diff --git a/defaults.yml b/defaults.yml
index c0add94b..2baf9021 100644
--- a/defaults.yml
+++ b/defaults.yml
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ phpmd:
   # Output format for phpmd.
   format: text
   # Comma-separated list of ruleset paths or names.
-  rulesets: "${build.thebuild.dir}/defaults/standard/phpmd.xml"
+  rulesets: "${build.dir}/phpmd.xml"
   # File extensions to review.
   suffixes: php,inc,module,theme,profile,install,test
 
diff --git a/defaults/install/build.xml b/defaults/install/build.xml
index 192329a9..4f305052 100644
--- a/defaults/install/build.xml
+++ b/defaults/install/build.xml
@@ -121,9 +121,8 @@
         <exec command="vendor/bin/phpcs" logoutput="true" checkreturn="true" />
 
         <!-- Run PHP Mess Detector. -->
-        <property name="phpmd.command" value="vendor/bin/phpmd ${phpmd.directories} ${phpmd.format} ${phpmd.rulesets} --suffixes ${phpmd.suffixes}" />
-        <echo msg="$> ${phpmd.command}" />
-        <exec command="${phpmd.command}" logoutput="true" checkreturn="true" />
+        <echo msg="$> vendor/bin/phpmd" />
+        <exec command="vendor/bin/phpmd ${phpmd.directories} ${phpmd.format} ${phpmd.rulesets} --suffixes ${phpmd.suffixes}" logoutput="true" checkreturn="true" />
 
         <!-- Run Drupal Check. -->
         <foreach list="${drupal-check.directories}" param="drupal-check.dir" target="drupal-check" />
diff --git a/defaults/install/phpmd.xml b/defaults/install/phpmd.xml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c1a66cfc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/defaults/install/phpmd.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+<?xml version="1.0"?>
+<ruleset xmlns="http://pmd.sourceforge.net/ruleset/2.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" name="PMD Ruleset for Drupal" xsi:schemaLocation="http://pmd.sourceforge.net/ruleset/2.0.0 http://pmd.sourceforge.net/ruleset_2_0_0.xsd">
+  <description>
+    A PMD Ruleset for Drupal coding standards.
+  </description>
+
+  <!--
+    Include each rule explicitly so we know what we have.
+    @see https://github.com/phpmd/phpmd/blob/master/src/main/resources/rulesets/
+  -->
+
+  <!-- Clean Code -->
+  <!--
+  These don't align with Drupal standards, so they are excluded.
+  @todo Static calls are hard to test and extend, is there a way to whitelist the ones that are OK?
+  <rule ref="rulesets/cleancode.xml/BooleanArgumentFlag"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/cleancode.xml/ElseExpression"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/cleancode.xml/StaticAccess"/>
+  -->
+
+  <!-- Code Size -->
+  <rule ref="rulesets/codesize.xml/CyclomaticComplexity"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/codesize.xml/NPathComplexity"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/codesize.xml/ExcessiveMethodLength"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/codesize.xml/ExcessiveClassLength"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/codesize.xml/ExcessiveParameterList"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/codesize.xml/ExcessivePublicCount"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/codesize.xml/TooManyFields"/>
+
+  <!-- Controversial -->
+  <rule ref="rulesets/controversial.xml/Superglobals"/>
+  <!--
+  These checks do not need to be included since PHPCS will check for style.
+  <rule ref="rulesets/controversial.xml/CamelCaseClassName"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/controversial.xml/CamelCasePropertyName"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/controversial.xml/CamelCaseMethodName"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/controversial.xml/CamelCaseParameterName"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/controversial.xml/CamelCaseVariableName"/>
+  -->
+
+  <!-- Design -->
+  <rule ref="rulesets/design.xml/ExitExpression"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/design.xml/EvalExpression"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/design.xml/GotoStatement"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/design.xml/NumberOfChildren"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/design.xml/DepthOfInheritance"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/design.xml/CouplingBetweenObjects"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/design.xml/DevelopmentCodeFragment"/>
+
+  <!-- Naming -->
+  <rule ref="rulesets/naming.xml/ShortVariable">
+    <properties>
+      <!-- Allow $id as a variable name. -->
+      <property name="exceptions" description="Comma-separated list of exceptions" value="id"/>
+    </properties>
+  </rule>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/naming.xml/LongVariable">
+    <properties>
+      <!-- Bump variable length to a more reasonable number. -->
+      <property name="maximum" description="The variable length reporting threshold" value="35"/>
+    </properties>
+  </rule>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/naming.xml/ShortMethodName"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/naming.xml/ConstructorWithNameAsEnclosingClass"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/naming.xml/ConstantNamingConventions"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/naming.xml/BooleanGetMethodName"/>
+
+  <!-- Unused Code -->
+  <rule ref="rulesets/unusedcode.xml/UnusedPrivateField"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/unusedcode.xml/UnusedLocalVariable"/>
+  <rule ref="rulesets/unusedcode.xml/UnusedPrivateMethod"/>
+  <!--
+  Hooks often have unused parameters, so ignore this warning.
+  @todo is there a way to allow unused parameters in hooks but not elsewhere?
+  <rule ref="rulesets/unusedcode.xml/UnusedFormalParameter"/>
+  -->
+
+</ruleset>
diff --git a/targets/install.xml b/targets/install.xml
index 4d342313..76c4901f 100644
--- a/targets/install.xml
+++ b/targets/install.xml
@@ -224,6 +224,27 @@
             </filterchain>
         </copy>
 
+        <!-- Copy the phpmd.xml file template.
+             -->
+        <echo>Updating phpmd.xml file for project root.</echo>
+        <if>
+            <equals arg1="${build.host}" arg2="acquia"/>
+            <then>
+                <property name="phpmd_dir" value="docroot"/>
+            </then>
+            <else>
+                <property name="phpmd_dir" value="web"/>
+            </else>
+        </if>
+        <copy file="${phing.dir.install}/../defaults/install/phpmd.xml" tofile="${application.startdir}/phpmd.xml" overwrite="true">
+            <filterchain>
+                <replacetokens>
+                    <token key="projectname" value="${projectname}" />
+                    <token key="webroot" value="${phpmd_dir}" />
+                </replacetokens>
+            </filterchain>
+        </copy>
+
          <!-- Copy other templates into place.
              These copy commands use <expandproperties /> for property substitution.
              -->