef3b936834..f3e69acff6 100644
--- a/modGui/build.gradle
+++ b/modGui/build.gradle
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 ext.moduleName = 'aion.gui'
 test.dependsOn copyNativeLibsForModuleTests
 clean.dependsOn deleteNativeLibs
@@ -15,6 +14,7 @@ buildscript {
 apply plugin: 'com.google.osdetector'
 ext.platform = osdetector.os == 'osx' ? 'mac' : osdetector.os == 'windows' ? 'win' : osdetector.os
 
+apply plugin: "de.undercouch.download" //version: '3.4.3'
 
 sourceSets {
     main {
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ sourceSets {
 }
 
 dependencies {
-
     compile project(':modLogger')
     compile project(':modMcf')
     compile project(':modAionImpl')
@@ -75,3 +74,36 @@ integTest {
     systemProperty "prism.order", "sw"
     systemProperty "prism.text", "t2k"
 }
+
+task fetchJavaFxRuntime(type: Download) { 
+    onlyIfModified
+    overwrite false
+    src "http://gluonhq.com/download/javafx-11-jmods-linux"
+    dest "${buildDir}/jfx/openjfx-11_linux-x64_bin-jmods.zip"
+}
+
+task unzipJavaFxRuntime(type: Copy) { 
+    dependsOn fetchJavaFxRuntime
+
+    def outDir = file("${buildDir}/pack");
+    from zipTree(fetchJavaFxRuntime.dest)
+    into outDir
+
+    rootProject.tasks['prePack'].configure { 
+        def jfxOutputDir = '/javafx-jmods-11' // the dir that Zip file is expected to extract to
+        environment "JAVAFX_PATH", outDir.canonicalPath + jfxOutputDir
+        environment "JAVAFX_MODULES", 
+            "javafx.graphics,javafx.controls,javafx.base,javafx.fxml,javafx.swing"
+    } 
+}
+
+task copyShellScripts(type: Copy) {
+    def aionGuiSh = file("aion_gui.sh");
+    rootProject.tasks['pack'].configure { 
+        from aionGuiSh into('/aion/') 
+    }
+}
+
+task setupAionRootProject {
+    dependsOn unzipJavaFxRuntime, copyShellScripts
+}
diff --git a/script/prepack.sh b/script/prepack.sh
index b5bce569e2..c5bc3f872f 100755
--- a/script/prepack.sh
+++ b/script/prepack.sh
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ API_PATH="${PACK_PATH}/clientAPI"
 SCRIPT_PATH="${PACK_PATH}/script"
 JDK_VER="11.0.1"
 JDK_TYPE="openjdk"
-JAVAFX_PATH="${PACK_PATH}/javafx"
-JAVAFX_VER="javafx-jmods-11"
+#JAVAFX_PATH="${PACK_PATH}/javafx"
+#JAVAFX_VER="javafx-jmods-11"
 DEFAULT_NETWORK="mainnet"
 
 if [ ! -d "$PACK_PATH" ]; then
@@ -25,19 +25,12 @@ if [ ! -d "$JDK_PATH" ]; then
   mv "${PACK_PATH}/jdk-${JDK_VER}" $JDK_PATH
 fi
 
-# download javafx if can't find the javafx env
-if [ "$noGui" != "true" ] && [ ! -d "$JAVAFX_PATH" ]; then
-  wget -c http://gluonhq.com/download/javafx-11-jmods-linux -O openjfx-11_linux-x64_bin-jmods.zip
-  unzip openjfx-11_linux-x64_bin-jmods.zip -d $PACK_PATH
-  mv "${PACK_PATH}/${JAVAFX_VER}" $JAVAFX_PATH
-fi
-
 module_path=$JDK_PATH/jmods 
 add_modules="java.base,java.xml,java.logging,java.management,jdk.unsupported,jdk.sctp"
 # generate aion runtime
-if [ "$noGui" != "true" ]; then
+if [ "$useGui" = "true" ]; then
     module_path="$module_path:$JAVAFX_PATH"
-    add_modules="$add_modules,javafx.graphics,javafx.controls,javafx.base,javafx.fxml,javafx.swing"
+    add_modules="$add_modules,$JAVAFX_MODULES"
 fi
 if [ ! -d "$JDK_RT" ]; then
   $JDK_PATH/bin/jlink --module-path $module_path --add-modules $add_modules \
diff --git a/settings.gradle b/settings.gradle
index 0612932970..a4187dd8c6 100644
--- a/settings.gradle
+++ b/settings.gradle
@@ -15,10 +15,15 @@ include 'modAionBase', 'modAion', 'modAionImpl',
     'aion_api',
     'modBoot'
 
-if (!hasProperty('noGui')) {
-    include 'modGui'
-}
-
 project(":aion_fastvm/modFastVM").name = "aion_fastvm"
 
+// only build and distribute modGui only if explicitly specified
+if (hasProperty('modGuiPath') && !modGuiPath.empty) {
+    include modGuiPath
+    project(':' + modGuiPath).name = "modGui"
+    gradle.ext.useGui = true;
+} else { 
+    gradle.ext.useGui = false;
+}
+