diff --git a/src/main/scala/com/typesafe/sbt/packager/docker/DockerPlugin.scala b/src/main/scala/com/typesafe/sbt/packager/docker/DockerPlugin.scala
index 88ee7772e..87d4c0930 100644
--- a/src/main/scala/com/typesafe/sbt/packager/docker/DockerPlugin.scala
+++ b/src/main/scala/com/typesafe/sbt/packager/docker/DockerPlugin.scala
@@ -112,10 +112,6 @@ object DockerPlugin extends AutoPlugin {
     Seq(
       executableScriptName := executableScriptName.value,
       mappings ++= dockerPackageMappings.value,
-      mappings ++= {
-        val baseDir = target.value
-        Seq(dockerGenerateConfig.value) pair (file => IO.relativize(baseDir, file))
-      },
       name := name.value,
       packageName := packageName.value,
       publishLocal := {
@@ -145,13 +141,14 @@ object DockerPlugin extends AutoPlugin {
       },
       sourceDirectory := sourceDirectory.value / "docker",
       stage := Stager.stage(Docker.name)(streams.value, stagingDirectory.value, mappings.value),
+      stage := (stage dependsOn dockerGenerateConfig).value,
       stagingDirectory := (target in Docker).value / "stage",
       target := target.value / "docker",
       daemonUser := "daemon",
       daemonGroup := daemonUser.value,
       defaultLinuxInstallLocation := "/opt/docker",
       dockerPackageMappings := MappingsHelper.contentOf(sourceDirectory.value),
-      dockerGenerateConfig := generateDockerConfig(dockerCommands.value, target.value)
+      dockerGenerateConfig := generateDockerConfig(dockerCommands.value, stagingDirectory.value)
     )
   )
 
diff --git a/src/sbt-test/docker/entrypoint/test b/src/sbt-test/docker/entrypoint/test
index 6ab640bcb..8fba43b1f 100644
--- a/src/sbt-test/docker/entrypoint/test
+++ b/src/sbt-test/docker/entrypoint/test
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 # Stage the distribution and ensure files show up.
 > docker:stage
-$ exec grep -q -F 'ENTRYPOINT ["/bin/sh", "-c", "env"]' target/docker/Dockerfile
+$ exec grep -q -F 'ENTRYPOINT ["/bin/sh", "-c", "env"]' target/docker/stage/Dockerfile
diff --git a/src/sbt-test/docker/labels/build.sbt b/src/sbt-test/docker/labels/build.sbt
index c8617d663..818491b08 100644
--- a/src/sbt-test/docker/labels/build.sbt
+++ b/src/sbt-test/docker/labels/build.sbt
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ dockerLabels := Map("foo" -> "bar", "fooBar" -> "foo bar", "number" -> "123")
 
 
 TaskKey[Unit]("checkDockerfile") := {
-  val dockerfile = IO.read((target in Docker).value / "Dockerfile")
+  val dockerfile = IO.read((stagingDirectory in Docker).value / "Dockerfile")
 
   assert(dockerfile contains """LABEL foo="bar"""", s"does not contain foo=bar\n$dockerfile")
   assert(dockerfile contains """LABEL fooBar="foo bar"""", s"does not contain foo=bar\n$dockerfile")
diff --git a/src/sbt-test/docker/ports/test b/src/sbt-test/docker/ports/test
index a23ca52d4..8d6e17b83 100644
--- a/src/sbt-test/docker/ports/test
+++ b/src/sbt-test/docker/ports/test
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 # Stage the distribution and ensure files show up.
 > docker:stage
-$ exec grep -q -F 'EXPOSE 9000 9001 10000/udp 10001/udp' target/docker/Dockerfile
+$ exec grep -q -F 'EXPOSE 9000 9001 10000/udp 10001/udp' target/docker/stage/Dockerfile
diff --git a/src/sbt-test/docker/test-executableScriptName/build.sbt b/src/sbt-test/docker/test-executableScriptName/build.sbt
index 93086b161..bbe73e03e 100644
--- a/src/sbt-test/docker/test-executableScriptName/build.sbt
+++ b/src/sbt-test/docker/test-executableScriptName/build.sbt
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ version := "0.1.0"
 maintainer := "Gary Coady <gary@lyranthe.org>"
 
 TaskKey[Unit]("checkDockerfile") := {
-  val dockerfile = IO.read(target.value / "docker" / "Dockerfile")
+  val dockerfile = IO.read((stagingDirectory in Docker).value / "Dockerfile")
   assert(
     dockerfile.contains("ENTRYPOINT [\"bin/docker-exec\"]\n"),
     "dockerfile doesn't contain ENTRYPOINT [\"docker-exec\"]\n" + dockerfile
diff --git a/src/sbt-test/docker/test-packageName-universal/build.sbt b/src/sbt-test/docker/test-packageName-universal/build.sbt
index 17c214855..919e75ae3 100644
--- a/src/sbt-test/docker/test-packageName-universal/build.sbt
+++ b/src/sbt-test/docker/test-packageName-universal/build.sbt
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ version := "0.1.0"
 maintainer := "Gary Coady <gary@lyranthe.org>"
 
 TaskKey[Unit]("checkDockerfile") := {
-  val dockerfile = IO.read(target.value / "docker" / "Dockerfile")
+  val dockerfile = IO.read((stagingDirectory in Docker).value / "Dockerfile")
   assert(
     dockerfile.contains("ENTRYPOINT [\"bin/docker-test\"]\n"),
     "dockerfile doesn't contain ENTRYPOINT [\"docker-test\"]\n" + dockerfile
diff --git a/src/sbt-test/docker/test-packageName/build.sbt b/src/sbt-test/docker/test-packageName/build.sbt
index f855ea17b..9149bbeb8 100644
--- a/src/sbt-test/docker/test-packageName/build.sbt
+++ b/src/sbt-test/docker/test-packageName/build.sbt
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ version := "0.1.0"
 maintainer := "Gary Coady <gary@lyranthe.org>"
 
 TaskKey[Unit]("checkDockerfile") := {
-  val dockerfile = IO.read(target.value / "docker" / "Dockerfile")
+  val dockerfile = IO.read((stagingDirectory in Docker).value / "Dockerfile")
   assert(
     dockerfile.contains("ENTRYPOINT [\"bin/docker-test\"]\n"),
     "dockerfile doesn't contain ENTRYPOINT [\"docker-test\"]\n" + dockerfile
diff --git a/src/sbt-test/docker/udp-only-ports/test b/src/sbt-test/docker/udp-only-ports/test
index 6c60b6b0f..2061f2a57 100644
--- a/src/sbt-test/docker/udp-only-ports/test
+++ b/src/sbt-test/docker/udp-only-ports/test
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 # Stage the distribution and ensure files show up.
 > docker:stage
-$ exec grep -q -F 'EXPOSE 10000/udp 10001/udp' target/docker/Dockerfile
+$ exec grep -q -F 'EXPOSE 10000/udp 10001/udp' target/docker/stage/Dockerfile
diff --git a/src/sbt-test/docker/volumes/test b/src/sbt-test/docker/volumes/test
index 302f8845a..03bc826a9 100644
--- a/src/sbt-test/docker/volumes/test
+++ b/src/sbt-test/docker/volumes/test
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Stage the distribution and ensure files show up.
 > docker:stage
-$ exec grep -q -F 'VOLUME ["/opt/docker/logs", "/opt/docker/config"]' target/docker/Dockerfile
-$ exec grep -q -F 'RUN ["chown", "-R", "daemon:daemon", "/opt/docker/logs", "/opt/docker/config"]' target/docker/Dockerfile
-$ exec grep -q -F 'RUN ["mkdir", "-p", "/opt/docker/logs", "/opt/docker/config"]' target/docker/Dockerfile
+$ exec grep -q -F 'VOLUME ["/opt/docker/logs", "/opt/docker/config"]' target/docker/stage/Dockerfile
+$ exec grep -q -F 'RUN ["chown", "-R", "daemon:daemon", "/opt/docker/logs", "/opt/docker/config"]' target/docker/stage/Dockerfile
+$ exec grep -q -F 'RUN ["mkdir", "-p", "/opt/docker/logs", "/opt/docker/config"]' target/docker/stage/Dockerfile