diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a35fe92d7..b001fe0df 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -20,3 +20,5 @@ tmp
 *~
 *.swp
 *.iml
+target
+vendor
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index 219bfcc1b..f2897dd50 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -45,3 +45,7 @@ group :test do
     gem 'pg_migrate','0.1.6' #:path => "#{workspace}/pg_migrate_ruby"
     gem 'evented-spec'
 end
+
+group :package do
+    gem 'fpm'
+end
diff --git a/build b/build
index ec1b1fa31..6105b8c28 100755
--- a/build
+++ b/build
@@ -1,16 +1,46 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-echo "updating dependencies"
-bundle update
-echo "running rspec tests"
-bundle exec rspec
+DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
 
-if [ "$?" = "0" ]; then
-    echo "tests completed"
-else
-    echo "tests failed."
-    exit 1
+# 'target' is the output directory
+rm -rf $DIR/target
+mkdir $DIR/target
+mkdir $DIR/target/deb
+ 
+# put all dependencies into vendor/bundle
+#rm -rf vendor/bundle
+echo "updating dependencies"
+
+bundle install --path vendor/bundle
+bundle update
+
+
+if [ -z $SKIP_TESTS ]; then
+    echo "running rspec tests"
+    bundle exec rspec
+
+    if [ "$?" = "0" ]; then
+        echo "tests completed"
+    else
+        echo "tests failed."
+        exit 1
+    fi
 fi
 
+if [ -n "$PACKAGE" ]; then
+    if [ -z "$BUILD_NUMBER" ]; then
+       echo "BUILD NUMBER is not defined"
+       exit 1
+    fi
+    set -e
+    # cache all gems local, and tell bundle to use local gems only
+    bundle install --path vendor/bundle --local
+    
+    # create debian using fpm 
+    bundle exec fpm -s dir -t deb -p target/deb/websocket-gateway_0.1.${BUILD_NUMBER}_amd64.deb -n "websocket-gateway" -v "0.1.$BUILD_NUMBER" --prefix /var/lib/websocket-gateway --after-install $DIR/script/package/post-install.sh --before-install $DIR/script/package/pre-install.sh --before-remove $DIR/script/package/pre-uninstall.sh --after-remove $DIR/script/package/post-uninstall.sh --exclude $DIR/.git  .
+
+fi
+
+
 echo "build complete"