diff --git a/base/configs/openmrs/frontend_assembly/spa-assemble-config.json b/base/configs/openmrs/frontend_assembly/spa-assemble-config.json
index 06ae725b..fa883d5a 100644
--- a/base/configs/openmrs/frontend_assembly/spa-assemble-config.json
+++ b/base/configs/openmrs/frontend_assembly/spa-assemble-config.json
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {
+    "coreVersion": "5.6.1-pre.1857",
     "frontendModules": {
         "@openmrs/esm-form-entry-app": "8.0.0"
     },
@@ -6,4 +7,4 @@
     "frontendModuleExcludes": [
         "@openmrs/esm-form-engine-app"
     ]
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/base/pom.xml b/base/pom.xml
index d29539ed..e159f0c2 100644
--- a/base/pom.xml
+++ b/base/pom.xml
@@ -175,6 +175,30 @@
               </resources>
             </configuration>
           </execution>
+
+          <!-- Override the Groovy script provided by Ozone to allow overriding the App Shell version -->
+          <execution>
+            <id>Override OpenMRS frontend build Groovy script</id>
+            <phase>process-resources</phase>
+            <goals>
+              <goal>copy-resources</goal>
+            </goals>
+            <configuration>
+              <outputDirectory>${project.build.directory}</outputDirectory>
+              <overwrite>true</overwrite>
+              <resources>
+                <resource>
+                  <directory>${project.basedir}/scripts</directory>
+                  <includes>
+                    <include>
+                      openmrs/frontend_assembly/build-openmrs-frontend.groovy
+                    </include>
+                  </includes>
+                </resource>
+              </resources>
+            </configuration>
+          </execution>
+
         </executions>
       </plugin>
 
@@ -301,4 +325,4 @@
       </build>
     </profile>
   </profiles> -->
-</project>
\ No newline at end of file
+</project>
diff --git a/base/scripts/openmrs/frontend_assembly/build-openmrs-frontend.groovy b/base/scripts/openmrs/frontend_assembly/build-openmrs-frontend.groovy
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bc9dcead
--- /dev/null
+++ b/base/scripts/openmrs/frontend_assembly/build-openmrs-frontend.groovy
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+import java.nio.file.Paths
+
+log.info("Checking for frontend customizations in ${Paths.get("${project.build.directory}", "openmrs_frontend", "spa-assemble-config.json").toString()}")
+
+def refAppConfigFile = Paths.get("${project.build.directory}", "openmrs_frontend", "reference-application-spa-assemble-config.json").toFile()
+def slurper = new groovy.json.JsonSlurper()
+def refAppConfig = slurper.parse(refAppConfigFile)
+def openmrsVersion = refAppConfig["coreVersion"] ?: "next"
+def outputDirectory = "${project.groupId}" == "com.ozonehis" && "${project.artifactId}" == "ozone-distro" ?
+    "${project.build.directory}/${project.artifactId}-${project.version}/binaries/openmrs/frontend" :
+    "${project.build.directory}/${project.artifactId}-${project.version}/distro/binaries/openmrs/frontend"
+
+def outputDirectoryFile = new File(outputDirectory)
+
+def assembleCommand = "npx --legacy-peer-deps openmrs@${openmrsVersion} assemble --manifest --mode config --target ${outputDirectory} --config ${refAppConfigFile.getAbsolutePath()}"
+log.info("Project: ${project.groupId}:${project.artifactId}")
+// by default, we build the frontend as part of Ozone and only rebuild if there are local customizations
+def shouldBuildFrontend = "${project.groupId}" == "com.ozonehis" && "${project.artifactId}" == "ozone-distro"
+
+if (!shouldBuildFrontend) {
+    frontendCustomizationsFile = Paths.get("${project.build.directory}", "openmrs_frontend", "spa-assemble-config.json").toFile()
+    if (frontendCustomizationsFile.exists()) {
+        log.info("Found frontend customizations. Rebuilding frontend...")
+
+        assembleCommand += " --config ${frontendCustomizationsFile.getAbsolutePath()}"
+        shouldBuildFrontend = true
+        // Update the openmrs version to the one specified in the customizations file if it exists.
+        openmrsVersion = slurper.parse(frontendCustomizationsFile)["coreVersion"] ?: openmrsVersion
+        log.info("Using OpenMRS Frontend Core Version: ${openmrsVersion}")
+    }
+}
+
+if (shouldBuildFrontend) {
+    log.info("Cleaning ${outputDirectory}...")
+    if (outputDirectoryFile.exists()) {
+        outputDirectoryFile.eachFile(it -> it.delete())
+        outputDirectoryFile.eachDir(it -> { if (it.getName() != "ozone") { it.deleteDir() } })
+    }
+
+    log.info("Running assemble command...")
+
+    def assembleProcess = assembleCommand.execute()
+    assembleProcess.consumeProcessOutput(System.out, System.err)
+    assembleProcess.waitFor()
+
+    if (assembleProcess.exitValue() != 0) {
+        throw new RuntimeException("'openmrs assemble' step failed. See previous messages for details.")
+    }
+
+    log.info("Running build command...")
+
+    def buildProcess = "npx --legacy-peer-deps openmrs@${openmrsVersion} build --config-url \$SPA_CONFIG_URLS --default-locale \$SPA_DEFAULT_LOCALE --target ${outputDirectory}".execute()
+    buildProcess.consumeProcessOutput(System.out, System.err)
+    buildProcess.waitFor()
+
+    if (buildProcess.exitValue() != 0) {
+        throw new RuntimeException("'openmrs build' step failed. See previous messages for details.")
+    }
+} else {
+    log.info("No need to re-build the frontend detected")
+}
diff --git a/prod/pom.xml b/prod/pom.xml
index 998c72b7..7bf4943d 100644
--- a/prod/pom.xml
+++ b/prod/pom.xml
@@ -63,6 +63,36 @@
           </execution>
         </executions>
       </plugin>
+
+      <plugin>
+      <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+      <artifactId>maven-resources-plugin</artifactId>
+      <executions>
+        <!-- Override the Groovy script provided by Ozone to allow overriding the App Shell version -->
+        <execution>
+          <id>Override OpenMRS frontend build Groovy script</id>
+          <phase>process-resources</phase>
+          <goals>
+            <goal>copy-resources</goal>
+          </goals>
+          <configuration>
+            <outputDirectory>${project.build.directory}</outputDirectory>
+            <overwrite>true</overwrite>
+            <resources>
+              <resource>
+                <directory>${project.basedir}/../base/scripts</directory>
+                <includes>
+                  <include>
+                    openmrs/frontend_assembly/build-openmrs-frontend.groovy
+                  </include>
+                </includes>
+              </resource>
+            </resources>
+          </configuration>
+        </execution>
+      </executions>
+      </plugin>
+
       <!-- Compile a dependency report -->
       <plugin>
         <groupId>net.mekomsolutions.maven.plugin</groupId>