diff --git a/fdroidserver/build.py b/fdroidserver/build.py
index 5aa2d7c6..281ad523 100644
--- a/fdroidserver/build.py
+++ b/fdroidserver/build.py
@@ -1100,9 +1100,10 @@ def main():
     extlib_dir = os.path.join(build_dir, 'extlib')
 
     # Read all app and srclib metadata
-    allapps = metadata.read_metadata(xref=not options.onserver)
-
+    pkgs = common.read_pkg_args(options.appid, True)
+    allapps = metadata.read_metadata(not options.onserver, pkgs)
     apps = common.read_app_args(options.appid, allapps, True)
+
     for appid, app in list(apps.items()):
         if (app.Disabled and not options.force) or not app.RepoType or not app.builds:
             del apps[appid]
@@ -1141,16 +1142,7 @@ def main():
                 # the source repo. We can reuse it on subsequent builds, if
                 # there are any.
                 if first:
-                    if app.RepoType == 'srclib':
-                        build_dir = os.path.join('build', 'srclib', app.Repo)
-                    else:
-                        build_dir = os.path.join('build', appid)
-
-                    # Set up vcs interface and make sure we have the latest code...
-                    logging.debug("Getting {0} vcs interface for {1}"
-                                  .format(app.RepoType, app.Repo))
-                    vcs = common.getvcs(app.RepoType, app.Repo, build_dir)
-
+                    vcs, build_dir = common.setup_vcs(app)
                     first = False
 
                 logging.debug("Checking " + build.version)
diff --git a/fdroidserver/common.py b/fdroidserver/common.py
index a023c57d..121f6edd 100644
--- a/fdroidserver/common.py
+++ b/fdroidserver/common.py
@@ -486,6 +486,27 @@ def getcvname(app):
     return '%s (%s)' % (app.CurrentVersion, app.CurrentVersionCode)
 
 
+def get_build_dir(app):
+    '''get the dir that this app will be built in'''
+
+    if app.RepoType == 'srclib':
+        return os.path.join('build', 'srclib', app.Repo)
+
+    return os.path.join('build', app.id)
+
+
+def setup_vcs(app):
+    '''checkout code from VCS and return instance of vcs and the build dir'''
+    build_dir = get_build_dir(app)
+
+    # Set up vcs interface and make sure we have the latest code...
+    logging.debug("Getting {0} vcs interface for {1}"
+                  .format(app.RepoType, app.Repo))
+    vcs = getvcs(app.RepoType, app.Repo, build_dir)
+
+    return vcs, build_dir
+
+
 def getvcs(vcstype, remote, local):
     if vcstype == 'git':
         return vcs_git(remote, local)
diff --git a/fdroidserver/metadata.py b/fdroidserver/metadata.py
index f8dc2b5c..986d240a 100644
--- a/fdroidserver/metadata.py
+++ b/fdroidserver/metadata.py
@@ -224,6 +224,21 @@ class App():
             else:
                 self.set_field(f, v)
 
+    def update(self, d):
+        '''Like dict.update()'''
+        for k, v in d.__dict__.items():
+            if k == '_modified':
+                continue
+            elif k == 'builds':
+                for b in v:
+                    build = Build()
+                    del(b.__dict__['_modified'])
+                    build.update_flags(b.__dict__)
+                    self.builds.append(build)
+            elif v:
+                self.__dict__[k] = v
+                self._modified.add(k)
+
 
 TYPE_UNKNOWN = 0
 TYPE_OBSOLETE = 1
@@ -778,10 +793,12 @@ def read_srclibs():
         srclibs[srclibname] = parse_srclib(metadatapath)
 
 
-def read_metadata(xref=True):
+def read_metadata(xref=True, check_vcs=[]):
     """
     Read all metadata. Returns a list of 'app' objects (which are dictionaries as
     returned by the parse_txt_metadata function.
+
+    check_vcs is the list of packageNames to check for .fdroid.yml in source
     """
 
     # Always read the srclibs before the apps, since they can use a srlib as
@@ -809,7 +826,7 @@ def read_metadata(xref=True):
         packageName, _ = fdroidserver.common.get_extension(os.path.basename(metadatapath))
         if packageName in apps:
             warn_or_exception("Found multiple metadata files for " + packageName)
-        app = parse_metadata(metadatapath)
+        app = parse_metadata(metadatapath, packageName in check_vcs)
         check_metadata(app)
         apps[app.id] = app
 
@@ -962,7 +979,9 @@ def _decode_bool(s):
     warn_or_exception("Invalid bool '%s'" % s)
 
 
-def parse_metadata(metadatapath):
+def parse_metadata(metadatapath, check_vcs=False):
+    '''parse metadata file, optionally checking the git repo for metadata first'''
+
     _, ext = fdroidserver.common.get_extension(metadatapath)
     accepted = fdroidserver.common.config['accepted_formats']
     if ext not in accepted:
@@ -971,7 +990,11 @@ def parse_metadata(metadatapath):
 
     app = App()
     app.metadatapath = metadatapath
-    app.id, _ = fdroidserver.common.get_extension(os.path.basename(metadatapath))
+    name, _ = fdroidserver.common.get_extension(os.path.basename(metadatapath))
+    if name == '.fdroid':
+        check_vcs = False
+    else:
+        app.id = name
 
     with open(metadatapath, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as mf:
         if ext == 'txt':
@@ -985,7 +1008,28 @@ def parse_metadata(metadatapath):
         else:
             warn_or_exception('Unknown metadata format: %s' % metadatapath)
 
+    if check_vcs and app.Repo:
+        build_dir = fdroidserver.common.get_build_dir(app)
+        metadata_in_repo = os.path.join(build_dir, '.fdroid.yml')
+        if not os.path.isfile(metadata_in_repo):
+            vcs, build_dir = fdroidserver.common.setup_vcs(app)
+            vcs.gotorevision('HEAD')  # HEAD since we can't know where else to go
+        if os.path.isfile(metadata_in_repo):
+            logging.debug('Including metadata from ' + metadata_in_repo)
+            app.update(parse_metadata(metadata_in_repo))
+
     post_metadata_parse(app)
+
+    if not app.id:
+        if app.builds:
+            build = app.builds[-1]
+            if build.subdir:
+                root_dir = build.subdir
+            else:
+                root_dir = '.'
+            paths = fdroidserver.common.manifest_paths(root_dir, build.gradle)
+            _, _, app.id = fdroidserver.common.parse_androidmanifests(paths, app)
+
     return app
 
 
diff --git a/tests/import.TestCase b/tests/import.TestCase
index 8eef5acb..3cfdb92e 100755
--- a/tests/import.TestCase
+++ b/tests/import.TestCase
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ class ImportTest(unittest.TestCase):
     '''fdroid import'''
 
     def test_import_gitlab(self):
+        os.chdir(os.path.dirname(__file__))
         # FDroidPopen needs some config to work
         config = dict()
         fdroidserver.common.fill_config_defaults(config)
diff --git a/tests/metadata/info.guardianproject.checkey.txt b/tests/metadata/info.guardianproject.checkey.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..43faaade
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/metadata/info.guardianproject.checkey.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+Categories:Development,GuardianProject
+License:GPLv3
+Web Site:https://dev.guardianproject.info/projects/checkey
+Source Code:https://github.com/guardianproject/checkey
+Issue Tracker:https://dev.guardianproject.info/projects/checkey/issues
+Bitcoin:1Fi5xUHiAPRKxHvyUGVFGt9extBe8Srdbk
+
+Auto Name:Checkey
+Summary:Info on local apps
+Description:
+Checkey is a utility for getting information about the APKs that are installed
+on your device. Starting with a list of all of the apps that you have
+installed on your device, it will show you the APK signature with a single
+touch, and provides links to virustotal.com and androidobservatory.org to
+easily access the profiles of that APK. It will also let you export the
+signing certificate and generate ApkSignaturePin pin files for use with the
+TrustedIntents library.
+.
+
+
+Current Version Code:9999999
diff --git a/tests/metadata/org.fdroid.ci.test.app.txt b/tests/metadata/org.fdroid.ci.test.app.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..466b7af6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/metadata/org.fdroid.ci.test.app.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Repo Type:git
+Repo:https://gitlab.com/eighthave/ci-test-app
diff --git a/tests/metadata/raw.template.txt b/tests/metadata/raw.template.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ec2fe286
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/metadata/raw.template.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+License:Unknown
+Web Site:
+Source Code:
+Issue Tracker:
+Changelog:
+Summary:Template
+Description:
+Template
+.
diff --git a/tests/run-tests b/tests/run-tests
index a4474daa..354e6782 100755
--- a/tests/run-tests
+++ b/tests/run-tests
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ echo_header "test python getsig replacement"
 
 cd $WORKSPACE/tests/getsig
 ./make.sh
+
+cd $WORKSPACE/tests
 for testcase in $WORKSPACE/tests/*.TestCase; do
     $testcase
 done
@@ -138,6 +140,19 @@ $fdroid readmeta
 $fdroid update
 
 
+#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
+echo_header 'run `fdroid build` in fresh git checkout from import.TestCase'
+
+cd $WORKSPACE/tests/tmp/importer
+if [ -d $ANDROID_HOME/platforms/android-23 ]; then
+    echo "build_tools = '`ls -1 $ANDROID_HOME/build-tools/ | sort -n | tail -1`'" > config.py
+    echo "force_build_tools = True" >> config.py
+    $fdroid build --verbose org.fdroid.ci.test.app:300
+else
+    echo 'WARNING: Skipping `fdroid build` test since android-23 is missing!'
+fi
+
+
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
 echo_header "copy tests/repo, generate java/gpg keys, update, and gpgsign"