diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 46d2831856..a821d0e34d 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -19,15 +19,16 @@
     "htmlparser2": "~3.7.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "closure-util": "~0.14.0",
-    "jshint": "~2.5.1",
-    "jsdoc": "~3.3.0-alpha7",
-    "taffydb": "~2.7.0",
-    "underscore": "~1.6.0",
-    "walk": "~2.3.3",
+    "closure-util": "0.17.0",
     "fs-extra": "~0.8.1",
+    "graceful-fs": "~3.0.2",
+    "jsdoc": "~3.3.0-alpha7",
+    "jshint": "~2.5.1",
     "nomnom": "~1.6.2",
+    "phantomjs": "~1.9.7-5",
+    "taffydb": "~2.7.0",
     "temp": "~0.7.0",
-    "phantomjs": "~1.9.7-5"
+    "underscore": "~1.6.0",
+    "walk": "~2.3.3"
   }
 }
diff --git a/tasks/build.js b/tasks/build.js
index 4481843b32..fd97113a46 100644
--- a/tasks/build.js
+++ b/tasks/build.js
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 /**
  * This task builds OpenLayers with the Closure Compiler.
  */
-var fs = require('fs');
 var path = require('path');
 
 var async = require('async');
 var closure = require('closure-util');
 var fse = require('fs-extra');
+var fs = require('graceful-fs');
 var nomnom = require('nomnom');
 var temp = require('temp').track();
 
@@ -106,21 +106,31 @@ function writeExports(exports, callback) {
 
 /**
  * Get the list of sources sorted in dependency order.
- * @param {Array.<string>} src List of paths or patterns to source files.  By
- *     default, all .js files in the src directory are included.
+ * @param {Object} config Build configuration object.
  * @param {string} exports Exports code (with goog.exportSymbol calls).
  * @param {function(Error, Array.<string>)} callback Called with a list of paths
  *     or any error.
  */
-function getDependencies(src, exports, callback) {
+function getDependencies(config, exports, callback) {
   writeExports(exports, function(err, exportsPath) {
     if (err) {
       callback(err);
       return;
     }
     log.info('ol', 'Parsing dependencies');
-    src = src || ['src/**/*.js'];
-    closure.getDependencies({lib: src}, function(err, paths) {
+    var options;
+    if (config.src) {
+      options = {
+        lib: config.src,
+        cwd: config.cwd
+      };
+    } else {
+      options = {
+        lib: ['src/**/*.js'],
+        cwd: root
+      };
+    }
+    closure.getDependencies(options, function(err, paths) {
       if (err) {
         callback(err);
         return;
@@ -159,19 +169,19 @@ function concatenate(paths, callback) {
  *     any error.
  */
 function build(config, paths, callback) {
-  var options = config.compile;
-  if (!options) {
+  var options = {
+    compile: config.compile,
+    cwd: config.cwd || root,
+    jvm: config.jvm
+  };
+  if (!options.compile) {
     log.info('ol', 'No compile options found.  Concatenating ' +
         paths.length + ' sources');
     concatenate(paths, callback);
   } else {
     log.info('ol', 'Compiling ' + paths.length + ' sources');
-    options.js = paths.concat(options.js || []);
-    if (config.jvm) {
-      closure.compile(options, config.jvm, callback);
-    } else {
-      closure.compile(options, callback);
-    }
+    options.compile.js = paths.concat(options.compile.js || []);
+    closure.compile(options, callback);
   }
 }
 
@@ -187,7 +197,7 @@ function main(config, callback) {
   async.waterfall([
     assertValidConfig.bind(null, config),
     generateExports.bind(null, config),
-    getDependencies.bind(null, config.src),
+    getDependencies.bind(null, config),
     build.bind(null, config)
   ], callback);
 }
diff --git a/tasks/readme.md b/tasks/readme.md
index 2d32bfc732..abb4c79a32 100644
--- a/tasks/readme.md
+++ b/tasks/readme.md
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ Build configuration files are JSON files that are used to determine what should
 
   * **src** - `Array.<string>` Optional array of [path patterns](https://github.com/isaacs/minimatch/blob/master/README.md) for source files.  This defaults to `["src/**/*.js"]` which will match all `.js` files in the `src` directory.  To include a different set of source files, provide an array of path patterns.  Note that these patterns are `/` delimited even on Windows.
 
+  * **cwd** - `string` Optional path to be used as the current working directory.  All paths in the `compile` object are assumed to be relative to `cwd`.  Default is the root of the ol3 repository.
+
   * **namespace** - `string` Optional namespace for exporting the `ol` object.  By default, `ol` is assigned to the global object.
 
   * **jvm** - `Array.<string>` Optional array of [command line options](https://github.com/google/closure-compiler/wiki/FAQ#what-are-the-recommended-java-vm-command-line-options) for the compiler.  By default, the Compiler is run with `['-server', '-XX:+TieredCompilation']`.