diff --git a/.bazelrc b/.bazelrc
index 46f9c7c..3a1c95b 100644
--- a/.bazelrc
+++ b/.bazelrc
@@ -8,7 +8,5 @@
 build --java_toolchain=@bazel_tools//tools/jdk:toolchain_hostjdk8
 build --host_javabase=@local_jdk//:jdk
 build --distinct_host_configuration=false
-#FIXME - this is temporary while porting to karaf 4.2.1
-build --action_env=HOME
 #build --disk_cache=~/bazel-cache
 #build --remote_http_cache=http://10.1.10.224:80/cache
diff --git a/BUILD b/BUILD
index 18d867b..d57e442 100644
--- a/BUILD
+++ b/BUILD
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@
 
 KARAF = "@apache_karaf//:apache_karaf"
 
-PATCHES = "@apache_karaf_patches//:apache_karaf_patches"
-
 BRANDING = "//tools/package/branding:onos-tools-package-branding"
 
 # Generates auxiliary karaf.zip file; branded and augmented with ONOS runtime tools
@@ -23,7 +21,6 @@
     name = "onos-karaf",
     srcs = [
         KARAF,
-        PATCHES,
         BRANDING,
     ] + glob([
         "tools/package/bin/*",
@@ -32,8 +29,8 @@
         "tools/package/runtime/bin/*",
     ]),
     outs = ["karaf.zip"],
-    cmd = "$(location tools/package/onos-prep-karaf) $(location karaf.zip) $(location %s) %s $(location %s) $(location %s) tools/package" %
-          (KARAF, ONOS_VERSION, BRANDING, PATCHES),
+    cmd = "$(location tools/package/onos-prep-karaf) $(location karaf.zip) $(location %s) %s $(location %s) '' tools/package" %
+          (KARAF, ONOS_VERSION, BRANDING),
     tools = ["tools/package/onos-prep-karaf"],
 )
 
diff --git a/lib/deps.json b/lib/deps.json
index a305f74..6a54523 100644
--- a/lib/deps.json
+++ b/lib/deps.json
@@ -276,8 +276,7 @@
     "typesafe-config": "mvn:com.typesafe:config:1.3.2",
     "validation-api": "mvn:javax.validation:validation-api:1.1.0.Final",
     "checkstyle": "mvn:com.puppycrawl.tools:checkstyle:8.10",
-    "apache-karaf": "http://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/onosproject/apache-karaf-offline/3.0.8/apache-karaf-offline-3.0.8.tar.gz",
-    "apache-karaf-patches": "http://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/onosproject/onos-apache-karaf-patches/3.0.8/onos-apache-karaf-patches-3.0.8.tar.gz",
+    "apache-karaf": "http://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/onosproject/apache-karaf-offline/4.2.1-base/apache-karaf-offline-4.2.1-base.tar.gz",
     "bndlib": "mvn:biz.aQute.bnd:biz.aQute.bndlib:jar:4.0.0",
     "bndexe": "mvn:biz.aQute.bnd:biz.aQute.bnd:4.0.0",
     "libthrift": "mvn:org.apache.thrift:libthrift:0.9.3",
diff --git a/tools/build/bazel/generate_workspace.bzl b/tools/build/bazel/generate_workspace.bzl
index 3b94f20..b59b7f1 100644
--- a/tools/build/bazel/generate_workspace.bzl
+++ b/tools/build/bazel/generate_workspace.bzl
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# ***** This file was auto-generated at Thu, 27 Sep 2018 20:53:05 GMT. Do not edit this file manually. *****
+# ***** This file was auto-generated at Fri, 28 Sep 2018 19:10:34 GMT. Do not edit this file manually. *****
 # ***** Use onos-lib-gen *****
 
 load("//tools/build/bazel:variables.bzl", "ONOS_GROUP_ID", "ONOS_VERSION")
@@ -949,15 +949,9 @@
     if "apache_karaf" not in native.existing_rules():
         java_import_external(
             name = "apache_karaf",
-            jar_sha256 = "2f20bb25ded39f1e9e4148bb840473c89249bbb592106f5451b5a829a5ec8603",
+            jar_sha256 = "ec317bf64c60d81fb17b666fb1c44496e138b8b2e2ffc094e1bae5eedaa9acaa",
             licenses = ["notice"],
-            jar_urls = ["http://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/onosproject/apache-karaf-offline/3.0.8/apache-karaf-offline-3.0.8.tar.gz"],        )
-    if "apache_karaf_patches" not in native.existing_rules():
-        java_import_external(
-            name = "apache_karaf_patches",
-            jar_sha256 = "1f9e3e8a53a462f776a931fe851819a43dfe7728b31fbde339b98d04908e702b",
-            licenses = ["notice"],
-            jar_urls = ["http://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/onosproject/onos-apache-karaf-patches/3.0.8/onos-apache-karaf-patches-3.0.8.tar.gz"],        )
+            jar_urls = ["http://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/onosproject/apache-karaf-offline/4.2.1-base/apache-karaf-offline-4.2.1-base.tar.gz"],        )
     if "bndlib" not in native.existing_rules():
         java_import_external(
             name = "bndlib",
@@ -1496,8 +1490,7 @@
 artifact_map["@typesafe_config//:typesafe_config"] = "mvn:com.typesafe:config:jar:1.3.2"
 artifact_map["@validation_api//:validation_api"] = "mvn:javax.validation:validation-api:jar:1.1.0.Final"
 artifact_map["@checkstyle//:checkstyle"] = "mvn:com.puppycrawl.tools:checkstyle:jar:NON-OSGI:8.10"
-artifact_map["@apache_karaf//:apache_karaf"] = "http://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/onosproject/apache-karaf-offline/3.0.8/apache-karaf-offline-3.0.8.tar.gz"
-artifact_map["@apache_karaf_patches//:apache_karaf_patches"] = "http://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/onosproject/onos-apache-karaf-patches/3.0.8/onos-apache-karaf-patches-3.0.8.tar.gz"
+artifact_map["@apache_karaf//:apache_karaf"] = "http://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/onosproject/apache-karaf-offline/4.2.1-base/apache-karaf-offline-4.2.1-base.tar.gz"
 artifact_map["@bndlib//:bndlib"] = "mvn:biz.aQute.bnd:biz.aQute.bndlib:jar:4.0.0"
 artifact_map["@bndexe//:bndexe"] = "mvn:biz.aQute.bnd:biz.aQute.bnd:jar:4.0.0"
 artifact_map["@libthrift//:libthrift"] = "mvn:org.apache.thrift:libthrift:jar:0.9.3"
diff --git a/tools/build/build-offline-karaf b/tools/build/build-offline-karaf
index f7f4a63..baaec33 100755
--- a/tools/build/build-offline-karaf
+++ b/tools/build/build-offline-karaf
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/bash
-
-KARAF_VERSION="3.0.8"
+ 
+KARAF_VERSION="4.2.1"
 KARAF_TARFILE_NAME="apache-karaf-${KARAF_VERSION}.tar"
 BOOT_FEATURES="standard,ssh,scr,war,webconsole"
 
diff --git a/tools/build/envDefaults b/tools/build/envDefaults
index 09e6979..5b7880a 100644
--- a/tools/build/envDefaults
+++ b/tools/build/envDefaults
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 # M2 repository and Karaf gold bits
 export M2_REPO=${M2_REPO:-~/.m2/repository}
-export KARAF_VERSION=${KARAF_VERSION:-3.0.8}
+export KARAF_VERSION=4.2.1
 export KARAF_ZIP=${KARAF_ZIP:-~/Downloads/apache-karaf-$KARAF_VERSION.zip}
 export KARAF_TAR=${KARAF_TAR:-~/Downloads/apache-karaf-$KARAF_VERSION.tar.gz}
 export KARAF_DIST=$(basename $KARAF_ZIP .zip)
diff --git a/tools/dev/bash_profile b/tools/dev/bash_profile
index c4f54d0..7fcedad 100644
--- a/tools/dev/bash_profile
+++ b/tools/dev/bash_profile
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 
 export MAVEN=${MAVEN:-~/Applications/apache-maven-3.3.9}
 
-export KARAF_VERSION=${KARAF_VERSION:-3.0.8}
+export KARAF_VERSION=4.2.1
 export KARAF_ROOT=${KARAF_ROOT:-~/Applications/apache-karaf-$KARAF_VERSION}
 export KARAF_LOG=$KARAF_ROOT/data/log/karaf.log
 
diff --git a/tools/package/bin/onos-backup b/tools/package/bin/onos-backup
index a37ee46..72746e4 100755
--- a/tools/package/bin/onos-backup
+++ b/tools/package/bin/onos-backup
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 ONOS_HOME=${ONOS_HOME:-$(cd $(dirname $0)/.. >/dev/null 2>&1 && pwd)}
 ONOS_DEFAULT_ARCHIVE=$(dirname $ONOS_HOME)/onos-data.tar.gz
-ONOS_KARAF=$ONOS_HOME/apache-karaf-3.0.8
+ONOS_KARAF=$ONOS_HOME/apache-karaf-4.2.1
 
 # Fetch the name of the archive or use a default if none is specified
 archive=${1:-$ONOS_DEFAULT_ARCHIVE}
diff --git a/tools/package/bin/onos-restore b/tools/package/bin/onos-restore
index b7204e5..b6bc4bc 100755
--- a/tools/package/bin/onos-restore
+++ b/tools/package/bin/onos-restore
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 ONOS_HOME=${ONOS_HOME:-$(cd $(dirname $0)/.. >/dev/null 2>&1 && pwd)}
 ONOS_DEFAULT_ARCHIVE=$(dirname $ONOS_HOME)/onos-data.tar.gz
-ONOS_KARAF=$ONOS_HOME/apache-karaf-3.0.8
+ONOS_KARAF=$ONOS_HOME/apache-karaf-4.2.1
 
 # Fetch the name of the archive or use a default if none is specified
 archive=${1:-$ONOS_DEFAULT_ARCHIVE}
diff --git a/tools/package/deb/prerm b/tools/package/deb/prerm
index 264a26c..d1cb8a1 100755
--- a/tools/package/deb/prerm
+++ b/tools/package/deb/prerm
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 # Clean up onos runtime directories
 #      TODO don't hardcode karaf version
-rm -rf /opt/onos/apache-karaf-3.0.8/
+rm -rf /opt/onos/apache-karaf-4.2.1/
 rm -rf /opt/onos/var/*
 rm -rf /opt/onos/config
 rm -rf /opt/onos/options
diff --git a/tools/package/onos-prep-karaf b/tools/package/onos-prep-karaf
index b77d7e6..468494f 100755
--- a/tools/package/onos-prep-karaf
+++ b/tools/package/onos-prep-karaf
@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@
 set -eu -o pipefail
 
 OUT=$1
-#export HOME=/Users/tom
-KARAF_TAR="$HOME/Downloads/apache-karaf-4.2.1.tar.gz"
+KARAF_TAR=$2
 ONOS_VERSION=$3
 BRANDING=$4
 KARAF_PATCHES=$5
diff --git a/tools/test/bin/onos-check-bits b/tools/test/bin/onos-check-bits
index 1196e27..ed7bb7c 100755
--- a/tools/test/bin/onos-check-bits
+++ b/tools/test/bin/onos-check-bits
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
   echo "ONOS archive does not contain the proper version file" && exit 1
 fi
 
-tar tzf ${ONOS_TAR} | grep -q apache-karaf-3.0.8
+tar tzf ${ONOS_TAR} | grep -q apache-karaf-4.2.1
 if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
   echo "ONOS archive does not contain karaf" && exit 1
 fi