diff --git a/centos-mirror-tools/dl_rpms.sh b/centos-mirror-tools/dl_rpms.sh
index 0761ce4e..a88446aa 100755
--- a/centos-mirror-tools/dl_rpms.sh
+++ b/centos-mirror-tools/dl_rpms.sh
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
-#!/bin/bash -e
+#!/bin/bash
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 #
 # download RPMs/SRPMs from different sources.
 # this script was originated by Brian Avery, and later updated by Yong Hu
 
-set -o errexit
-set -o nounset
+# set -o errexit
+# set -o nounset
 
 # By default, we use "sudo" and we don't use a local yum.conf. These can
 # be overridden via flags.
@@ -185,6 +185,181 @@ if [ $CLEAN_LOGS_ONLY -eq 1 ];then
     exit 0
 fi
 
+STOP_SCHEDULING=0
+FOUND_ERRORS=0
+MAX_WORKERS=8
+workers=0
+max_workers=$MAX_WORKERS
+
+# An array that maps worker index to pid, or to two special values
+# 'Idle' indicates no running thread.
+# 'Busy' indicates the worker is allocated, but it's pid isn't known yet.
+declare -A dl_env
+
+#
+# init_dl_env: Init the array that maps worker index to pid.
+#
+init_dl_env () {
+    local i=0
+    local stop
+
+    stop=$((max_workers-1))
+    for i in $(seq 0 $stop); do
+        dl_env[$i]='Idle'
+    done
+}
+
+#
+# get_idle_dl_env: Find an idle worker, mark it allocated
+#                  and return it's index.
+get_idle_dl_env () {
+    local i=0
+    local stop
+
+    stop=$((max_workers-1))
+    if [ $stop -ge 255 ]; then
+        stop=254
+    fi
+
+    for i in $(seq 0 $stop); do
+        if [ ${dl_env[$i]} == 'Idle' ]; then
+            dl_env[$i]='Busy'
+            return $i
+        fi
+    done
+
+    return 255
+}
+
+#
+# set_dl_env_pid: Set the pid of a previously allocated worker
+#
+set_dl_env_pid () {
+    local idx=$1
+    local val=$2
+    dl_env[$idx]=$val
+}
+
+#
+# release_dl_env: Mark a worker as idle.  Call after reaping the thread.
+#
+release_dl_env () {
+    local idx=$1
+    dl_env[$idx]='Idle'
+}
+
+#
+# reaper: Look for worker threads that have exited.
+#         Check/log it's exit code, and release the worker.
+#         Return the number of threads reaped.
+#
+reaper ()  {
+    local reaped=0
+    local last_reaped=-1
+    local i=0
+    local stop
+    local p=0
+    local ret=0
+
+    stop=$((max_workers-1))
+    if [ $stop -ge 255 ]; then
+        stop=254
+    fi
+
+    while [ $reaped -gt $last_reaped ]; do
+        last_reaped=$reaped
+        for i in $(seq 0 $stop); do
+            p=${dl_env[$i]}
+            if [ "$p" == "Idle" ] || [ "$p" == "Busy" ]; then
+                continue
+            fi
+            # echo "test $i $p"
+            kill -0 $p &> /dev/null
+            if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+                wait $p
+                ret=$?
+                workers=$((workers-1))
+                reaped=$((reaped+1))
+                release_dl_env $i
+                if [ $ret -ne 0 ]; then
+                    sleep 1
+                    echo "ERROR: $FUNCNAME (${LINENO}): Failed to download in 'b$i'"
+                    cat "$DL_MIRROR_LOG_DIR/$i" >> $DL_MIRROR_LOG_DIR/errors
+                    echo "ERROR: $FUNCNAME (${LINENO}): Failed to download in 'b$i'" >> $DL_MIRROR_LOG_DIR/errors
+                    echo "" >> $DL_MIRROR_LOG_DIR/errors
+                    FOUND_ERRORS=1
+                fi
+            fi
+        done
+    done
+    return $reaped
+}
+
+#
+# download_worker: Download one file.
+#                  This is the entry point for a worker thread.
+#
+download_worker () {
+    local dl_idx=$1
+    local ff="$2"
+    local _level=$3
+
+    local rpm_name=""
+    local dest_dir=""
+    local rc=0
+    local dl_result=1
+    local lvl=""
+    local download_cmd=""
+    local download_url=""
+    local SFILE=""
+    local _arch=""
+
+    _arch=$(get_arch_from_rpm $ff)
+    rpm_name="$(get_rpm_name $ff)"
+    dest_dir="$(get_dest_directory $_arch)"
+
+    if [ ! -e $dest_dir/$rpm_name ]; then
+        for dl_src in $dl_source; do
+            case $dl_src in
+                $dl_from_stx_mirror)
+                    lvl=$dl_from_stx_mirror
+                    ;;
+                $dl_from_upstream)
+                lvl=$_level
+                    ;;
+                *)
+                    echo "Error: Unknown dl_source '$dl_src'"
+                    continue
+                    ;;
+            esac
+
+            download_cmd="$(get_download_cmd $ff $lvl)"
+
+            echo "Looking for $rpm_name"
+            echo "--> run: $download_cmd"
+            if $download_cmd ; then
+                download_url="$(get_url $ff $lvl)"
+                SFILE="$(get_rpm_level_name $rpm_name $lvl)"
+                process_result "$_arch" "$dest_dir" "$download_url" "$SFILE"
+                dl_result=0
+                break
+            else
+                echo "Warning: $rpm_name not found"
+            fi
+        done
+
+        if [ $dl_result -eq 1 ]; then
+            echo "Error: $rpm_name not found"
+            echo "missing_srpm:$rpm_name" >> $LOG
+            echo $rpm_name >> $MISSING_SRPMS
+            rc=1
+        fi
+    else
+        echo "Already have $dest_dir/$rpm_name"
+    fi
+    return $rc
+}
+
 # Function to download different types of RPMs in different ways
 download () {
     local _file=$1
@@ -194,75 +369,62 @@ download () {
 
     local _arch=""
 
-    local rc=0
-    local download_cmd=""
-    local download_url=""
-    local rpm_name=""
-    local SFILE=""
-    local lvl
-    local dl_result
 
+    FOUND_ERRORS=0
     _list=$(cat $_file)
     _from=$(get_from $_file)
 
     echo "now the rpm will come from: $_from"
     for ff in $_list; do
-        _arch=$(get_arch_from_rpm $ff)
-        rpm_name="$(get_rpm_name $ff)"
-        dest_dir="$(get_dest_directory $_arch)"
-
-        if [ ! -e $dest_dir/$rpm_name ]; then
-            dl_result=1
-            for dl_src in $dl_source; do
-                case $dl_src in
-                    $dl_from_stx_mirror)
-                        lvl=$dl_from_stx_mirror
-                        ;;
-                    $dl_from_upstream)
-                        lvl=$_level
-                        ;;
-                    *)
-                        echo "Error: Unknown dl_source '$dl_src'"
-                        continue
-                        ;;
-                esac
-
-                download_cmd="$(get_download_cmd $ff $lvl)"
-
-                echo "Looking for $rpm_name"
-                echo "--> run: $download_cmd"
-                if $download_cmd ; then
-                    download_url="$(get_url $ff $lvl)"
-                    SFILE="$(get_rpm_level_name $rpm_name $lvl)"
-                    process_result "$_arch" "$dest_dir" "$download_url" "$SFILE"
-                    dl_result=0
-                    break
-                else
-                    echo "Warning: $rpm_name not found"
-                fi
-            done
-
-            if [ $dl_result -eq 1 ]; then
-                echo "Error: $rpm_name not found"
-                echo "missing_srpm:$rpm_name" >> $LOG
-                echo $rpm_name >> $MISSING_SRPMS
-                rc=1
+        # Free up a worker if none available
+        while [ $workers -ge $max_workers ]; do
+            reaper
+            reaped=$?
+            if [ $reaped -eq 0 ]; then
+                sleep 0.1
             fi
-        else
-            echo "Already have $dest_dir/$rpm_name"
+        done
+
+        # Allocate a worker.  b=the worker index
+        workers=$((workers+1))
+        get_idle_dl_env
+        b=$?
+        if [ $b -ge 255 ]; then
+            echo "get_idle_dl_env failed to find a free slot"
+            exit 1
         fi
-        echo
+        PREFIX="b$b"
+
+        # Launch a thread in the background
+        ( download_worker $b $ff $_level 2>&1 | sed "s#^#${PREFIX}: #"  | tee $DL_MIRROR_LOG_DIR/$b; exit ${PIPESTATUS[0]} ) &
+
+        # Record the pid of background process
+        pp=$!
+        set_dl_env_pid $b $pp
     done
 
-    return $rc
+    # Wait for remaining workers to exit
+    while [ $workers -gt 0 ]; do
+        reaper
+        reaped=$?
+        if [ $reaped -eq 0 ]; then
+            sleep 0.1
+        fi
+    done
+
+    return $FOUND_ERRORS
 }
 
 
+# Init the pool of worker threads
+init_dl_env
+
+
 # Prime the cache
 loop_count=0
 max_loop_count=5
 echo "${SUDOCMD} yum ${YUMCONFOPT} ${RELEASEVER} makecache"
-while ! ${SUDOCMD} yum ${YUMCONFOPT} ${RELEASEVER} makecache ; do
+while ! ${SUDOCMD} yum ${YUMCONFOPT} ${RELEASEVER} makecache fast ; do
     # To protect against intermittent 404 errors, we'll retry
     # a few times.  The suspected issue is pulling repodata
     # from multiple source that are temporarily inconsistent.
diff --git a/centos-mirror-tools/download_mirror.sh b/centos-mirror-tools/download_mirror.sh
index c7adfbc8..407011b9 100755
--- a/centos-mirror-tools/download_mirror.sh
+++ b/centos-mirror-tools/download_mirror.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/bin/bash -e
+#!/bin/bash
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 #
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ cleanup () {
 trap "cleanup ; exit 1" INT HUP TERM QUIT
 trap "cleanup" EXIT
 
+# Clear the error log before we begin
+if [ -f $DL_MIRROR_LOG_DIR/errors ]; then
+    rm -f $DL_MIRROR_LOG_DIR/errors
+fi
+
 # A temporary compatability step to save download time
 # during the shift to the new DL_MIRROR_OUTPUT_DIR location.
 #
@@ -115,8 +120,8 @@ make_stx_mirror_yum_conf="${DOWNLOAD_MIRROR_DIR}/make_stx_mirror_yum_conf.sh"
 
 # track optional arguments
 change_group_ids=1
-use_system_yum_conf=1
-alternate_yum_conf=""
+use_system_yum_conf=0
+alternate_yum_conf="${DOWNLOAD_MIRROR_DIR}/yum.conf.sample"
 alternate_repo_dir=""
 rpm_downloader_extra_args=""
 tarball_downloader_extra_args=""
@@ -166,6 +171,8 @@ dl_from_upstream () {
 
 
 MULTIPLE_DL_FLAG_ERROR_MSG="Error: Please use only one of: -s,-S,-u,-U"
+TEMP_DIR=""
+TEMP_DIR_CLEANUP=""
 
 multiple_dl_flag_check () {
     if [ "$dl_flag" != "" ]; then
@@ -177,7 +184,7 @@ multiple_dl_flag_check () {
 
 
 # Parse out optional arguments
-while getopts "c:Cd:ghI:sl:L:nSuUW:" o; do
+while getopts "c:Cd:ghI:sl:L:nt:ySuUW:" o; do
     case "${o}" in
         c)
             # Pass -c ("use alternate yum.conf") to rpm downloader
@@ -214,6 +221,15 @@ while getopts "c:Cd:ghI:sl:L:nSuUW:" o; do
             rpm_downloader_extra_args="${rpm_downloader_extra_args} -n"
             SUDO=""
             ;;
+        t)
+            # Set TEMP_DIR
+            TEMP_DIR="${OPTARG}"
+            ;;
+        y)
+            # Use hosts /etc/yum.conf
+            use_system_yum_conf=1
+            alternate_yum_conf=""
+            ;;
         s)
             # Download from StarlingX mirror only. Do not use upstream sources.
             multiple_dl_flag_check
@@ -383,16 +399,15 @@ echo "step #0: Configuring yum repos ..."
 
 if [ ${use_system_yum_conf} -ne 0 ]; then
     # Restore StarlingX_3rd repos from backup
-    REPO_SOURCE_DIR=/localdisk/yum.repos.d
     REPO_DIR=/etc/yum.repos.d
-    if [ -d $REPO_SOURCE_DIR ] && [ -d $REPO_DIR ]; then
-        ${SUDO} \cp -f $REPO_SOURCE_DIR/*.repo $REPO_DIR/
-    fi
 
     if [ $layer != "all" ]; then
         if [ -d ${config_dir}/${distro}/${layer}/yum.repos.d ]; then
-            ${SUDO} \cp -f ${config_dir}/${distro}/${layer}/yum.repos.d/*.repo $REPO_DIR
+            ${SUDO} \cp -f -v ${config_dir}/${distro}/${layer}/yum.repos.d/*.repo $REPO_DIR/
         fi
+    else
+        # copy all layers
+        ${SUDO} \cp -f -v ${config_dir}/${distro}/*/yum.repos.d/*.repo $REPO_DIR/
     fi
 fi
 
@@ -411,7 +426,6 @@ if [ $use_system_yum_conf -eq 0 ]; then
     fi
 fi
 
-TEMP_DIR=""
 rpm_downloader_extra_args="${rpm_downloader_extra_args} -D $distro"
 
 if [ "$dl_flag" != "" ]; then
@@ -428,7 +442,19 @@ if ! dl_from_stx; then
 else
     # We want to use stx mirror, so we need to create a new, modified yum.conf and yum.repos.d.
     # The modifications will add or substitute repos pointing to the StralingX mirror.
-    TEMP_DIR=$(mktemp -d /tmp/stx_mirror_XXXXXX)
+    if [ "$TEMP_DIR" == "" ]; then
+        if [ "$MY_WORKSPACE" != "" ]; then
+            TEMP_DIR="$MY_WORKSPACE/tmp/yum"
+        else
+            TEMP_DIR=$(mktemp -d /tmp/stx_mirror_XXXXXX)
+            TEMP_DIR_CLEANUP="y"
+        fi
+    fi
+
+    if [ ! -d $TEMP_DIR ]; then
+        mkdir -p ${TEMP_DIR}
+    fi
+
     TEMP_CONF="$TEMP_DIR/yum.conf"
     need_file ${make_stx_mirror_yum_conf}
     need_dir ${TEMP_DIR}
@@ -685,7 +711,7 @@ fi
 #
 # Clean up the mktemp directory, if required.
 #
-if [ "$TEMP_DIR" != "" ]; then
+if [ "$TEMP_DIR" != "" ] && [ "$TEMP_DIR_CLEANUP" == "y" ]; then
     echo "${SUDO} rm -rf $TEMP_DIR"
     ${SUDO} \rm -rf "$TEMP_DIR"
 fi
diff --git a/centos-mirror-tools/make_stx_mirror_yum_conf.sh b/centos-mirror-tools/make_stx_mirror_yum_conf.sh
index 153cc13e..5ea18964 100755
--- a/centos-mirror-tools/make_stx_mirror_yum_conf.sh
+++ b/centos-mirror-tools/make_stx_mirror_yum_conf.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ MAKE_STX_MIRROR_YUM_CONF_DIR="$(dirname "$(readlink -f "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" )"
 source "$MAKE_STX_MIRROR_YUM_CONF_DIR/url_utils.sh"
 
 DISTRO="centos"
+SUDO=sudo
 
 TEMP_DIR=""
 SRC_REPO_DIR="$MAKE_STX_MIRROR_YUM_CONF_DIR/yum.repos.d"
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ usage () {
     echo "                 'yum.repos.d' in same directory as this script"
     echo "-l <layer> = Download only packages required to build a given layer"
     echo "-u <lower-layer>,<build-type>,<repo_url> = Add/change the repo baseurl for a lower layer"
+    echo "-n don't use sudo"
 }
 
 declare -A layer_urls
@@ -61,7 +63,7 @@ set_layer_urls () {
 #
 # option processing
 #
-while getopts "D:d:l:Rr:u:y:" o; do
+while getopts "D:d:l:nRr:u:y:" o; do
     case "${o}" in
         D)
             DISTRO="${OPTARG}"
@@ -72,6 +74,9 @@ while getopts "D:d:l:Rr:u:y:" o; do
         l)
             LAYER="${OPTARG}"
             ;;
+        n)
+            SUDO=""
+            ;;
         r)
             SRC_REPO_DIR="${OPTARG}"
             ;;
@@ -132,7 +137,7 @@ get_releasever () {
     if [ -f $SRC_YUM_CONF ] && grep -q '^releasever=' $SRC_YUM_CONF; then
         grep '^releasever=' $SRC_YUM_CONF | cut -d '=' -f 2
     else
-        yum version nogroups | grep Installed | cut -d ' ' -f 2 | cut -d '/' -f 1
+        ${SUDO} yum version nogroups | grep Installed | cut -d ' ' -f 2 | cut -d '/' -f 1
     fi
 }
 
@@ -143,7 +148,7 @@ get_releasever () {
 # cross compiling.
 #
 get_arch () {
-    yum version nogroups | grep Installed | cut -d ' ' -f 2 | cut -d '/' -f 2
+    ${SUDO} yum version nogroups | grep Installed | cut -d ' ' -f 2 | cut -d '/' -f 2
 }
 
 
diff --git a/centos-mirror-tools/utils.sh b/centos-mirror-tools/utils.sh
index 338fd097..a9a7faf6 100644
--- a/centos-mirror-tools/utils.sh
+++ b/centos-mirror-tools/utils.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ get_yum_command() {
         yumdownloader_extra_opts="--exclude='*.i686' --archlist=noarch,x86_64"
     fi
 
-    echo "yumdownloader -q -C ${YUMCONFOPT} ${RELEASEVER} $yumdownloader_extra_opts $rpm_name"
+    echo "${SUDO} yumdownloader -q -C ${YUMCONFOPT} ${RELEASEVER} $yumdownloader_extra_opts $rpm_name"
 }
 
 get_wget_command() {
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ get_url() {
         # filter urls for the desitered arch.
         local arr=( $(split_filename $_name) )
         local arch=${arr[3]}
-        _ret="$($_url_cmd | grep "[.]$arch[.]rpm$" | head -n 1)"
+        _ret="$(${SUDO} $_url_cmd | grep "[.]$arch[.]rpm$" | head -n 1)"
     fi
     echo "$_ret"
 }
@@ -173,7 +173,8 @@ get_download_cmd() {
             download_cmd="$(get_wget_command $rpm_name)"
         else
             # yumdownloader with the appropriate flag for src, noarch or x86_64
-            download_cmd="${SUDOCMD} $(get_yum_command $rpm_name $_level)"
+            # download_cmd="${SUDOCMD} $(get_yum_command $rpm_name $_level)"
+            download_cmd="$(get_yum_command $rpm_name $_level)"
         fi
     else
         # Build wget command