diff --git a/backend/app/build.gradle b/backend/app/build.gradle
index 3fe559db16..d958f5d516 100644
--- a/backend/app/build.gradle
+++ b/backend/app/build.gradle
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ dependencies {
     /**
      * Conditional billing module
      */
-    if (rootProject.project(":billing-app").projectDir.exists()) {
+    if (gradle.ext.billingAppDirectory.exists()) {
         implementation(project(':billing-app'))
     }
 
diff --git a/backend/data/build.gradle b/backend/data/build.gradle
index b31c54334a..c09ac0c74f 100644
--- a/backend/data/build.gradle
+++ b/backend/data/build.gradle
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ apply plugin: 'org.hibernate.orm'
 
 repositories {
     mavenCentral()
-    jcenter()
 }
 
 idea {
diff --git a/backend/testing/build.gradle b/backend/testing/build.gradle
index 51693a85f3..7c63433d8c 100644
--- a/backend/testing/build.gradle
+++ b/backend/testing/build.gradle
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ apply plugin: "kotlin-kapt"
 
 repositories {
     mavenCentral()
-    jcenter()
 }
 
 kotlin {
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 7821cff1c3..aeb87c2f49 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -117,9 +117,8 @@ project(':server-app').afterEvaluate {
                 project(':ee-app').tasks.findByName("diffChangelog"),
         ]
 
-        def billingDiffChangelog = project(':billing-app').tasks.findByName("diffChangelog")
-
-        if (billingDiffChangelog != null) {
+        if (gradle.ext.billingAppDirectory.exists()) {
+            def billingDiffChangelog = project(':billing-app').tasks.findByName("diffChangelog")
             finalizedBy.add(billingDiffChangelog)
         }
 
diff --git a/settings.gradle b/settings.gradle
index 09a7a68cbb..caa73f472d 100644
--- a/settings.gradle
+++ b/settings.gradle
@@ -83,11 +83,18 @@ project(':server-app').projectDir = new File('backend/app')
 include ':data'
 project(':data').projectDir = new File('backend/data')
 
-include ':billing-app'
-project(':billing-app').projectDir = new File('../billing/app')
+gradle.ext.billingAppDirectory = new File('../billing/app')
+gradle.ext.billingTestDirectory = new File('../billing/tests')
 
-include ':billing-test'
-project(':billing-test').projectDir = new File('../billing/tests')
+if (gradle.ext.billingAppDirectory.exists()) {
+    include ':billing-app'
+    project(':billing-app').projectDir = gradle.ext.billingAppDirectory
+}
+
+if (gradle.ext.billingTestDirectory.exists()) {
+    include ':billing-test'
+    project(':billing-test').projectDir = gradle.ext.billingTestDirectory
+}
 
 include ':testing'
 project(':testing').projectDir = new File('backend/testing')