diff --git a/smartgears/catalina-app-conf/tasks/main.yml b/smartgears/catalina-app-conf/tasks/main.yml
index 1dd6cbe8..84aa3a3e 100644
--- a/smartgears/catalina-app-conf/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/smartgears/catalina-app-conf/tasks/main.yml
@@ -1,14 +1,19 @@
 ---
 - block:
-    - name: Install the catalina webapp configurations
+    - name: Install the catalina webapp configurations with distro <=16
       template: src=catalina-app-conf.xml.j2 dest={{ smartgears_instance_path }}/conf/Catalina/localhost/{{ item.app_name }}.xml
       with_items: '{{ catalina_apps_conf }}'
-      when: ( item.state | default(True) )
+      when: ( item.state | default(True) ) and ansible_distribution_major_version <= '16'
 
-    - name: Remove the catalina webapp configurations
+    - name: Install the catalina webapp configurations with distro == 18
+      template: src=catalina-app-conf_tomcat8.xml.j2 dest={{ smartgears_instance_path }}/conf/Catalina/localhost/{{ item.app_name }}.xml
+      with_items: '{{ catalina_apps_conf }}'
+      when: ( item.state | default(True) ) and ansible_distribution_major_version == '18'
+
+    - name: Remove the catalina webapp configurations 
       file: dest={{ smartgears_instance_path }}/conf/Catalina/localhost/{{ item.app_name }}.xml state=absent
       with_items: '{{ catalina_apps_conf }}'
-      when: ( not item.state | default(True) )
+      when: ( not item.state | default(True) ) 
 
   become: True
   become_user: '{{ smartgears_user }}'
diff --git a/smartgears/catalina-app-conf/templates/catalina-app-conf.xml.j2 b/smartgears/catalina-app-conf/templates/catalina-app-conf.xml.j2
index 3a858ef5..26952a64 100644
--- a/smartgears/catalina-app-conf/templates/catalina-app-conf.xml.j2
+++ b/smartgears/catalina-app-conf/templates/catalina-app-conf.xml.j2
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@
 
 <Context reloadable="true">
     <Loader className="org.apache.catalina.loader.VirtualWebappLoader"
+{% if item.plugin_name is defined %}
           virtualClasspath="{{ smartgears_instance_path }}/webapps/{{ item.app_name }}/WEB-INF/lib/plugins/{{ item.plugin_name }}/*.jar"/>    
+{% else %}
+{% for plugin in item.app_plugins %}
+          virtualClasspath="{{ smartgears_instance_path }}/webapps/{{ item.app_name }}/WEB-INF/lib/plugins/{{ plugin }}/*.jar"/>    
+{% endfor %}
+{% endif %}
 </Context>
-
diff --git a/smartgears/catalina-app-conf/templates/catalina-app-conf_tomcat8.xml.j2 b/smartgears/catalina-app-conf/templates/catalina-app-conf_tomcat8.xml.j2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f5080172
--- /dev/null
+++ b/smartgears/catalina-app-conf/templates/catalina-app-conf_tomcat8.xml.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<Context>
+   <Resources className="org.apache.catalina.webresources.StandardRoot">
+{% if item.plugin_name is defined %}
+      <PreResources className="org.apache.catalina.webresources.DirResourceSet"
+       base="{{ smartgears_instance_path }}/webapps/{{ item.app_name }}/WEB-INF/lib/plugins/{{ item.plugin_name }}/"
+       internalPath="/"
+       webAppMount="/WEB-INF/lib" /> 
+{% else %}
+{% for plugin in item.app_plugins %}
+      <PreResources className="org.apache.catalina.webresources.DirResourceSet"
+       base="{{ smartgears_instance_path }}/webapps/{{ item.app_name }}/WEB-INF/lib/plugins/{{ plugin }}/"
+       internalPath="/"
+       webAppMount="/WEB-INF/lib" />
+{% endfor %}
+{% endif %}
+</Resources>
+</Context>
+