diff --git a/build.gradle.kts b/build.gradle.kts
index f173f97078c..3c889ad9409 100644
--- a/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/build.gradle.kts
@@ -5,29 +5,32 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.tasks.KotlinCompile
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.tasks.Kotlin2JsCompile
 
 buildscript {
-    extra["kotlin_version"] = file("kotlin-bootstrap-version.txt").readText().trim()
-    extra["kotlinVersion"] = extra["kotlin_version"]
+    val repos = listOf(
+            System.getProperty("bootstrap.kotlin.repo"),
+            "https://repo.gradle.org/gradle/repo",
+            "https://plugins.gradle.org/m2",
+            "http://repository.jetbrains.com/utils/").filterNotNull()
+
+    extra["kotlin_version"] = bootstrapKotlinVersion
+    extra["kotlinVersion"] = bootstrapKotlinVersion
     extra["kotlin_language_version"] = "1.1"
-    extra["kotlin_gradle_plugin_version"] = extra["kotlin_version"]
-    extra["repos"] = listOf("https://dl.bintray.com/kotlin/kotlin-dev",
-                            "https://repo.gradle.org/gradle/repo",
-                            "https://plugins.gradle.org/m2",
-                            "http://repository.jetbrains.com/utils/")
+    extra["repos"] = repos
 
     repositories {
-        for (repo in (rootProject.extra["repos"] as List<String>)) {
+        for (repo in repos) {
             maven { setUrl(repo) }
         }
     }
 
     dependencies {
-        classpath(kotlinDep("gradle-plugin"))
         classpath("com.gradle.publish:plugin-publish-plugin:0.9.7")
+        classpath(kotlinDep("gradle-plugin"))
     }
 }
 
 plugins {
-    java // so we can benefit from the `java()` accessor below
+//    java // so we can benefit from the `java()` accessor below
+//    kotlin("jvm")
 }
 
 val buildNumber = "1.1-SNAPSHOT"
@@ -76,8 +79,6 @@ extra["JDK_18"] = jdkPath("1.8")
 
 extra["compilerBaseName"] = "kotlin-compiler"
 extra["embeddableCompilerBaseName"] = "kotlin-compiler-embeddable"
-//extra["compilerJarWithBootstrapRuntime"] = project.file("$distDir/kotlin-compiler-with-bootstrap-runtime.jar")
-//extra["bootstrapCompilerFile"] = bootstrapCfg.files.first().canonicalPath
 
 extra["buildLocalRepoPath"] = File(commonBuildDir, "repo")
 
@@ -204,10 +205,11 @@ task<Copy>("dist-plugin") {
     into("$ideaPluginDir/lib")
 }
 
-val clean by tasks
-clean.apply {
-    doLast {
-        delete("${buildDir}/repo")
+tasks {
+    "clean" {
+        doLast {
+            delete("$buildDir/repo")
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/buildSrc/build.gradle.kts b/buildSrc/build.gradle.kts
index 82420e4e9de..7514686354c 100644
--- a/buildSrc/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/buildSrc/build.gradle.kts
@@ -1,22 +1,18 @@
 
 buildscript {
-    extra["kotlin_version"] = file("../kotlin-version-for-gradle.txt").readText().trim()
-    extra["kotlin_gradle_plugin_version"] = extra["kotlin_version"]
-    extra["repos"] = listOf(
-            "https://dl.bintray.com/kotlin/kotlin-dev",
-            "https://repo.gradle.org/gradle/repo",
-            "https://plugins.gradle.org/m2",
-            "http://repository.jetbrains.com/utils/")
+    // TODO: find a way to reuse bootstrap.kotlin.* props from the main project
+//    java.util.Properties().also { it.load(java.io.FileInputStream("gradle.properties")) }
+    extra["bootstrap_kotlin_version"] = System.getProperty("bootstrap.kotlin.version") ?: embeddedKotlinVersion
 
     repositories {
-        for (repo in (rootProject.extra["repos"] as List<String>)) {
-            maven { setUrl(repo) }
+        System.getProperty("bootstrap.kotlin.repo")?.let {
+            maven { setUrl(it) }
         }
     }
 
     dependencies {
-        classpath("org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin:${rootProject.extra["kotlin_version"]}")
-        classpath("org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-sam-with-receiver:${rootProject.extra["kotlin_version"]}")
+        classpath("org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin:${rootProject.extra["bootstrap_kotlin_version"]}")
+        classpath("org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-sam-with-receiver:${rootProject.extra["bootstrap_kotlin_version"]}")
     }
 }
 
@@ -30,14 +26,14 @@ plugins {
 }
 
 repositories {
-    for (repo in (rootProject.extra["repos"] as List<String>)) {
-        maven { setUrl(repo) }
+    System.getProperty("bootstrap.kotlin.repo")?.let {
+        maven { setUrl(it) }
     }
 }
 
 dependencies {
     // TODO: adding the dep to the plugin breaks the build unexpectedly, resolve and uncomment
-//    compile("org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin:${rootProject.extra["kotlin_version"]}")
+//    compile("org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin:${rootProject.extra["bootstrap_kotlin_version"]}")
 }
 
 samWithReceiver {
diff --git a/buildSrc/gradle.properties b/buildSrc/gradle.properties
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8e9c5b802be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/buildSrc/gradle.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+org.gradle.daemon=true
+org.gradle.parallel=false
+org.gradle.configureondemand=false
+org.gradle.jvmargs=-Xmx1200m -XX:+CMSClassUnloadingEnabled -XX:+CMSPermGenSweepingEnabled
+
+systemProp.bootstrap.kotlin.repo=https://dl.bintray.com/kotlin/kotlin-dev
+systemProp.bootstrap.kotlin.version=1.1.5-dev-640
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 9a85b0e3212..8e9c5b802be 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -2,3 +2,6 @@ org.gradle.daemon=true
 org.gradle.parallel=false
 org.gradle.configureondemand=false
 org.gradle.jvmargs=-Xmx1200m -XX:+CMSClassUnloadingEnabled -XX:+CMSPermGenSweepingEnabled
+
+systemProp.bootstrap.kotlin.repo=https://dl.bintray.com/kotlin/kotlin-dev
+systemProp.bootstrap.kotlin.version=1.1.5-dev-640
diff --git a/j2k/build.gradle.kts b/j2k/build.gradle.kts
index 7031b30516a..4b37e362264 100644
--- a/j2k/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/j2k/build.gradle.kts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 
 apply { plugin("kotlin") }
 
+//plugins {
+//    kotlin("jvm")
+//}
+
 dependencies {
     val compile by configurations
     val testCompile by configurations
diff --git a/kotlin-bootstrap-version.txt b/kotlin-bootstrap-version.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 1727dafbfd9..00000000000
--- a/kotlin-bootstrap-version.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-1.1.5-dev-393
diff --git a/kotlin-version-for-gradle.txt b/kotlin-version-for-gradle.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 1727dafbfd9..00000000000
--- a/kotlin-version-for-gradle.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-1.1.5-dev-393
diff --git a/settings.gradle b/settings.gradle
index ad6a763bc56..fdd8403892e 100644
--- a/settings.gradle
+++ b/settings.gradle
@@ -1,3 +1,15 @@
+pluginManagement {
+    repositories {
+        def pluginRepo = System.getProperty("bootstrap.kotlin.repo")
+        if (pluginRepo != null) {
+            maven {
+                url pluginRepo
+            }
+        }
+        gradlePluginPortal()
+    }
+}
+
 // modules
 //include ":buildSrc" // this fixes import into idea, so buildsrc is not longer imported with different gradle version
 include ":build-common",