diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ed39b18c23aba..ce9d65b4c8d83 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 dist:
 	bin/dist.sh
 
-docker:
+docker: dist
 	bin/docker.sh
 
 test:
diff --git a/bin/dist.sh b/bin/dist.sh
index bde98305d9939..c478293f8222f 100755
--- a/bin/dist.sh
+++ b/bin/dist.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # Builds a spark distribution.
 #
 # Assumes: Spark source directory exists at "../../spark".
-# Output: ../../spark/spark-XYZ.tgz
+# Output: build/spark/spark-XYZ.tgz
 
 DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
 
diff --git a/bin/docker.sh b/bin/docker.sh
index 8a4fc705cefa4..f580a52185db7 100755
--- a/bin/docker.sh
+++ b/bin/docker.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-# Builds and pushes a Spark docker image
+# Builds and pushes a Spark docker image.
 #
 # ENV vars:
 #   DOCKER_IMAGE - <image>:<version>
@@ -11,19 +11,12 @@ set -x -e -o pipefail
 DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
 SPARK_BUILD_DIR="${DIR}/.."
 
-function fetch_spark() {
-    rm -rf build/dist
-    mkdir -p build/dist
-    curl -o "build/dist/${DIST_TGZ}" "${SPARK_DIST_URI}"
-    tar xvf "build/dist/${DIST_TGZ}" -C build/dist
-}
-
 function create_docker_context {
-    fetch_spark
+    tar xvf build/dist/spark-*.tgz -C build/dist
 
     rm -rf build/docker
     mkdir -p build/docker/dist
-    cp -r "build/dist/${DIST}/." build/docker/dist
+    cp -r build/dist/spark-*/. build/docker/dist
     cp -r conf/* build/docker/dist/conf
     cp -r docker/* build/docker
 }
@@ -40,13 +33,6 @@ function push_docker {
 
 [[ -n "${DOCKER_IMAGE}" ]] || (echo "DOCKER_IMAGE is a required env var." 1>&2; exit 1)
 
-if [ -z "${SPARK_DIST_URI}" ]; then
-    SPARK_DIST_URI=$(jq -r ".default_spark_dist.uri" manifest.json)
-fi
-
-DIST_TGZ=$(basename "${SPARK_DIST_URI}")
-DIST="${DIST_TGZ%.*}"
-
 pushd "${SPARK_BUILD_DIR}"
 create_docker_context
 build_docker
diff --git a/bin/jenkins.sh b/bin/jenkins.sh
index d9b2f43059a63..a05bd7d91fbd1 100644
--- a/bin/jenkins.sh
+++ b/bin/jenkins.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ set -o pipefail
 DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
 SPARK_DIR="${DIR}/../../spark"
 SPARK_BUILD_DIR="${DIR}/../../spark-build"
+DIST_DIR="${SPARK_BUILD_DIR}/build/dist"
 
 function default_hadoop_version {
     jq -r ".default_spark_dist.hadoop_version" "${SPARK_BUILD_DIR}/manifest.json"
@@ -15,21 +16,25 @@ function default_spark_dist {
     jq -r ".default_spark_dist.uri" "${SPARK_BUILD_DIR}/manifest.json"
 }
 
+# Writes a Spark distribution to ${SPARK_BUILD_DIR}/build/dist/spark-*.tgz
 function make_distribution {
     local HADOOP_VERSION=${HADOOP_VERSION:-$(default_hadoop_version)}
-    pushd "${SPARK_DIR}"
 
-    rm -rf spark-*.tgz
+    rm -rf "${DIST_DIR}"
+    mkdir -p "${DIST_DIR}"
 
-    if [[ -n "${SPARK_DIST_URI}" ]]; then
-        wget "${SPARK_DIST_URI}"
-    elif [[ -n "${DEV}" ]]; then
+    if [[ "${DIST}" == "dev" ]]; then
         make_dev_distribution
-    else
+    elif [[ "${DIST}" == "prod" ]]; then
         make_prod_distribution
+    else
+        make_manifest_distribution
     fi
+}
 
-    popd
+function make_manifest_distribution {
+    SPARK_DIST_URI=$(default_spark_dist)
+    (cd "${DIST_DIR}" && wget "${SPARK_DIST_URI}")
 }
 
 # Adapted from spark/dev/make-distribution.sh.
@@ -39,6 +44,7 @@ function make_distribution {
 function make_dev_distribution {
     pushd "${SPARK_DIR}"
     rm -rf spark-*.tgz
+
     ./build/sbt -Pmesos "-Phadoop-${HADOOP_VERSION}" -Phive -Phive-thriftserver package
 
     # jars
@@ -68,11 +74,15 @@ function make_dev_distribution {
     cp -r "${SPARK_DIR}/python" /tmp/spark-SNAPSHOT
 
     (cd /tmp && tar czf spark-SNAPSHOT.tgz spark-SNAPSHOT)
-    cp /tmp/spark-SNAPSHOT.tgz "${SPARK_DIR}"
+    mkdir -p "${DIST_DIR}"
+    cp /tmp/spark-SNAPSHOT.tgz "${DIST_DIR}"
     popd
 }
 
 function make_prod_distribution {
+    pushd "${SPARK_DIR}"
+    rm -rf spark-*.tgz
+
     if [ -f make-distribution.sh ]; then
         # Spark <2.0
         ./make-distribution.sh --tgz "-Phadoop-${HADOOP_VERSION}" -Phive -Phive-thriftserver -DskipTests
@@ -85,6 +95,11 @@ function make_prod_distribution {
         fi
         ./dev/make-distribution.sh --tgz "${MESOS_PROFILE}" "-Phadoop-${HADOOP_VERSION}" -Psparkr -Phive -Phive-thriftserver -DskipTests
     fi
+
+    mkdir -p "${DIST_DIR}"
+    cp spark-*.tgz "${DIST_DIR}"
+
+    popd
 }
 
 # rename spark/spark-*.tgz to spark/spark-<TAG>.tgz
@@ -121,7 +136,7 @@ function set_hadoop_versions {
 }
 
 function build_and_test() {
-    make dist
+    DIST=prod make dist
     SPARK_DIST=$(cd ${SPARK_DIR} && ls spark-*.tgz)
     S3_URL="s3://${S3_BUCKET}/${S3_PREFIX}/spark/${GIT_COMMIT}/" upload_to_s3
 
diff --git a/dispatcher/bin/universe.sh b/dispatcher/bin/universe.sh
index c8f235ff1d91e..2c1cd589c852b 100755
--- a/dispatcher/bin/universe.sh
+++ b/dispatcher/bin/universe.sh
@@ -1,17 +1,16 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-# Builds a universe for this spark package
+# Builds a universe for this spark package, and uploads it to S3.
 #
 # Manifest config:
 #   cli_version - version label to use for CLI package
 #   spark_uri - where fetch spark distribution from (or SPARK_DIST_URI if provided)
 #
 # ENV vars:
-#   DEV (optional) - if "true", spark will be built from source rather than
-#                    using the distribution specified in manifest.json.
+#   DIST (optional) - if "dev", spark will be built from source rather than
+#                     using the distribution specified in manifest.json.
 #   DOCKER_IMAGE (optional) - "<image>:<version>", falls back to mesosphere/spark-dev:COMMIT)
 #   COMMONS_TOOLS_DIR (optional) - path to dcos-commons/tools/, or empty to fetch latest release tgz
-#   SPARK_DIST_URI (optional) - URI of spark distribution to use.
 #   ghprbActualCommit / GIT_COMMIT (optional) - COMMIT value to use for DOCKER_IMAGE, if DOCKER_IMAGE isn't specified
 
 set -e -x -o pipefail
@@ -21,20 +20,8 @@ DISPATCHER_DIR="${DIR}/.."
 SPARK_BUILD_DIR="${DIR}/../.."
 SPARK_DIR="${DIR}/../../../spark"
 
-# set CLI_VERSION, SPARK_DIST_URI, and DOCKER_IMAGE:
+# set CLI_VERSION, DOCKER_IMAGE:
 configure_env() {
-    if [ -z "${SPARK_DIST_URI}" ]; then
-        if [[ "${DEV}" = "true" ]]; then
-            (cd "${SPARK_BUILD_DIR}" && make dist)
-            SPARK_DIST_URI="file://${SPARK_DIR}/spark-SNAPSHOT.tgz"
-        else
-            SPARK_DIST_URI=$(default_spark_dist)
-            SPARK_DIST_URI="${SPARK_DIST_URI%\"}"
-            SPARK_DIST_URI="${SPARK_DIST_URI#\"}"
-        fi
-        echo "Using Spark dist URI: ${SPARK_DIST_URI}"
-    fi
-
     CLI_VERSION=$(jq ".cli_version" "${SPARK_BUILD_DIR}/manifest.json")
     CLI_VERSION="${CLI_VERSION%\"}"
     CLI_VERSION="${CLI_VERSION#\"}"
@@ -73,22 +60,13 @@ make_cli() {
 }
 
 make_docker() {
-    echo "###"
-    echo "# Using docker image: $DOCKER_IMAGE"
-    echo "###"
-
-    (cd "${SPARK_BUILD_DIR}" &&
-            DOCKER_IMAGE=${DOCKER_IMAGE} \
-                        SPARK_DIST_URI="${SPARK_DIST_URI}" \
-                        make docker)
+    (cd "${SPARK_BUILD_DIR}" && DOCKER_IMAGE=${DOCKER_IMAGE} make docker)
 }
 
 upload_cli_and_stub_universe() {
     # Build/upload package using custom template parameters: TEMPLATE_X_Y_Z => {{x-y-z}}
-    # ARTIFACT_DIR="https://${S3_BUCKET}.s3.amazonaws.com/${S3_PREFIX}" \
-    # S3_DIR_PATH=${S3_PREFIX:-} \
     TEMPLATE_CLI_VERSION=${CLI_VERSION} \
-    TEMPLATE_SPARK_DIST_URI=${SPARK_DIST_URI} \
+    TEMPLATE_SPARK_DIST_URI=$(default_spark_dist) \
     TEMPLATE_DOCKER_IMAGE=${DOCKER_IMAGE} \
         ${COMMONS_TOOLS_DIR}/ci_upload.py \
             spark \