diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 287520857..cfb73102f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 - Use Java 17 (LTS) in maven jenkins-agent and spring boot qs ([#651](https://github.com/opendevstack/ods-quickstarters/pull/651))
 - ODS AMI build fails due to failing jacoco report generation in springboot quickstarter ([#700](https://github.com/opendevstack/ods-quickstarters/pull/700))
 - terraform agent sops/age added ([#730](https://github.com/opendevstack/ods-quickstarters/issues/730))
+- Allow local project creation of quickstarter be-java-springboot ([#761](https://github.com/opendevstack/ods-quickstarters/pull/761))
 
 ### Fixed
 
diff --git a/be-java-springboot/Jenkinsfile b/be-java-springboot/Jenkinsfile
index e65a3c1cf..c40b6a25a 100644
--- a/be-java-springboot/Jenkinsfile
+++ b/be-java-springboot/Jenkinsfile
@@ -22,52 +22,19 @@ odsQuickstarterPipeline(
     dir(context.targetDir) {
       def springBootVersion = '2.6.1.RELEASE'
       echo "--- create spring boot (v${springBootVersion}) project via spring initializr ---"
-
-      sh "curl https://start.spring.io/starter.tgz \
-            -d type=gradle-project \
-            -d language=java \
-            -d dependencies='web,data-rest,restdocs,data-jpa,h2,security,devtools' \
-            -d bootVersion=${springBootVersion} \
-            -d packaging=jar \
-            -d javaVersion=17 \
-            -d groupId=${context.projectId} \
-            -d artifactId=${context.componentId} \
-            -d name=${context.componentId} \
-            -d description='OpenDevStack%20Demo%20Project%20for%20Spring%20Boot' \
-            -d packageName='${context.packageName}' \
-            | tar -zxvf - "
+      sh "make create-project TARGET_DIR=. SPRING_BOOT_CLI_VERSION=${springBootVersion} PROJECT_ID=${context.projectId} COMPONENT_ID=${context.componentId} PACKAGE_NAME=${context.packageName}"
 
       echo "--- configure application.properties ---"
+      sh "make add-sb-app-properties TARGET_DIR=."
 
-      sh "echo 'spring.profiles.active: dev' > src/main/resources/application.properties"
-      sh "echo 'spring.jpa.database: HSQL' > src/main/resources/application-dev.properties"
-    }
-
-    echo "--- customise build.gradle ---"
-
-    // enforce minimal log4j2 version to avoid (CVE-2021-44228)
-	sh "sed -i -e '/ext {/{r ${context.sourceDir}/templates/gradle-minimal-log4j2-version.template'  -e 'd' -e '}' ${context.targetDir}/build.gradle"
-
-    // add nexus credential settings
-    sh "cat ${context.sourceDir}/templates/gradle-buildscript.template ${context.targetDir}/build.gradle >out && mv out ${context.targetDir}/build.gradle"
+      echo "--- customise build.gradle ---"
+	  sh "pwd && ls -lart"
+      sh "make customise-build-gradle SOURCE_DIR=../${context.sourceDir} TARGET_DIR=."
+      sh "rm Makefile"
 
-    // insert required plugins
-    sh "sed -i -e '/plugins {/{r ${context.sourceDir}/templates/gradle-plugins.template' -e 'd' -e '}' ${context.targetDir}/build.gradle"
-
-    // insert nexus repos
-    sh "sed -i -e '/mavenCentral()/{r ${context.sourceDir}/templates/gradle-repositories.template' -e 'd' -e '}' ${context.targetDir}/build.gradle"
-
-    // insert test settings
-    sh "sed -i -e '/test {/{r ${context.sourceDir}/templates/gradle-plugin-test.template' -e 'd' -e '}' ${context.targetDir}/build.gradle"
-
-    // append bootJar settings
-    sh "cat ${context.sourceDir}/templates/gradle-plugin-bootjar.template >> ${context.targetDir}/build.gradle"
-
-    // append jacoco settings
-    sh "cat ${context.sourceDir}/templates/gradle-plugin-jacoco.template >> ${context.targetDir}/build.gradle"
+      echo "--- end stage Build spring project ---"
+    }
 
-    // append maven-publish settings
-    sh "cat ${context.sourceDir}/templates/gradle-maven-publish.template >> ${context.targetDir}/build.gradle"
   }
 
   odsQuickstarterStageCopyFiles(context)
diff --git a/be-java-springboot/Makefile b/be-java-springboot/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..aab144f42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/be-java-springboot/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+SHELL = /bin/bash
+.SHELLFLAGS := -eu -o pipefail -c
+.DELETE_ON_ERROR:
+MAKEFLAGS += --warn-undefined-variables
+MAKEFLAGS += --no-builtin-rules
+
+SOURCE_DIR=${sourceDir}
+TARGET_DIR=${targetDir}
+SPRING_BOOT_CLI_VERSION=${springBootVersion}
+PROJECT_ID=${projectId}
+COMPONENT_ID=${componentId}
+PACKAGE_NAME=${packageName}
+
+# create-project
+create-project:
+	mkdir -p ${TARGET_DIR}
+	cd ${TARGET_DIR} && curl https://start.spring.io/starter.tgz \
+            -d type=gradle-project \
+            -d language=java \
+            -d dependencies='web,jersey,data-jpa,h2,data-rest,restdocs,security' \
+            -d bootVersion=${SPRING_BOOT_CLI_VERSION} \
+            -d packaging=jar \
+            -d javaVersion=17 \
+            -d groupId=${PROJECT_ID} \
+            -d artifactId=${COMPONENT_ID} \
+            -d name=${COMPONENT_ID} \
+            -d description='OpenDevStack%20Demo%20Project%20for%20Spring%20Boot' \
+            -d packageName='${PACKAGE_NAME}' \
+            | tar -zxvf -
+
+.PHONY: create-project
+# add-sb-app-properties
+add-sb-app-properties:
+	echo 'spring.profiles.active: dev' > ${TARGET_DIR}/src/main/resources/application.properties
+	echo 'spring.jpa.database: HSQL' > ${TARGET_DIR}/src/main/resources/application-dev.properties
+.PHONY: add-sb-app-properties
+# customise-build-gradle
+customise-build-gradle:
+	echo "called customise-build-gradle..."
+
+	echo "...enforce minimal log4j2 version to avoid (CVE-2021-44228)"
+	sed -i -e '/ext {/{r ${SOURCE_DIR}/templates/gradle-minimal-log4j2-version.template' -e 'd' -e '}' ${TARGET_DIR}/build.gradle
+
+	echo "...add nexus credential settings"
+	cat ${SOURCE_DIR}/templates/gradle-buildscript.template ${TARGET_DIR}/build.gradle >out && mv out ${TARGET_DIR}/build.gradle
+
+	echo "...insert required plugins"
+	sed -i -e '/plugins {/{r ${SOURCE_DIR}/templates/gradle-plugins.template' -e 'd' -e '}' ${TARGET_DIR}/build.gradle
+
+	echo "...insert nexus repos"
+	sed -i -e '/mavenCentral()/{r ${SOURCE_DIR}/templates/gradle-repositories.template' -e 'd' -e '}' ${TARGET_DIR}/build.gradle
+
+	echo "...insert test settings"
+	sed -i -e '/test {/{r ${SOURCE_DIR}/templates/gradle-plugin-test.template' -e 'd' -e '}' ${TARGET_DIR}/build.gradle
+
+	echo "...append bootJar settings"
+	cat ${SOURCE_DIR}/templates/gradle-plugin-bootjar.template >> ${TARGET_DIR}/build.gradle
+
+	echo "...append jacoco settings"
+	cat ${SOURCE_DIR}/templates/gradle-plugin-jacoco.template >> ${TARGET_DIR}/build.gradle
+
+	echo "...append maven-publish settings"
+	cat ${SOURCE_DIR}/templates/gradle-maven-publish.template >> ${TARGET_DIR}/build.gradle
+
+.PHONY: customise-build-gradle
+