diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-test-release.yml b/.github/workflows/build-test-release.yml
index 2664687b..fce96402 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-test-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-test-release.yml
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ on:
   push:
     branches:
       - main
-    tags:
-      - "*"
   pull_request:
 
 permissions:
diff --git a/local/network.go b/local/network.go
index d07660a0..6bcbc761 100644
--- a/local/network.go
+++ b/local/network.go
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ const (
 	defaultLogsSubdir         = "logs"
 	// difference between unlock schedule locktime and startime in original genesis
 	genesisLocktimeStartimeDelta = 2836800
+	// TODO: replace with config.PluginDirKey when included in avalanchego
+	PluginDirKey = "plugin-dir"
 )
 
 // interface compliance
@@ -603,7 +605,7 @@ func (ln *localNetwork) addNode(nodeConfig node.Config) (node.Node, error) {
 		dbDir:         nodeData.dbDir,
 		logsDir:       nodeData.logsDir,
 		config:        nodeConfig,
-		buildDir:      nodeData.buildDir,
+		pluginDir:     nodeData.pluginDir,
 		httpHost:      nodeData.httpHost,
 		attachedPeers: map[string]peer.Peer{},
 	}
@@ -791,7 +793,7 @@ func (ln *localNetwork) removeNode(ctx context.Context, nodeName string) error {
 }
 
 // Restart [nodeName] using the same config, optionally changing [binaryPath],
-// [buildDir], [whitelistedSubnets]
+// [whitelistedSubnets]
 func (ln *localNetwork) RestartNode(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	nodeName string,
@@ -825,7 +827,8 @@ func (ln *localNetwork) restartNode(
 
 	if binaryPath != "" {
 		nodeConfig.BinaryPath = binaryPath
-		nodeConfig.Flags[config.BuildDirKey] = filepath.Dir(binaryPath)
+		// remove old value if present, to look for vm binaries in new binary path location
+		delete(nodeConfig.Flags, PluginDirKey)
 	}
 
 	if whitelistedSubnets != "" {
@@ -891,13 +894,13 @@ func (ln *localNetwork) setNodeName(nodeConfig *node.Config) error {
 }
 
 type buildFlagsReturn struct {
-	flags    []string
-	apiPort  uint16
-	p2pPort  uint16
-	dbDir    string
-	logsDir  string
-	buildDir string
-	httpHost string
+	flags     []string
+	apiPort   uint16
+	p2pPort   uint16
+	dbDir     string
+	logsDir   string
+	pluginDir string
+	httpHost  string
 }
 
 // buildFlags returns the:
@@ -918,8 +921,8 @@ func (ln *localNetwork) buildFlags(
 		return buildFlagsReturn{}, err
 	}
 
-	// buildDir from all configs for node
-	buildDir, err := getConfigEntry(nodeConfig.Flags, configFile, config.BuildDirKey, "")
+	// pluginDir from all configs for node
+	pluginDir, err := getConfigEntry(nodeConfig.Flags, configFile, PluginDirKey, "")
 	if err != nil {
 		return buildFlagsReturn{}, err
 	}
@@ -986,12 +989,12 @@ func (ln *localNetwork) buildFlags(
 	}
 
 	return buildFlagsReturn{
-		flags:    flags,
-		apiPort:  apiPort,
-		p2pPort:  p2pPort,
-		dbDir:    dbDir,
-		logsDir:  logsDir,
-		buildDir: buildDir,
-		httpHost: httpHost,
+		flags:     flags,
+		apiPort:   apiPort,
+		p2pPort:   p2pPort,
+		dbDir:     dbDir,
+		logsDir:   logsDir,
+		pluginDir: pluginDir,
+		httpHost:  httpHost,
 	}, nil
 }
diff --git a/local/node.go b/local/node.go
index ed364582..6b6dbf4c 100644
--- a/local/node.go
+++ b/local/node.go
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ type localNode struct {
 	dbDir string
 	// The logs dir of the node
 	logsDir string
-	// The build dir of the node
-	buildDir string
+	// The plugin dir of the node
+	pluginDir string
 	// The node config
 	config node.Config
 	// The node httpHost
@@ -223,11 +223,11 @@ func (node *localNode) GetBinaryPath() string {
 }
 
 // See node.Node
-func (node *localNode) GetBuildDir() string {
-	if node.buildDir == "" {
-		return filepath.Dir(node.GetBinaryPath())
+func (node *localNode) GetPluginDir() string {
+	if node.pluginDir == "" {
+		return filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(node.GetBinaryPath()), "plugins")
 	}
-	return node.buildDir
+	return node.pluginDir
 }
 
 // See node.Node
diff --git a/local/snapshot.go b/local/snapshot.go
index d7b250d3..181ac280 100644
--- a/local/snapshot.go
+++ b/local/snapshot.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ func NewNetworkFromSnapshot(
 	rootDir string,
 	snapshotsDir string,
 	binaryPath string,
-	buildDir string,
+	pluginDir string,
 	chainConfigs map[string]string,
 	upgradeConfigs map[string]string,
 	subnetConfigs map[string]string,
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func NewNetworkFromSnapshot(
 		context.Background(),
 		snapshotName,
 		binaryPath,
-		buildDir,
+		pluginDir,
 		chainConfigs,
 		upgradeConfigs,
 		subnetConfigs,
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ func (ln *localNetwork) loadSnapshot(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	snapshotName string,
 	binaryPath string,
-	buildDir string,
+	pluginDir string,
 	chainConfigs map[string]string,
 	upgradeConfigs map[string]string,
 	subnetConfigs map[string]string,
@@ -219,10 +219,10 @@ func (ln *localNetwork) loadSnapshot(
 			networkConfig.NodeConfigs[i].BinaryPath = binaryPath
 		}
 	}
-	// replace build dir
-	if buildDir != "" {
+	// replace plugin dir
+	if pluginDir != "" {
 		for i := range networkConfig.NodeConfigs {
-			networkConfig.NodeConfigs[i].Flags[config.BuildDirKey] = buildDir
+			networkConfig.NodeConfigs[i].Flags[PluginDirKey] = pluginDir
 		}
 	}
 	// add chain configs and upgrade configs
diff --git a/network/node/node.go b/network/node/node.go
index 90ab6c2d..a8dcfa2e 100644
--- a/network/node/node.go
+++ b/network/node/node.go
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ type Node interface {
 	GetDbDir() string
 	// Return this node's logs dir
 	GetLogsDir() string
-	// Return this node's build dir
-	GetBuildDir() string
+	// Return this node's plugin dir
+	GetPluginDir() string
 	// Return this node's config file contents
 	GetConfigFile() string
 	// Return this node's config
diff --git a/server/network.go b/server/network.go
index 2430b9ed..24053129 100644
--- a/server/network.go
+++ b/server/network.go
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ava-labs/avalanchego/utils/logging"
 )
 
+const (
+	// TODO: replace with config.PluginDirKey when included in avalanchego
+	PluginDirKey = "plugin-dir"
+)
+
 type localNetwork struct {
 	log logging.Logger
 
@@ -140,6 +145,12 @@ func (lc *localNetwork) createConfig() error {
 	for k, v := range globalConfig {
 		cfg.Flags[k] = v
 	}
+	if lc.pluginDir != "" {
+		cfg.Flags[PluginDirKey] = lc.pluginDir
+	}
+	if lc.options.whitelistedSubnets != "" {
+		cfg.Flags[config.WhitelistedSubnetsKey] = lc.options.whitelistedSubnets
+	}
 
 	for i := range cfg.NodeConfigs {
 		// NOTE: Naming convention for node names is currently `node` + number, i.e. `node1,node2,node3,...node101`
@@ -164,12 +175,6 @@ func (lc *localNetwork) createConfig() error {
 			cfg.NodeConfigs[i].Flags = map[string]interface{}{}
 		}
 
-		// avalanchego expects buildDir (parent dir of pluginDir) to be provided at cmdline
-		buildDir, err := getBuildDir(lc.execPath, lc.pluginDir)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
 		if lc.options.dynamicPorts {
 			// remove http port defined in local network config, to get dynamic port generation
 			delete(cfg.NodeConfigs[i].Flags, config.HTTPPortKey)
@@ -178,9 +183,7 @@ func (lc *localNetwork) createConfig() error {
 
 		cfg.NodeConfigs[i].Flags[config.LogsDirKey] = logDir
 		cfg.NodeConfigs[i].Flags[config.DBPathKey] = dbDir
-		if buildDir != "" {
-			cfg.NodeConfigs[i].Flags[config.BuildDirKey] = buildDir
-		}
+
 		if lc.options.whitelistedSubnets != "" {
 			cfg.NodeConfigs[i].Flags[config.WhitelistedSubnetsKey] = lc.options.whitelistedSubnets
 		}
@@ -205,24 +208,6 @@ func (lc *localNetwork) createConfig() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// generates buildDir from pluginDir, and if not available, from execPath
-// returns error if pluginDir is non empty and invalid
-func getBuildDir(execPath string, pluginDir string) (string, error) {
-	buildDir := ""
-	if execPath != "" {
-		buildDir = filepath.Dir(execPath)
-	}
-	if pluginDir != "" {
-		pluginDir := filepath.Clean(pluginDir)
-		if filepath.Base(pluginDir) != "plugins" {
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("plugin dir %q is not named plugins", pluginDir)
-		}
-		buildDir = filepath.Dir(pluginDir)
-	}
-
-	return buildDir, nil
-}
-
 func (lc *localNetwork) start() error {
 	if err := lc.createConfig(); err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -361,11 +346,6 @@ func (lc *localNetwork) loadSnapshot(
 ) error {
 	ux.Print(lc.log, logging.Blue.Wrap(logging.Bold.Wrap("create and run local network from snapshot")))
 
-	buildDir, err := getBuildDir(lc.execPath, lc.pluginDir)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
 	var globalNodeConfig map[string]interface{}
 	if lc.options.globalNodeConfig != "" {
 		if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(lc.options.globalNodeConfig), &globalNodeConfig); err != nil {
@@ -379,7 +359,7 @@ func (lc *localNetwork) loadSnapshot(
 		lc.options.rootDataDir,
 		lc.options.snapshotsDir,
 		lc.execPath,
-		buildDir,
+		lc.pluginDir,
 		lc.options.chainConfigs,
 		lc.options.upgradeConfigs,
 		lc.options.subnetConfigs,
@@ -482,15 +462,10 @@ func (lc *localNetwork) updateNodeInfo() error {
 	lc.nodeInfos = make(map[string]*rpcpb.NodeInfo)
 	for _, name := range lc.nodeNames {
 		node := nodes[name]
-		var pluginDir string
 		whitelistedSubnets, err := node.GetFlag(config.WhitelistedSubnetsKey)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		buildDir := node.GetBuildDir()
-		if buildDir != "" {
-			pluginDir = filepath.Join(buildDir, "plugins")
-		}
 
 		lc.nodeInfos[name] = &rpcpb.NodeInfo{
 			Name:               node.GetName(),
@@ -500,7 +475,7 @@ func (lc *localNetwork) updateNodeInfo() error {
 			LogDir:             node.GetLogsDir(),
 			DbDir:              node.GetDbDir(),
 			Config:             []byte(node.GetConfigFile()),
-			PluginDir:          pluginDir,
+			PluginDir:          node.GetPluginDir(),
 			WhitelistedSubnets: whitelistedSubnets,
 		}
 
@@ -509,7 +484,7 @@ func (lc *localNetwork) updateNodeInfo() error {
 			lc.execPath = node.GetBinaryPath()
 		}
 		if lc.pluginDir == "" {
-			lc.pluginDir = pluginDir
+			lc.pluginDir = node.GetPluginDir()
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/server/server.go b/server/server.go
index 2fa1fe49..115c8a1d 100644
--- a/server/server.go
+++ b/server/server.go
@@ -252,13 +252,10 @@ func (s *server) Start(ctx context.Context, req *rpcpb.StartRequest) (*rpcpb.Sta
 	if err := utils.CheckExecPath(req.GetExecPath()); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	pluginDir := ""
+	pluginDir := filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(req.GetExecPath()), "plugins")
 	if req.GetPluginDir() != "" {
 		pluginDir = req.GetPluginDir()
 	}
-	if pluginDir == "" {
-		pluginDir = filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(req.GetExecPath()), "plugins")
-	}
 	chainSpecs := []network.BlockchainSpec{}
 	if len(req.GetBlockchainSpecs()) > 0 {
 		s.log.Info("plugin-dir:", zap.String("plugin-dir", pluginDir))
@@ -331,7 +328,7 @@ func (s *server) Start(ctx context.Context, req *rpcpb.StartRequest) (*rpcpb.Sta
 		numNodes:            numNodes,
 		whitelistedSubnets:  whitelistedSubnets,
 		redirectNodesOutput: s.cfg.RedirectNodesOutput,
-		pluginDir:           pluginDir,
+		pluginDir:           req.GetPluginDir(),
 		globalNodeConfig:    globalNodeConfig,
 		customNodeConfigs:   customNodeConfigs,
 		chainConfigs:        req.ChainConfigs,