diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/app/ApplicationService.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/app/ApplicationService.java
index 683f90a..51d3eb4 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/app/ApplicationService.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/app/ApplicationService.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import org.onosproject.event.ListenerService;
 import org.onosproject.security.Permission;
 
+import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.util.Set;
 
 /**
@@ -74,4 +75,14 @@
      * @param hook  pre-deactivation hook
      */
     void registerDeactivateHook(ApplicationId appId, Runnable hook);
+
+    /**
+     * Returns stream that contains the application OAR/JAR file contents.
+     *
+     * @param appId application identifier
+     * @return input stream containing the app OAR/JAR file
+     */
+    default InputStream getApplicationArchive(ApplicationId appId) {
+        return null;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/app/ApplicationStore.java b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/app/ApplicationStore.java
index 3544956..bd5a66d 100644
--- a/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/app/ApplicationStore.java
+++ b/core/api/src/main/java/org/onosproject/app/ApplicationStore.java
@@ -105,4 +105,14 @@
      */
     void setPermissions(ApplicationId appId, Set<Permission> permissions);
 
+    /**
+     * Returns stream that contains the application OAR/JAR file contents.
+     *
+     * @param appId application identifier
+     * @return input stream containing the app OAR/JAR file
+     */
+    default InputStream getApplicationArchive(ApplicationId appId) {
+        return null;
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/core/common/src/main/java/org/onosproject/common/app/ApplicationArchive.java b/core/common/src/main/java/org/onosproject/common/app/ApplicationArchive.java
index ec38607..92709cb 100644
--- a/core/common/src/main/java/org/onosproject/common/app/ApplicationArchive.java
+++ b/core/common/src/main/java/org/onosproject/common/app/ApplicationArchive.java
@@ -199,13 +199,11 @@
             checkState(!appFile(desc.name(), APP_XML).exists(),
                     "Application %s already installed", desc.name());
 
-            boolean isSelfContainedJar = false;
-
             if (plainXml) {
                 expandPlainApplication(cache, desc);
             } else {
                 bis.reset();
-                isSelfContainedJar = expandZippedApplication(bis, desc);
+                boolean isSelfContainedJar = expandZippedApplication(bis, desc);
 
                 if (isSelfContainedJar) {
                     bis.reset();
@@ -254,7 +252,7 @@
 
     /**
      * Returns application archive stream for the specified application. This
-     * will be either the application ZIP file or the application XML file.
+     * will be either the application OAR file, JAR file or the plain XML file.
      *
      * @param appName application name
      * @return application archive stream
diff --git a/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/app/impl/ApplicationManager.java b/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/app/impl/ApplicationManager.java
index 3c3d60b..d8b09b0 100644
--- a/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/app/impl/ApplicationManager.java
+++ b/core/net/src/main/java/org/onosproject/app/impl/ApplicationManager.java
@@ -179,6 +179,12 @@
         store.setPermissions(appId, permissions);
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public InputStream getApplicationArchive(ApplicationId appId) {
+        checkNotNull(appId, APP_ID_NULL);
+        return store.getApplicationArchive(appId);
+    }
+
     private void updateStoreAndWaitForNotificationHandling(ApplicationId appId,
                                                            Consumer<ApplicationId> storeUpdateTask) {
         CountDownLatch latch = new CountDownLatch(1);
diff --git a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/app/DistributedApplicationStore.java b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/app/DistributedApplicationStore.java
index 21450c0..c64942f 100644
--- a/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/app/DistributedApplicationStore.java
+++ b/core/store/dist/src/main/java/org/onosproject/store/app/DistributedApplicationStore.java
@@ -437,6 +437,11 @@
         }
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public InputStream getApplicationArchive(ApplicationId appId) {
+        return getApplicationInputStream(appId.name());
+    }
+
     private class AppActivator implements Consumer<Application> {
         @Override
         public void accept(Application app) {