Using "apply from: 'https://..." works well for me in an init.gradle script (both in online and --offline modes). From that script I create and inject a plugin for settings.gradle that configures the pluginManagment block and other things in the settings object. The code in the init.gradle looks like: class InitSettingsPlugin implements Plugin<Settings> { void apply(Settings settings) { settings.with { pluginManagement { ... } } } } gradle.settingsEvaluated { settings -> settings.pluginManager.apply InitSettingsPlugin.class }