diff --git a/systest/Makefile b/systest/Makefile
index 7f5a542..ce5c68a 100644
--- a/systest/Makefile
+++ b/systest/Makefile
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
 OS_PASSWORD_NAME ?=
 OS_PROJECT_NAME ?=
 
+TOPDIR=$(shell readlink -f .|sed -e 's/systest.*//')
+
 ifdef OS_AUTH_URL
     OPTION_OS_AUTH_URL=--os-url $(OS_AUTH_URL)
 endif
@@ -48,10 +50,7 @@
     OPTION_TEST_NSD_DESCRIPTORS=--osm-nsd-descriptor-packages $(TEST_NSD_DESCRIPTORS)
 endif
 
-DESCRIPTOR_REPO_NAME = descriptor-packages
-DESCRIPTOR_REPO_DIR ?= $(shell pwd)/descriptor-packages
-DESCRIPTOR_BUILD_DIR := $(DESCRIPTOR_REPO_DIR)/build
-OPTION_DESCRIPTOR_BUILD_DIR=--osm-descriptor-packages $(DESCRIPTOR_BUILD_DIR)
+DESCRIPTOR_DIR ?= $(TOPDIR)/descriptor-packages
 
 TEST_OSM_NS_NAME_PREFIX=pytest-$(shell date +%D-%T)-
 OPTION_TEST_OSM_NS_NAME_PREFIX=--osm-ns-name-prefix $(TEST_OSM_NS_NAME_PREFIX)
@@ -63,9 +62,6 @@
 PYTEST_OPTIONS=
 Q=@
 
-DESCRIPTOR_REPO ?= https://osm.etsi.org/gerrit/osm/$(DESCRIPTOR_REPO_NAME)
-
-
 TEST_VNFD_DESCRIPTORS ?= None
 TEST_NSD_DESCRIPTORS  ?= None
 
@@ -87,10 +83,6 @@
 
 .PHONY: check_openstack_env check_OSM_HOSTNAME
 
-descriptors:
-	test -e $(DESCRIPTOR_REPO_NAME) || git clone $(DESCRIPTOR_REPO)
-	$(MAKE) -C $(DESCRIPTOR_REPO_NAME)
-
 report_dir:
 	@mkdir -p reports
 
@@ -108,17 +100,27 @@
         --junitxml $(JUNITXML_DIR)/$(JUNITXML) \
         $(PYTEST_OPTIONS)
 
-cirros: check_OSM_HOSTNAME check_openstack_env
+$(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/vnfd/cirros_vnf/build/%.tar.gz:
+	$(MAKE) -C $(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/vnfd/cirros_vnf
+
+$(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/nsd/cirros_ns/build/%.tar.gz:
+	$(MAKE) -C $(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/nsd/cirros_ns
+
+cirros: check_OSM_HOSTNAME check_openstack_env \
+        $(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/vnfd/cirros_vnf/build/cirros_vnf.tar.gz \
+        $(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/nsd/cirros_ns/build/cirros_ns.tar.gz
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) \
-        TEST_VNFD_DESCRIPTORS=$(DESCRIPTOR_BUILD_DIR)/vnfd_pkgs/cirros_vnf.tar.gz \
-        TEST_NSD_DESCRIPTORS=$(DESCRIPTOR_BUILD_DIR)/nsd_pkgs/cirros_ns.tar.gz \
+        TEST_VNFD_DESCRIPTORS=$(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/vnfd/cirros_vnf/build/cirros_vnf.tar.gz \
+        TEST_NSD_DESCRIPTORS=$(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/nsd/cirros_ns/build/cirros_ns.tar.gz \
         JUNITXML=pytest-$@.xml \
         PYTEST_OPTIONS="$(PYTEST_OPTIONS) -m vnf" _run_test
 
-ns_scale: check_OSM_HOSTNAME check_openstack_env
+ns_scale: check_OSM_HOSTNAME check_openstack_env \
+        $(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/vnfd/cirros_vnf/build/cirros_vnf.tar.gz \
+        $(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/nsd/cirros_ns/build/cirros_ns.tar.gz
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) \
-        TEST_VNFD_DESCRIPTORS=$(DESCRIPTOR_BUILD_DIR)/vnfd_pkgs/cirros_vnf.tar.gz \
-        TEST_NSD_DESCRIPTORS=$(DESCRIPTOR_BUILD_DIR)/nsd_pkgs/cirros_ns.tar.gz \
+        TEST_VNFD_DESCRIPTORS=$(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/vnfd/cirros_vnf/build/cirros_vnf.tar.gz \
+        TEST_NSD_DESCRIPTORS=$(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/nsd/cirros_ns/build/cirros_ns.tar.gz \
         JUNITXML=pytest-$@.xml \
         PYTEST_OPTIONS="$(PYTEST_OPTIONS) -m ns_scale" _run_test
 
@@ -132,10 +134,19 @@
         JUNITXML=pytest-$@.xml \
         PYTEST_OPTIONS="$(PYTEST_OPTIONS) -m vim" _run_test
 
+$(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/vnfd/ping_vnf/build/%.tar.gz:
+	$(MAKE) -C $(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/vnfd/ping_vnf
+
+$(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/vnfd/pong_vnf/build/%.tar.gz:
+	$(MAKE) -C $(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/vnfd/pong_vnf
+
+$(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/vnfd/ping_pong_ns/build/%.tar.gz:
+	$(MAKE) -C $(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/nsd/ping_pong_ns
+
 ping_pong: check_OSM_HOSTNAME check_openstack_env
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) \
-        TEST_VNFD_DESCRIPTORS="$(DESCRIPTOR_BUILD_DIR)/vnfd_pkgs/ping_vnf.tar.gz,$(DESCRIPTOR_BUILD_DIR)/vnfd_pkgs/pong_vnf.tar.gz" \
-        TEST_NSD_DESCRIPTORS="$(DESCRIPTOR_BUILD_DIR)/nsd_pkgs/ping_pong_ns.tar.gz" \
+        TEST_VNFD_DESCRIPTORS="$(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/vnfd/ping_vnf/build/ping_vnf.tar.gz $(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/vnfd/pong_vnf/build/pong_vnf.tar.gz" \
+        TEST_NSD_DESCRIPTORS=$(DESCRIPTOR_DIR)/nsd/ping_pong_ns/build/ping_pong_ns.tar.gz \
         JUNITXML=pytest-$@.xml \
         PYTEST_OPTIONS="$(PYTEST_OPTIONS) -m vnf" _run_test
 
diff --git a/systest/testcases/vnfs/test_vnfs.py b/systest/testcases/vnfs/test_vnfs.py
index efbfb10..d872715 100644
--- a/systest/testcases/vnfs/test_vnfs.py
+++ b/systest/testcases/vnfs/test_vnfs.py
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
 
             assert not osm.get_api().ns.create(nsd_desc['name'],ns_name,vim.vim_name)
 
-            assert utils.wait_for_value(lambda: osm.get_api().ns.get_field(ns_name,'operational-status'),result='init')
+            assert utils.wait_for_value(lambda: osm.get_api().ns.get_field(ns_name,'operational-status'),result='vnf-init-phase')
 
             # make sure ns is running
             assert utils.wait_for_value(lambda: osm.get_api().ns.get_field(ns_name,'operational-status'),result='running',wait_time=120)