diff --git a/spring-cloud-contract-tools/spring-cloud-contract-gradle-plugin/gradle/release.gradle b/spring-cloud-contract-tools/spring-cloud-contract-gradle-plugin/gradle/release.gradle
index 0071d2ee56..03729ceeea 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-contract-tools/spring-cloud-contract-gradle-plugin/gradle/release.gradle
+++ b/spring-cloud-contract-tools/spring-cloud-contract-gradle-plugin/gradle/release.gradle
@@ -88,8 +88,8 @@ afterEvaluate {
 					beforeDeployment { MavenDeployment deployment -> signing.signPom(deployment) }
 				}
 				// Target repository
-				String repoUserName = isReleaseToCentral ? sonatypeUsername : repoUser
-				String repoPass = isReleaseToCentral ? sonatypePassword : repoPass
+				String repoUserName = isReleaseToCentral ? getProp("SONATYPE_USER") : repoUser
+				String repoPass = isReleaseToCentral ? getProp("SONATYPE_PASSWORD") : repoPass
 				repository(url: repoUrl) {
 					authentication(userName: repoUserName, password: repoPass)
 				}
@@ -135,3 +135,9 @@ afterEvaluate {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+String getProp(String propName) {
+	return hasProperty(propName) ?
+			(getProperty(propName) ?: System.properties[propName]) : System.properties[propName] ?:
+			System.getenv(propName)
+}
diff --git a/spring-cloud-contract-tools/spring-cloud-contract-gradle-plugin/pom.xml b/spring-cloud-contract-tools/spring-cloud-contract-gradle-plugin/pom.xml
index 8a0b075476..cdeb730ad6 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-contract-tools/spring-cloud-contract-gradle-plugin/pom.xml
+++ b/spring-cloud-contract-tools/spring-cloud-contract-gradle-plugin/pom.xml
@@ -228,6 +228,8 @@
 										<argument>${gradle.task}</argument>
 										<argument>-PverifierVersion=${project.version}</argument>
 										<argument>-Pcentral</argument>
+										<argument>-PsonatypeUsername=${env.SONATYPE_USER}</argument>
+										<argument>-PsonatypePassword=${env.SONATYPE_PASSWORD}</argument>
 										<argument>publishPlugins</argument>
 									</arguments>
 								</configuration>