diff --git a/docker/pom.xml b/docker/pom.xml
index 51d67fc5c0..1cae6ee324 100644
--- a/docker/pom.xml
+++ b/docker/pom.xml
@@ -20,10 +20,24 @@
 		<docker.registry.organization>springcloud</docker.registry.organization>
 	</properties>
 
-	<modules>
-		<module>spring-cloud-contract-docker</module>
-		<module>spring-cloud-contract-stub-runner-docker</module>
-	</modules>
+	<profiles>
+		<profile>
+			<id>skip</id>
+			<activation>
+				<activeByDefault>true</activeByDefault>
+			</activation>
+		</profile>
+		<profile>
+			<id>integration</id>
+			<activation>
+				<activeByDefault>false</activeByDefault>
+			</activation>
+			<modules>
+				<module>spring-cloud-contract-docker</module>
+				<module>spring-cloud-contract-stub-runner-docker</module>
+			</modules>
+		</profile>
+	</profiles>
 
 	<build>
 		<plugins>
diff --git a/docker/spring-cloud-contract-docker/project/build.gradle b/docker/spring-cloud-contract-docker/project/build.gradle
index e7ed26352c..e8b5aa99e2 100644
--- a/docker/spring-cloud-contract-docker/project/build.gradle
+++ b/docker/spring-cloud-contract-docker/project/build.gradle
@@ -21,11 +21,11 @@ version = getProp("PROJECT_VERSION") ?: '0.0.1-SNAPSHOT'
 repositories {
 	mavenLocal()
 	mavenCentral()
-		if (!"${verifierVersion}".contains("RELEASE")) {
-			maven { url "http://repo.spring.io/snapshot" }
-			maven { url "http://repo.spring.io/milestone" }
-			maven { url "http://repo.spring.io/release" }
-		}
+	if (!"${verifierVersion}".contains("RELEASE")) {
+		maven { url "http://repo.spring.io/snapshot" }
+		maven { url "http://repo.spring.io/milestone" }
+		maven { url "http://repo.spring.io/release" }
+	}
 }
 
 apply plugin: 'groovy'
@@ -57,11 +57,29 @@ test {
 	}
 }
 
-// tests - contracts
 contracts {
 	baseClassForTests = "contracts.RestBase"
 	testMode = "EXPLICIT"
-	contractsDslDir = new File("/contracts")
+	if (getProp("EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_ARTIFACT_ID")) {
+		logger.lifecycle("Will use an artifact with contracts [${getProp("EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_GROUP_ID")}:${getProp("EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_ARTIFACT_ID")}]")
+		// tests - contracts from an artifact
+		contractsPath = getProp("EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_PATH") ?: ""
+		if (Boolean.parseBoolean(getProp("EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_WORK_OFFLINE")) == false) {
+			contractsRepositoryUrl = getProp('EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_REPO_WITH_BINARIES_URL') ?:
+					getProp('REPO_WITH_BINARIES_URL') ?: 'http://localhost:8081/artifactory/libs-release-local'
+		}
+		contractDependency {
+			groupId = getProp("EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_GROUP_ID") ?: "com.example"
+			artifactId = getProp("EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_ARTIFACT_ID")
+			delegate.classifier = getProp("EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_CLASSIFIER") ?: ""
+			delegate.version = getProp("EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_VERSION") ?: "+"
+		}
+		contractsWorkOffline = Boolean.parseBoolean(getProp("EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_WORK_OFFLINE")) ?: false
+	} else {
+		logger.lifecycle("Will use contracts from the mounted [/contracts] folder")
+		// tests - contracts in this repo
+		contractsDslDir = new File("/contracts")
+	}
 }
 
 task wrapper(type: Wrapper) {
diff --git a/docs/src/main/asciidoc/verifier_setup.adoc b/docs/src/main/asciidoc/verifier_setup.adoc
index da06dc72d6..65fff105d4 100644
--- a/docs/src/main/asciidoc/verifier_setup.adoc
+++ b/docs/src/main/asciidoc/verifier_setup.adoc
@@ -931,7 +931,7 @@ It's enough for you to mount your contracts, pass the environment variables
 The Docker image requires some environment variables to point to
 your running application, to the Artifact manager instance etc.
 
-- `PROJECT_GROUP` - your project's group id. Defaults to `com.example`.
+- `PROJECT_GROUP` - your project's group id. Defaults to `com.example`
 - `PROJECT_VERSION` - your project's version. Defaults to `0.0.1-SNAPSHOT`
 - `PROJECT_NAME` - artifact id. Defaults to `example`
 - `REPO_WITH_BINARIES_URL` - URL of your Artifact Manager. Defaults to `http://localhost:8081/artifactory/libs-release-local`
@@ -940,6 +940,24 @@ which is the default URL of https://jfrog.com/artifactory/[Artifactory] running
 - `REPO_WITH_BINARIES_PASSWORD` - (optional) password when the Artifact Manager is secured
 - `PUBLISH_ARTIFACTS` - if set to `true` then will publish artifact to binary storage. Defaults to `true`.
 
+These environment variables are used when contracts lay in an external repository. To enable
+this feature you must set the `EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_ARTIFACT_ID` environment variable.
+
+- `EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_GROUP_ID` - group id of the project with contracts. Defaults to `com.example`
+- `EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_ARTIFACT_ID`- artifact id of the project with contracts.
+- `EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_CLASSIFIER`- classifier of the project with contracts. Empty by default
+- `EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_VERSION` - version of the project with contracts. Defaults to `+`, equivalent to picking the latest
+- `EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_REPO_WITH_BINARIES_URL` - URL of your Artifact Manager. Defaults to value of `REPO_WITH_BINARIES_URL` env var.
+If that's not set, defaults to `http://localhost:8081/artifactory/libs-release-local`
+which is the default URL of https://jfrog.com/artifactory/[Artifactory] running locally
+- `EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_PATH` - path to contracts for the given project, inside the project with contracts.
+Defaults to slash separated `EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_GROUP_ID` concatenated with `/` and `EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_ARTIFACT_ID`. E.g.
+for group id `foo.bar` and artifact id `baz`, would result in `foo/bar/baz` contracts path.
+- `EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_WORK_OFFLINE` - if set to `true` then will retrieve artifact with contracts
+from the container's `.m2`. Mount your local `.m2` as a volume available at the container's `/root/.m2` path.
+You must not set both `EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_WORK_OFFLINE` and `EXTERNAL_CONTRACTS_REPO_WITH_BINARIES_URL`.
+
+
 These environment variables are used when tests are executed:
 
 - `APPLICATION_BASE_URL` - url against which tests should be executed.