diff --git a/docker/gerrit/bazel/Dockerfile b/docker/gerrit/bazel/Dockerfile
index 0518d02dff..4c0098936e 100644
--- a/docker/gerrit/bazel/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/gerrit/bazel/Dockerfile
@@ -36,18 +36,7 @@ USER builder
 COPY . /usr/src
 
 ARG BAZEL_OPTS
-RUN cd /usr/src \
-  && bazel build release \
-    --local_ram_resources=3072 \
-    --local_cpu_resources=1 \
-    --host_force_python=PY3 \
-    --incompatible_string_join_requires_strings=false \
-    --define=ABSOLUTE_JAVABASE=/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-amd64 \
-    --javabase=@bazel_tools//tools/jdk:absolute_javabase \
-    --host_javabase=@bazel_tools//tools/jdk:absolute_javabase \
-    --host_java_toolchain=@bazel_tools//tools/jdk:toolchain_vanilla \
-    --java_toolchain=@bazel_tools//tools/jdk:toolchain_vanilla \
-    ${BAZEL_OPTS}
+RUN cd /usr/src && bash build-gerrit.sh
 
 FROM openjdk:8
 
diff --git a/docker/gerrit/bazel/build-gerrit.sh b/docker/gerrit/bazel/build-gerrit.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..a4c268eee0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker/gerrit/bazel/build-gerrit.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set +x
+
+for attempt in seq 1 3 ; do
+    bazel build release \
+        --define=ABSOLUTE_JAVABASE=/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-amd64 \
+        --javabase=@bazel_tools//tools/jdk:absolute_javabase \
+        --host_javabase=@bazel_tools//tools/jdk:absolute_javabase \
+        --host_java_toolchain=@bazel_tools//tools/jdk:toolchain_vanilla \
+        --java_toolchain=@bazel_tools//tools/jdk:toolchain_vanilla \
+        $@
+    result=$?
+done
+exit $result
diff --git a/playbooks/zuul/gerrit/repos.yaml b/playbooks/zuul/gerrit/repos.yaml
index df376b0aa5..d8b1970314 100644
--- a/playbooks/zuul/gerrit/repos.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/zuul/gerrit/repos.yaml
@@ -47,3 +47,8 @@
         force: yes
         src: javamelody/external_plugin_deps.bzl
         path: /home/zuul/src/gerrit.googlesource.com/gerrit/plugins/external_plugin_deps.bzl
+
+    - name: Move build script into main gerrit source dir
+      command: "mv docker/gerrit/bazel/build-gerrit.sh /home/zuul/src/gerrit.googlesource.com/gerrit"
+      args:
+        chdir: /home/zuul/src/opendev.org/opendev/system-config