diff --git a/buildSrc/build.gradle b/buildSrc/build.gradle
index 2f036797bc..225d2b829e 100644
--- a/buildSrc/build.gradle
+++ b/buildSrc/build.gradle
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+apply plugin: 'maven'
+
 repositories {
     mavenCentral()
 }
diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/DefaultPublishTasks.groovy b/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/DefaultPublishTasks.groovy
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..140aeefaba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/DefaultPublishTasks.groovy
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import org.gradle.api.*
+import org.gradle.api.tasks.bundling.Jar
+import org.gradle.api.tasks.javadoc.Javadoc
+
+/**
+ * A utility plugin that when applied will automatically create source and javadoc publishing tasks
+ */
+class DefaultPublishTasks implements Plugin<Project> {
+    void apply(Project project) {
+        project.task("sourceJar", type: Jar, dependsOn: project.classes) {
+            classifier = 'sources'
+            from project.sourceSets.main.allSource
+        }
+
+        project.task("javadocJar", type: Jar, dependsOn: project.javadoc) {
+            classifier = 'javadoc'
+            from project.javadoc.destinationDir
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/contracts/build.gradle b/contracts/build.gradle
index c484f5638a..2d585d8d04 100644
--- a/contracts/build.gradle
+++ b/contracts/build.gradle
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 apply plugin: 'kotlin'
 apply plugin: CanonicalizerPlugin
+apply plugin: DefaultPublishTasks
 
 repositories {
     mavenLocal()
@@ -28,16 +29,6 @@ sourceSets {
     }
 }
 
-task sourceJar(type: Jar, dependsOn: classes) {
-    classifier = 'sources'
-    from sourceSets.main.allSource
-}
-
-task javadocJar(type: Jar, dependsOn: javadoc) {
-    classifier = 'javadoc'
-    from javadoc.destinationDir
-}
-
 publishing {
     publications {
         contracts(MavenPublication) {
diff --git a/core/build.gradle b/core/build.gradle
index ae7c06a063..f75d0df4e6 100644
--- a/core/build.gradle
+++ b/core/build.gradle
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 apply plugin: 'kotlin'
 apply plugin: QuasarPlugin
 // Applying the maven plugin means this will get installed locally when running "gradle install"
-apply plugin: 'maven'
+apply plugin: DefaultPublishTasks
 
 buildscript {
     repositories {
@@ -84,16 +84,6 @@ dependencies {
     compile "org.bouncycastle:bcpkix-jdk15on:${bouncycastle_version}"
 }
 
-task sourceJar(type: Jar, dependsOn: classes) {
-    classifier = 'sources'
-    from sourceSets.main.allSource
-}
-
-task javadocJar(type: Jar, dependsOn: javadoc) {
-    classifier = 'javadoc'
-    from javadoc.destinationDir
-}
-
 publishing {
     publications {
         core(MavenPublication) {
diff --git a/node/build.gradle b/node/build.gradle
index a2f3ee9d12..104208501a 100644
--- a/node/build.gradle
+++ b/node/build.gradle
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 apply plugin: 'kotlin'
 apply plugin: QuasarPlugin
+apply plugin: DefaultPublishTasks
 
 repositories {
     mavenLocal()
@@ -16,7 +17,6 @@ repositories {
 
 //noinspection GroovyAssignabilityCheck
 configurations {
-
     // we don't want isolated.jar in classPath, since we want to test jar being dynamically loaded as an attachment
     runtime.exclude module: 'isolated'
 
@@ -143,16 +143,6 @@ task integrationTest(type: Test) {
     classpath = sourceSets.integrationTest.runtimeClasspath
 }
 
-task sourceJar(type: Jar, dependsOn: classes) {
-    classifier = 'sources'
-    from sourceSets.main.allSource
-}
-
-task javadocJar(type: Jar, dependsOn: javadoc) {
-    classifier = 'javadoc'
-    from javadoc.destinationDir
-}
-
 publishing {
     publications {
         node(MavenPublication) {