diff --git a/ReactAndroid/build.gradle b/ReactAndroid/build.gradle
index d6a268335..f5af25dd6 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/build.gradle
+++ b/ReactAndroid/build.gradle
@@ -16,10 +16,18 @@ import org.apache.tools.ant.filters.ReplaceTokens
 def downloadsDir = new File("$buildDir/downloads")
 def thirdPartyNdkDir = new File("$buildDir/third-party-ndk")
 
+// You need to have following folders in this directory:
+//   - boost_1_57_0
+//   - double-conversion-1.1.1
+//   - folly-deprecate-dynamic-initializer
+//   - glog-0.3.3
+//   - jsc-headers
+def dependenciesPath = System.getenv("REACT_NATIVE_DEPENDENCIES")
+
 // The Boost library is a very large download (>100MB).
 // If Boost is already present on your system, define the REACT_NATIVE_BOOST_PATH env variable
 // and the build will use that.
-def boostPath = System.getenv("REACT_NATIVE_BOOST_PATH")
+def boostPath = dependenciesPath ?: System.getenv("REACT_NATIVE_BOOST_PATH")
 
 task createNativeDepsDirectories {
     downloadsDir.mkdirs()
@@ -37,7 +45,7 @@ task downloadBoost(dependsOn: createNativeDepsDirectories, type: Download) {
 }
 
 task prepareBoost(dependsOn: boostPath ? [] : [downloadBoost], type: Copy) {
-    from boostPath ? boostPath : zipTree(downloadBoost.dest)
+    from boostPath ?: zipTree(downloadBoost.dest)
     from 'src/main/jni/third-party/boost/Android.mk'
     include 'boost_1_57_0/boost/**/*.hpp', 'Android.mk'
     into "$thirdPartyNdkDir/boost"
@@ -50,8 +58,8 @@ task downloadDoubleConversion(dependsOn: createNativeDepsDirectories, type: Down
     dest new File(downloadsDir, 'double-conversion-1.1.1.tar.gz')
 }
 
-task prepareDoubleConversion(dependsOn: downloadDoubleConversion, type: Copy) {
-    from tarTree(downloadDoubleConversion.dest)
+task prepareDoubleConversion(dependsOn: dependenciesPath ? [] : [downloadDoubleConversion], type: Copy) {
+    from dependenciesPath ?: tarTree(downloadDoubleConversion.dest)
     from 'src/main/jni/third-party/double-conversion/Android.mk'
     include 'double-conversion-1.1.1/src/**/*', 'Android.mk'
     filesMatching('*/src/**/*', {fname -> fname.path = "double-conversion/${fname.name}"})
@@ -66,8 +74,8 @@ task downloadFolly(dependsOn: createNativeDepsDirectories, type: Download) {
     dest new File(downloadsDir, 'folly-2016.09.26.00.tar.gz');
 }
 
-task prepareFolly(dependsOn: downloadFolly, type: Copy) {
-    from tarTree(downloadFolly.dest)
+task prepareFolly(dependsOn: dependenciesPath ? [] : [downloadFolly], type: Copy) {
+    from dependenciesPath ?: tarTree(downloadFolly.dest)
     from 'src/main/jni/third-party/folly/Android.mk'
     include 'folly-2016.09.26.00/folly/**/*', 'Android.mk'
     eachFile {fname -> fname.path = (fname.path - "folly-2016.09.26.00/")}
@@ -84,8 +92,8 @@ task downloadGlog(dependsOn: createNativeDepsDirectories, type: Download) {
 
 // Prepare glog sources to be compiled, this task will perform steps that normally should've been
 // executed by automake. This way we can avoid dependencies on make/automake
-task prepareGlog(dependsOn: downloadGlog, type: Copy) {
-    from tarTree(downloadGlog.dest)
+task prepareGlog(dependsOn: dependenciesPath ? [] : [downloadGlog], type: Copy) {
+    from dependenciesPath ?: tarTree(downloadGlog.dest)
     from 'src/main/jni/third-party/glog/'
     include 'glog-0.3.3/src/**/*', 'Android.mk', 'config.h'
     includeEmptyDirs = false
@@ -124,10 +132,10 @@ task downloadJSCHeaders(type: Download) {
 }
 
 // Create Android.mk library module based on so files from mvn + include headers fetched from webkit.org
-task prepareJSC(dependsOn: downloadJSCHeaders) << {
+task prepareJSC(dependsOn: dependenciesPath ? [] : [downloadJSCHeaders]) << {
     copy {
         from zipTree(configurations.compile.fileCollection { dep -> dep.name == 'android-jsc' }.singleFile)
-        from {downloadJSCHeaders.dest}
+        from dependenciesPath ? "$dependenciesPath/jsc-headers" : {downloadJSCHeaders.dest}
         from 'src/main/jni/third-party/jsc/Android.mk'
         include 'jni/**/*.so', '*.h', 'Android.mk'
         filesMatching('*.h', { fname -> fname.path = "JavaScriptCore/${fname.path}"})