diff --git a/src/commands/flags.mjs b/src/commands/flags.mjs
index 4bc64b8f2..6707badec 100644
--- a/src/commands/flags.mjs
+++ b/src/commands/flags.mjs
@@ -342,6 +342,15 @@ export const applicationProperties = {
   }
 }
 
+export const applicationEnv = {
+  name: 'application-env',
+  definition: {
+    describe: 'application.env file for node',
+    defaultValue: '',
+    type: 'string'
+  }
+}
+
 export const apiPermissionProperties = {
   name: 'api-permission-properties',
   definition: {
@@ -454,7 +463,8 @@ export const allFlags = [
   updateAccountKeys,
   privateKey,
   accountId,
-  amount
+  amount,
+  applicationEnv
 ]
 
 export const allFlagsMap = new Map(allFlags.map(f => [f.name, f]))
diff --git a/src/commands/node.mjs b/src/commands/node.mjs
index b01965ad3..15f8441c8 100644
--- a/src/commands/node.mjs
+++ b/src/commands/node.mjs
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ export class NodeCommand extends BaseCommand {
           config.releasePrefix = Templates.prepareReleasePrefix(config.releaseTag)
           config.buildZipFile = `${config.cacheDir}/${config.releasePrefix}/build-${config.releaseTag}.zip`
           config.keysDir = path.join(config.cacheDir, 'keys')
-          config.stagingDir = `${config.cacheDir}/${config.releasePrefix}/staging/${config.releaseTag}`
+          config.stagingDir = Templates.renderStagingDir(self.configManager, flags)
           config.stagingKeysDir = path.join(config.stagingDir, 'keys')
 
           if (config.keyFormat === constants.KEY_FORMAT_PFX && config.generateGossipKeys) {
@@ -227,15 +227,6 @@ export class NodeCommand extends BaseCommand {
         title: 'Identify network pods',
         task: (ctx, task) => self.taskCheckNetworkNodePods(ctx, task)
       },
-      {
-        title: 'Fetch platform software',
-        task: async (ctx, _) => {
-          const config = ctx.config
-          if (config.force || !fs.existsSync(config.buildZipFile)) {
-            ctx.config.buildZipFile = await self.downloader.fetchPlatform(ctx.config.releaseTag, config.cacheDir)
-          }
-        }
-      },
       {
         title: 'Generate Gossip keys',
         task: async (ctx, _) => {
@@ -349,7 +340,7 @@ export class NodeCommand extends BaseCommand {
         }
       },
       {
-        title: 'Upload platform software into network nodes',
+        title: 'Fetch platform software into network nodes',
         task:
           async (ctx, task) => {
             const config = ctx.config
@@ -360,7 +351,7 @@ export class NodeCommand extends BaseCommand {
               subTasks.push({
                 title: `Node: ${chalk.yellow(nodeId)}`,
                 task: () =>
-                  self.plaformInstaller.copyPlatform(podName, config.buildZipFile)
+                  self.plaformInstaller.fetchPlatform(podName, config.releaseTag)
               })
             }
 
@@ -428,17 +419,21 @@ export class NodeCommand extends BaseCommand {
 
           ctx.config = {
             namespace: self.configManager.getFlag(flags.namespace),
-            chartDir: this.configManager.getFlag(flags.chartDirectory),
-            fstChartVersion: this.configManager.getFlag(flags.fstChartVersion),
+            chartDir: self.configManager.getFlag(flags.chartDirectory),
+            fstChartVersion: self.configManager.getFlag(flags.fstChartVersion),
             nodeIds: helpers.parseNodeIDs(self.configManager.getFlag(flags.nodeIDs)),
-            deployMirrorNode: this.configManager.getFlag(flags.deployMirrorNode),
-            deployHederaExplorer: this.configManager.getFlag(flags.deployHederaExplorer),
-            updateAccountKeys: self.configManager.getFlag(flags.updateAccountKeys)
+            deployMirrorNode: self.configManager.getFlag(flags.deployMirrorNode),
+            deployHederaExplorer: self.configManager.getFlag(flags.deployHederaExplorer),
+            updateAccountKeys: self.configManager.getFlag(flags.updateAccountKeys),
+            applicationEnv: self.configManager.getFlag(flags.applicationEnv),
+            cacheDir: self.configManager.getFlag(flags.cacheDir)
           }
 
           ctx.config.chartPath = await this.prepareChartPath(ctx.config.chartDir,
             constants.FULLSTACK_TESTING_CHART, constants.FULLSTACK_DEPLOYMENT_CHART)
 
+          ctx.config.stagingDir = Templates.renderStagingDir(self.configManager, flags)
+
           ctx.config.valuesArg = ` --set hedera-mirror-node.enabled=${ctx.config.deployMirrorNode} --set hedera-explorer.enabled=${ctx.config.deployHederaExplorer}`
 
           if (!await this.k8.hasNamespace(ctx.config.namespace)) {
@@ -460,6 +455,15 @@ export class NodeCommand extends BaseCommand {
               title: `Start node: ${chalk.yellow(nodeId)}`,
               task: async () => {
                 await self.k8.execContainer(podName, constants.ROOT_CONTAINER, ['rm', '-rf', `${constants.HEDERA_HAPI_PATH}/data/logs`])
+
+                // copy application.env file if required
+                if (ctx.config.applicationEnv) {
+                  const stagingDir = Templates.renderStagingDir(self.configManager, flags)
+                  const applicationEnvFile = path.join(stagingDir, 'application.env')
+                  fs.cpSync(ctx.config.applicationEnv, applicationEnvFile)
+                  await self.k8.copyTo(podName, constants.ROOT_CONTAINER, applicationEnvFile, `${constants.HEDERA_HAPI_PATH}`)
+                }
+
                 await self.k8.execContainer(podName, constants.ROOT_CONTAINER, ['systemctl', 'restart', 'network-node'])
               }
             })
@@ -818,7 +822,8 @@ export class NodeCommand extends BaseCommand {
             builder: y => flags.setCommandFlags(y,
               flags.namespace,
               flags.nodeIDs,
-              flags.updateAccountKeys
+              flags.updateAccountKeys,
+              flags.applicationEnv
             ),
             handler: argv => {
               nodeCmd.logger.debug("==== Running 'node start' ===")
diff --git a/src/core/platform_installer.mjs b/src/core/platform_installer.mjs
index b9e9528b3..bfd9476fe 100644
--- a/src/core/platform_installer.mjs
+++ b/src/core/platform_installer.mjs
@@ -99,14 +99,25 @@ export class PlatformInstaller {
     }
   }
 
-  async copyPlatform (podName, buildZipSrc) {
+  /**
+   * Fetch platform code into the container
+   *
+   * It uses curl to fetch the platform code directly inside the /home/hedera directory.
+   *
+   * @param podName pod name
+   * @param tag platform release tag
+   * @return {Promise<boolean|undefined>}
+   */
+  async fetchPlatform (podName, tag) {
     if (!podName) throw new MissingArgumentError('podName is required')
-    if (!buildZipSrc) throw new MissingArgumentError('buildZipSrc is required')
-    if (!fs.statSync(buildZipSrc).isFile()) throw new IllegalArgumentError('buildZipFile does not exists', buildZipSrc)
+    if (!tag) throw new MissingArgumentError('tag is required')
 
     try {
-      await this.copyFiles(podName, [buildZipSrc], constants.HEDERA_USER_HOME_DIR)
-      return this.extractPlatform(podName, buildZipSrc)
+      const releaseDir = Templates.prepareReleasePrefix(tag)
+      const packageURL = `${constants.HEDERA_BUILDS_URL}/node/software/${releaseDir}/build-${tag}.zip`
+      const buildZip = path.join(constants.HEDERA_USER_HOME_DIR, `build-${tag}.zip`)
+      await this.k8.execContainer(podName, constants.ROOT_CONTAINER, `curl -s ${packageURL} -o ${buildZip}`)
+      return this.extractPlatform(podName, buildZip)
     } catch (e) {
       throw new FullstackTestingError(`failed to copy platform code in to pod '${podName}': ${e.message}`, e)
     }
diff --git a/src/core/templates.mjs b/src/core/templates.mjs
index 2040067ab..7e85e6cb6 100644
--- a/src/core/templates.mjs
+++ b/src/core/templates.mjs
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@
  *
  */
 import * as x509 from '@peculiar/x509'
-import { DataValidationError, MissingArgumentError } from './errors.mjs'
+import path from 'path'
+import { DataValidationError, IllegalArgumentError, MissingArgumentError } from './errors.mjs'
 
 export class Templates {
   static renderNetworkPodName (nodeId) {
@@ -116,4 +117,24 @@ export class Templates {
   ) {
     return new x509.Name(`CN=${nodeId},ST=${state},L=${locality},O=${org},OU=${orgUnit},C=${country}`)
   }
+
+  static renderStagingDir (configManager, flags) {
+    if (!configManager) throw new MissingArgumentError('configManager is required')
+    const cacheDir = configManager.getFlag(flags.cacheDir)
+    if (!cacheDir) {
+      throw new IllegalArgumentError('cacheDir cannot be empty')
+    }
+
+    const releaseTag = configManager.getFlag(flags.releaseTag)
+    if (!releaseTag) {
+      throw new IllegalArgumentError('releaseTag cannot be empty')
+    }
+
+    const releasePrefix = this.prepareReleasePrefix(releaseTag)
+    if (!releasePrefix) {
+      throw new IllegalArgumentError('releasePrefix cannot be empty')
+    }
+
+    return path.resolve(`${cacheDir}/${releasePrefix}/staging/${releaseTag}`)
+  }
 }
diff --git a/test/e2e/core/platform_installer_e2e.test.mjs b/test/e2e/core/platform_installer_e2e.test.mjs
index 9d38eaa41..929de289a 100644
--- a/test/e2e/core/platform_installer_e2e.test.mjs
+++ b/test/e2e/core/platform_installer_e2e.test.mjs
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ describe('PackageInstallerE2E', () => {
   const testCacheDir = getTestCacheDir()
   const podName = 'network-node0-0'
   const packageVersion = 'v0.42.5'
-  let packageFile = ''
 
   beforeAll(async () => {
     if (!fs.existsSync(testCacheDir)) {
@@ -73,8 +72,7 @@ describe('PackageInstallerE2E', () => {
     it('should succeed with valid tag and pod', async () => {
       expect.assertions(1)
       try {
-        packageFile = await downloader.fetchPlatform(packageVersion, testCacheDir)
-        await expect(installer.copyPlatform(podName, packageFile, true)).resolves.toBeTruthy()
+        await expect(installer.fetchPlatform(podName, packageVersion)).resolves.toBeTruthy()
         const outputs = await k8.execContainer(podName, constants.ROOT_CONTAINER, `ls -la ${constants.HEDERA_HAPI_PATH}`)
         testLogger.showUser(outputs)
       } catch (e) {
diff --git a/test/unit/core/platform_installer.test.mjs b/test/unit/core/platform_installer.test.mjs
index 47dc93287..cad8d3bbf 100644
--- a/test/unit/core/platform_installer.test.mjs
+++ b/test/unit/core/platform_installer.test.mjs
@@ -93,11 +93,11 @@ describe('PackageInstaller', () => {
   describe('extractPlatform', () => {
     it('should fail for missing pod name', async () => {
       expect.assertions(1)
-      await expect(installer.copyPlatform('', os.tmpdir())).rejects.toThrow(MissingArgumentError)
+      await expect(installer.fetchPlatform('', 'v0.42.5')).rejects.toThrow(MissingArgumentError)
     })
-    it('should fail for missing buildZipFile path', async () => {
+    it('should fail for missing tag', async () => {
       expect.assertions(1)
-      await expect(installer.copyPlatform('network-node0-0', '')).rejects.toThrow(MissingArgumentError)
+      await expect(installer.fetchPlatform('network-node0-0', '')).rejects.toThrow(MissingArgumentError)
     })
   })