diff --git a/backend/Makefile b/backend/Makefile
index d357041c..a5dfe81f 100644
--- a/backend/Makefile
+++ b/backend/Makefile
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@ MENDER_IMAGE_PREFIX ?= localhost:5000/mender-server
 MENDER_IMAGE_TAG ?= latest
 MENDER_IMAGE_TAG_TEST ?= test
 
+MENDER_PUBLISH_REGISTRY ?= docker.io
+MENDER_PUBLISH_REPOSTIORY ?= $(MENDER_PUBLISH_REGISTRY)/mendersoftware
+MENDER_PUBLISH_TAG ?= $(MENDER_IMAGE_TAG)
+
 SERVICES = $(subst services,,$(subst /,,$(wildcard services/*/)))
 BUILD_TARGETS := $(addsuffix -build, $(SERVICES))
 TEST_TARGETS := $(addsuffix -test, $(SERVICES))
@@ -94,4 +98,6 @@ $(DOCKER_PUBLISH_TARGETS):
 	@$(MAKE) -C services/$(subst -docker-publish,,$@) docker-publish \
 		MENDER_IMAGE_PREFIX=$(MENDER_IMAGE_PREFIX) \
 		MENDER_IMAGE_TAG=$(MENDER_IMAGE_TAG) \
+		MENDER_PUBLISH_REGISTRY=$(MENDER_PUBLISH_REGISTRY) \
+		MENDER_PUBLISH_REPOSTIORY=$(MENDER_PUBLISH_REPOSTIORY) \
 		MENDER_PUBLISH_TAG=$(MENDER_PUBLISH_TAG)
diff --git a/backend/services/Makefile.common b/backend/services/Makefile.common
index c864a8e5..2466d5c6 100644
--- a/backend/services/Makefile.common
+++ b/backend/services/Makefile.common
@@ -3,8 +3,10 @@
 MENDER_IMAGE_PREFIX ?= localhost:5000/mender-server
 MENDER_IMAGE_TAG ?= latest
 MENDER_IMAGE_TAG_TEST ?= test
+
+MENDER_PUBLISH_REGISTRY ?= docker.io
+MENDER_PUBLISH_REPOSITORY ?= $(MENDER_PUBLISH_REGISTRY)/mendersoftware
 MENDER_PUBLISH_TAG ?= $(MENDER_IMAGE_TAG)
-MENDER_PUBLISH_REGISTRY := docker.io/mendersoftware
 
 bindir ?= $(GIT_ROOT)/bin
 binfile ?= $(bindir)/$(COMPONENT)
@@ -60,7 +62,7 @@ docker-pull:
 	docker pull $(DOCKER_TAG)
 
 .PHONY: docker-publish
-docker-publish: DOCKER_TAG_PUBLISH = $(MENDER_PUBLISH_REGISTRY)/$(COMPONENT):$(MENDER_PUBLISH_TAG)
+docker-publish: DOCKER_TAG_PUBLISH = $(MENDER_PUBLISH_REPOSITORY)/$(COMPONENT):$(MENDER_PUBLISH_TAG)
 ifndef NOASK
 docker-publish:
 	echo "About to publish $(DOCKER_TAG) to $(DOCKER_TAG_PUBLISH)"