diff --git a/src/commands/build.ts b/src/commands/build.ts
index 2dbfd8d4..5ad6f043 100644
--- a/src/commands/build.ts
+++ b/src/commands/build.ts
@@ -1,19 +1,18 @@
-import path from "path";
 import chalk from "chalk";
 import { CommandModule } from "yargs";
 import Listr from "listr";
 // Tasks
 import { buildAndUpload } from "../tasks/buildAndUpload";
 // Utils
-import { getCurrentLocalVersion } from "../utils/versions/getCurrentLocalVersion";
 import { getInstallDnpLink } from "../utils/getLinks";
 import { CliGlobalOptions } from "../types";
 import { UploadTo } from "../releaseUploader";
-import { defaultComposeFileName, defaultDir } from "../params";
+import { defaultBuildDir, defaultComposeFileName, defaultDir } from "../params";
 
 interface CliCommandOptions extends CliGlobalOptions {
   provider: string;
   upload_to: UploadTo;
+  build_dir: string;
   timeout?: string;
   skip_save?: boolean;
   skip_upload?: boolean;
@@ -37,6 +36,11 @@ export const build: CommandModule<CliGlobalOptions, CliCommandOptions> = {
       choices: ["ipfs", "swarm"] as UploadTo[],
       default: "ipfs" as UploadTo
     },
+    build_dir: {
+      description: "Target directory to write build files",
+      default: defaultBuildDir,
+      normalize: true
+    },
     timeout: {
       alias: "t",
       description: `Overrides default build timeout: "15h", "20min 15s", "5000". Specs npmjs.com/package/timestring`,
@@ -74,6 +78,7 @@ export async function buildHandler({
   provider,
   timeout,
   upload_to,
+  build_dir,
   skip_save,
   skip_upload,
   require_git_data,
@@ -91,13 +96,11 @@ export async function buildHandler({
   const skipSave = skip_save;
   const skipUpload = skip_save || skip_upload;
   const composeFileName = compose_file_name;
-  const nextVersion = getCurrentLocalVersion({ dir });
-  const buildDir = path.join(dir, `build_${nextVersion}`);
 
   const buildTasks = new Listr(
     buildAndUpload({
       dir,
-      buildDir,
+      buildDir: build_dir,
       contentProvider,
       uploadTo,
       userTimeout,
diff --git a/src/commands/githubActions/build/index.ts b/src/commands/githubActions/build/index.ts
index 1a967de9..0f6f9b08 100644
--- a/src/commands/githubActions/build/index.ts
+++ b/src/commands/githubActions/build/index.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { CommandModule } from "yargs";
 import { CliGlobalOptions } from "../../../types";
-import { defaultDir } from "../../../params";
+import { defaultBuildDir, defaultDir } from "../../../params";
 import { getGithubContext } from "../../../providers/github/githubActions";
 import { buildHandler } from "../../build";
 import { Github } from "../../../providers/github/Github";
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ export async function gaBuildHandler({
     await buildHandler({
       provider: "dappnode",
       upload_to: "ipfs",
+      build_dir: defaultBuildDir,
       skip_save: true,
       verbose: true
     });
@@ -99,6 +100,7 @@ export async function buildAndComment({
   const { releaseMultiHash } = await buildHandler({
     provider: "pinata",
     upload_to: "ipfs",
+    build_dir: defaultBuildDir,
     require_git_data: true,
     delete_old_pins: true,
     verbose: true
diff --git a/src/commands/init.ts b/src/commands/init.ts
index f6e6743e..4246073e 100644
--- a/src/commands/init.ts
+++ b/src/commands/init.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import defaultAvatar from "../assets/defaultAvatar";
 import { shell } from "../utils/shell";
 import { releasesRecordFileName } from "../utils/releaseRecord";
 import {
+  defaultBuildDir,
   defaultComposeFileName,
   defaultDir,
   defaultManifestFileName,
@@ -46,11 +47,7 @@ ENTRYPOINT echo "happy buidl $USERNAME!"
 
 // .gitignore
 const gitignorePath = ".gitignore";
-const gitignoreCheck = "build_*";
-const gitignoreData = `# DAppNodeSDK release directories
-build_*
-${releasesRecordFileName}
-`;
+const gitignorePaths = [defaultBuildDir, releasesRecordFileName];
 
 interface CliCommandOptions extends CliGlobalOptions {
   yes?: boolean;
@@ -267,9 +264,16 @@ function getDnpName(name: string): string {
 function writeGitIgnore(filepath: string) {
   if (fs.existsSync(filepath)) {
     const currentGitignore = fs.readFileSync(filepath, "utf8");
-    if (!currentGitignore.includes(gitignoreCheck))
-      fs.writeFileSync(filepath, currentGitignore + gitignoreData);
+    const currentGitignorePaths = currentGitignore.split("\n");
+
+    for (const gitignorePath of gitignorePaths) {
+      if (!currentGitignorePaths.includes(gitignorePath)) {
+        currentGitignorePaths.push(gitignorePath);
+      }
+    }
+
+    fs.writeFileSync(filepath, currentGitignorePaths.join("\n"));
   } else {
-    fs.writeFileSync(filepath, gitignoreData);
+    fs.writeFileSync(filepath, gitignorePaths.join("\n"));
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/commands/publish.ts b/src/commands/publish.ts
index b37922d9..fad1a07e 100644
--- a/src/commands/publish.ts
+++ b/src/commands/publish.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import path from "path";
 import Listr from "listr";
 import chalk from "chalk";
 import { CommandModule } from "yargs";
@@ -11,7 +10,12 @@ import { getCurrentLocalVersion } from "../utils/versions/getCurrentLocalVersion
 import { increaseFromApmVersion } from "../utils/versions/increaseFromApmVersion";
 import { verifyEthConnection } from "../utils/verifyEthConnection";
 import { getInstallDnpLink, getPublishTxLink } from "../utils/getLinks";
-import { defaultComposeFileName, defaultDir, YargsError } from "../params";
+import {
+  defaultBuildDir,
+  defaultComposeFileName,
+  defaultDir,
+  YargsError
+} from "../params";
 import { CliGlobalOptions, ReleaseType, releaseTypes, TxData } from "../types";
 import { printObject } from "../utils/print";
 import { UploadTo } from "../releaseUploader";
@@ -24,6 +28,7 @@ interface CliCommandOptions extends CliGlobalOptions {
   eth_provider: string;
   content_provider: string;
   upload_to: UploadTo;
+  build_dir: string;
   developer_address?: string;
   timeout?: string;
   github_release?: boolean;
@@ -67,6 +72,11 @@ export const publish: CommandModule<CliGlobalOptions, CliCommandOptions> = {
         choices: ["ipfs", "swarm"],
         default: "ipfs" as UploadTo
       })
+      .option("build_dir", {
+        description: "Target directory to write build files",
+        default: defaultBuildDir,
+        normalize: true
+      })
       .option("developer_address", {
         alias: "a",
         description: `If there is no existing repo for this DNP the publish command needs a developer address. If it is not provided as an option a prompt will request it`,
@@ -130,6 +140,7 @@ export async function publishHanlder({
   developer_address,
   timeout,
   upload_to,
+  build_dir,
   github_release,
   dappnode_team_preset,
   require_git_data,
@@ -154,6 +165,7 @@ export async function publishHanlder({
   const composeFileName = compose_file_name;
   const requireGitData = require_git_data;
   const deleteOldPins = delete_old_pins;
+  const buildDir = build_dir;
 
   const isCi = process.env.CI;
   const tag = process.env.TRAVIS_TAG || process.env.GITHUB_REF;
@@ -217,7 +229,6 @@ export async function publishHanlder({
             else throw e;
           }
           ctx.nextVersion = nextVersion;
-          ctx.buildDir = path.join(dir, `build_${nextVersion}`);
           task.title = task.title + ` (next version: ${nextVersion})`;
         }
       },
@@ -225,12 +236,12 @@ export async function publishHanlder({
       // 2. Build and upload
       {
         title: "Build and upload",
-        task: ctx =>
+        task: () =>
           new Listr(
             buildAndUpload({
               dir,
               composeFileName,
-              buildDir: ctx.buildDir,
+              buildDir,
               contentProvider,
               uploadTo,
               userTimeout,
@@ -265,7 +276,7 @@ export async function publishHanlder({
           createGithubRelease({
             dir,
             compose_file_name,
-            buildDir: ctx.buildDir,
+            buildDir,
             releaseMultiHash: ctx.releaseMultiHash,
             verbose,
             silent
diff --git a/src/params.ts b/src/params.ts
index fed298e4..30621395 100644
--- a/src/params.ts
+++ b/src/params.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ export class YargsError extends Error {}
 
 export const branchNameRoot = "dappnodebot/bump-upstream/";
 
+// SDK params
+
+export const defaultBuildDir = "./build";
+
 // DAppNode params
 
 export const defaultDir = "./";
diff --git a/src/releaseUploader/pinata/addDirFromFs.ts b/src/releaseUploader/pinata/addDirFromFs.ts
index 2fb5b0b9..b28bc7d7 100644
--- a/src/releaseUploader/pinata/addDirFromFs.ts
+++ b/src/releaseUploader/pinata/addDirFromFs.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { PinataMetadata, PinataOptions, IpfsUploadResult } from "./PinataSDK";
 
 /**
  * Uploads a directory or file from the fs
- * @param dirOrFilePath "build_0.1.0/"
+ * @param dirOrFilePath "./build"
  * @param pinataUrl "https://api.pinata.cloud"
  * @param onProgress Reports upload progress, 0.4631
  * @returns "/ipfs/Qm..."
diff --git a/src/tasks/createGithubRelease.ts b/src/tasks/createGithubRelease.ts
index cffd311f..3f51904e 100644
--- a/src/tasks/createGithubRelease.ts
+++ b/src/tasks/createGithubRelease.ts
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ export function createGithubRelease({
           });
 
           // Clean content hash file so the directory uploaded to IPFS is the same
-          // as the local build_* dir. User can then `ipfs add -r` and get the same hash
+          // as the local ./build dir. User can then `ipfs add -r` and get the same hash
           fs.unlinkSync(contentHashPath);
         }
       }
diff --git a/src/utils/compactManifest.ts b/src/utils/compactManifest.ts
index 6a461696..2a4b7ea8 100644
--- a/src/utils/compactManifest.ts
+++ b/src/utils/compactManifest.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { readManifest, writeManifest } from "./manifest";
 /**
  * Reads manifest and extra files in `buildDir` compacts them in the manifest
  * and writes the resulting manifest in `buildDir`
- * @param buildDir `build_0.1.0`
+ * @param buildDir `./build`
  */
 export function compactManifestIfCore(buildDir: string): void {
   const { manifest, format } = readManifest({ dir: buildDir });
diff --git a/test/commands/build.test.ts b/test/commands/build.test.ts
index b661f80c..bd71ac83 100644
--- a/test/commands/build.test.ts
+++ b/test/commands/build.test.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ describe("Init and build", function () {
       dir: testDir,
       provider: contentProvider,
       upload_to: "ipfs",
+      build_dir: "build",
       timeout: "5min",
       verbose: true
     });