diff --git a/README.adoc b/README.adoc
index db3e8e1e..c4950bea 100644
--- a/README.adoc
+++ b/README.adoc
@@ -226,6 +226,24 @@ Go to `File` -> `Settings` -> `Other settings` -> `Checkstyle`. There click on t
 
 IMPORTANT: Remember to set the `Scan Scope` to `All sources` since we apply checkstyle rules for production and test sources.
 
+== Flattening the POMs
+
+To avoid propagating build setup that is required to build a Spring Cloud project, we're using the maven flatten plugin. It has the advantage of letting you use whatever features you need while publishing "clean" pom to the repository.
+
+In order to add it, add the `org.codehaus.mojo:flatten-maven-plugin` to your `pom.xml`.
+
+[source,xml]
+----
+<build>
+    <plugins>
+        <plugin>
+            <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
+            <artifactId>flatten-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+        </plugin>
+    </plugins>
+</build>
+----
+
 == Reusing the documentation
 
 Spring Cloud Build publishes its `spring-cloud-build-docs` module that contains
diff --git a/docs/src/main/asciidoc/README.adoc b/docs/src/main/asciidoc/README.adoc
index 01b9be65..a0048c3a 100644
--- a/docs/src/main/asciidoc/README.adoc
+++ b/docs/src/main/asciidoc/README.adoc
@@ -42,6 +42,24 @@ $ mvn deploy -P central -DaltReleaseDeploymentRepository=sonatype-nexus-staging:
 
 include::https://raw.githubusercontent.com/spring-cloud/spring-cloud-build/master/docs/src/main/asciidoc/contributing.adoc[]
 
+== Flattening the POMs
+
+To avoid propagating build setup that is required to build a Spring Cloud project, we're using the maven flatten plugin. It has the advantage of letting you use whatever features you need while publishing "clean" pom to the repository.
+
+In order to add it, add the `org.codehaus.mojo:flatten-maven-plugin` to your `pom.xml`.
+
+[source,xml]
+----
+<build>
+    <plugins>
+        <plugin>
+            <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
+            <artifactId>flatten-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+        </plugin>
+    </plugins>
+</build>
+----
+
 == Reusing the documentation
 
 Spring Cloud Build publishes its `spring-cloud-build-docs` module that contains
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 2c6099b3..a4f3ede2 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -253,42 +253,33 @@
 					</execution>
 				</executions>
 			</plugin>
-			<!--<plugin>
-				<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
-				<artifactId>flatten-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-				<version>1.0.0</version>
-				<inherited>true</inherited>
-				<configuration>
-					<updatePomFile>true</updatePomFile>
-					<flattenMode>oss</flattenMode>
-					<pomElements>
-						<parent>expand</parent>
-						<distributionManagement>remove</distributionManagement>
-						<repositories>remove</repositories>
-					</pomElements>
-				</configuration>
-				<executions>
-					&lt;!&ndash; enable flattening &ndash;&gt;
-					<execution>
-						<id>flatten</id>
-						<phase>process-resources</phase>
-						<goals>
-							<goal>flatten</goal>
-						</goals>
-					</execution>
-					&lt;!&ndash; ensure proper cleanup &ndash;&gt;
-					<execution>
-						<id>flatten.clean</id>
-						<phase>clean</phase>
-						<goals>
-							<goal>clean</goal>
-						</goals>
-					</execution>
-				</executions>
-			</plugin>-->
 		</plugins>
 		<pluginManagement>
 			<plugins>
+				<plugin>
+					<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
+					<artifactId>flatten-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+					<inherited>true</inherited>
+					<executions>
+						<execution>
+							<!-- Tidy up all POMs before they are published -->
+							<id>flatten</id>
+							<phase>process-resources</phase>
+							<goals>
+								<goal>flatten</goal>
+							</goals>
+							<configuration>
+								<updatePomFile>true</updatePomFile>
+								<flattenMode>oss</flattenMode>
+								<pomElements>
+									<parent>expand</parent>
+									<distributionManagement>remove</distributionManagement>
+									<repositories>remove</repositories>
+								</pomElements>
+							</configuration>
+						</execution>
+					</executions>
+				</plugin>
 				<!-- Apply more sensible defaults for user projects -->
 				<plugin>
 					<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
diff --git a/spring-cloud-build-dependencies/pom.xml b/spring-cloud-build-dependencies/pom.xml
index 217eab84..197b277e 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-build-dependencies/pom.xml
+++ b/spring-cloud-build-dependencies/pom.xml
@@ -21,6 +21,64 @@
 		<project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
 		<spring-boot.version>2.2.0.RELEASE</spring-boot.version>
 	</properties>
+	<build>
+		<plugins>
+			<plugin>
+				<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
+				<artifactId>flatten-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+				<inherited>false</inherited>
+				<executions>
+					<execution>
+						<!-- Create an effective POM (with versions expanded) for the CLI and
+							documentation -->
+						<id>flatten-effective-pom</id>
+						<phase>process-resources</phase>
+						<goals>
+							<goal>flatten</goal>
+						</goals>
+						<configuration>
+							<updatePomFile>false</updatePomFile>
+							<outputDirectory>${project.build.directory}/effective-pom</outputDirectory>
+							<flattenedPomFilename>spring-cloud-build-dependencies.xml</flattenedPomFilename>
+							<flattenMode>oss</flattenMode>
+							<pomElements>
+								<parent>expand</parent>
+								<dependencyManagement>expand</dependencyManagement>
+								<pluginManagement>expand</pluginManagement>
+								<properties>remove</properties>
+								<repositories>remove</repositories>
+							</pomElements>
+						</configuration>
+					</execution>
+					<execution>
+						<!-- Flatten and simplify our own POM for install/deploy -->
+						<id>flatten</id>
+						<phase>process-resources</phase>
+						<goals>
+							<goal>flatten</goal>
+						</goals>
+						<configuration>
+							<updatePomFile>true</updatePomFile>
+							<flattenMode>bom</flattenMode>
+							<pomElements>
+								<parent>expand</parent>
+								<pluginManagement>keep</pluginManagement>
+								<properties>keep</properties>
+								<repositories>remove</repositories>
+							</pomElements>
+						</configuration>
+					</execution>
+					<execution>
+						<id>flatten-clean</id>
+						<phase>clean</phase>
+						<goals>
+							<goal>clean</goal>
+						</goals>
+					</execution>
+				</executions>
+			</plugin>
+		</plugins>
+	</build>
 	<distributionManagement>
 		<downloadUrl>https://github.com/spring-cloud</downloadUrl>
 		<site>
diff --git a/spring-cloud-dependencies-parent/pom.xml b/spring-cloud-dependencies-parent/pom.xml
index c4f8a92c..2d9b2aaa 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-dependencies-parent/pom.xml
+++ b/spring-cloud-dependencies-parent/pom.xml
@@ -195,41 +195,6 @@
 		</profile>
 	</profiles>
 	<build>
-		<plugins>
-			<!--<plugin>
-				<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
-				<artifactId>flatten-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-				<version>1.0.0</version>
-				<inherited>true</inherited>
-				<configuration>
-					<updatePomFile>true</updatePomFile>
-					<flattenMode>oss</flattenMode>
-					<pomElements>
-						<parent>expand</parent>
-						<distributionManagement>remove</distributionManagement>
-						<repositories>remove</repositories>
-					</pomElements>
-				</configuration>
-				<executions>
-					&lt;!&ndash; enable flattening &ndash;&gt;
-					<execution>
-						<id>flatten</id>
-						<phase>process-resources</phase>
-						<goals>
-							<goal>flatten</goal>
-						</goals>
-					</execution>
-					&lt;!&ndash; ensure proper cleanup &ndash;&gt;
-					<execution>
-						<id>flatten.clean</id>
-						<phase>clean</phase>
-						<goals>
-							<goal>clean</goal>
-						</goals>
-					</execution>
-				</executions>
-			</plugin>-->
-		</plugins>
 		<pluginManagement>
 			<plugins>
 				<plugin>