diff --git a/tools/build/envDefaults b/tools/build/envDefaults
index 5874110072..f72d3ae3f6 100644
--- a/tools/build/envDefaults
+++ b/tools/build/envDefaults
@@ -33,12 +33,6 @@ export ONOS_RPM_VERSION=${ONOS_POM_VERSION//-/.}
 export ONOS_TAR=$ONOS_STAGE.tar.gz
 export ONOS_ZIP=$ONOS_STAGE.zip
 
-# If the BUCK-built bits are newer than the Maven-built bits, use the former.
-BUCK_TAR=$ONOS_ROOT/buck-out/gen/tools/package/onos-package/onos.tar.gz
-if [ -f $BUCK_TAR -a $BUCK_TAR -nt $ONOS_TAR ]; then
-    rm -f $ONOS_TAR >/dev/null; ln -s $BUCK_TAR $ONOS_TAR
-fi
-
 # ONOS test bits (onos-test.tar.gz) staging environment
 export ONOS_TEST_BITS=onos-test-${ONOS_VERSION%~*}
 export ONOS_TEST_STAGE_ROOT=${ONOS_TEST_STAGE_ROOT:-/tmp}
diff --git a/tools/test/bin/onos-check-bits b/tools/test/bin/onos-check-bits
index 0423c342f9..6b91a48ce8 100755
--- a/tools/test/bin/onos-check-bits
+++ b/tools/test/bin/onos-check-bits
@@ -6,4 +6,38 @@
 [ ! -d "$ONOS_ROOT" ] && echo "ONOS_ROOT is not defined" >&2 && exit 1
 . $ONOS_ROOT/tools/build/envDefaults
 
-ls -l $ONOS_TAR && cksum $ONOS_TAR
+# If the BUCK-built bits are newer than the Maven-built bits, use the former.
+BUCK_TAR=$ONOS_ROOT/buck-out/gen/tools/package/onos-package/onos.tar.gz
+if [ -f $BUCK_TAR -a $BUCK_TAR -nt $ONOS_TAR ]; then
+    rm -f $ONOS_TAR >/dev/null; ln -s $BUCK_TAR $ONOS_TAR
+fi
+
+ls -l $ONOS_TAR  && cksum $ONOS_TAR
+if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+   echo "ONOS archive is unreadable" && exit 1
+fi
+
+tar tzf ${ONOS_TAR} >/dev/null
+if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+  echo "ONOS archive is not a valid tar file" && exit 1
+fi
+
+tar tzf ${ONOS_TAR} | grep -q onos-${ONOS_VERSION}.*/VERSION
+if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+  echo "ONOS archive does not contain the proper version file" && exit 1
+fi
+
+tar tzf ${ONOS_TAR} | grep -q apache-karaf-3.0.5
+if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+  echo "ONOS archive does not contain karaf" && exit 1
+fi
+
+tar tzf ${ONOS_TAR} | grep -q apps/org.onosproject.openflow
+if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+  echo "ONOS archive does not contain openflow app" && exit 1
+fi
+
+tar tzf ${ONOS_TAR} | grep -q onos-core-net
+if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+  echo "ONOS archive does not contain onos-core-net" && exit 1
+fi