diff --git a/lib/build/node-sass.js b/lib/build/node-sass.js
index 38e706f..6790b74 100644
--- a/lib/build/node-sass.js
+++ b/lib/build/node-sass.js
@@ -10,16 +10,18 @@ var path              = require('path'),
     visit             = require('rework-visit'),
     convert           = require('convert-source-map'),
     SourceMapConsumer = require('source-map').SourceMapConsumer,
-    mime              = require('mime');
+    mime              = require('mime'),
+    crypto            = require('crypto'),
+    defaults          = require('lodash.defaults');
 
 /**
  * Search for the relative file reference from the <code>startPath</code> up to the process
  * working directory, avoiding any other directories with a <code>package.json</code> or <code>bower.json</code>.
  * @param {string} startPath The location of the uri declaration and the place to start the search from
  * @param {string} uri The content of the url() statement, expected to be a relative file path
- * @returns {string} dataURI of the file where found or <code>undefined</code> otherwise
+ * @returns {string} the full file path of the file where found or <code>null</code> otherwise
  */
-function encodeRelativeURL(startPath, uri) {
+function findFile(startPath, uri) {
 
   /**
    * Test whether the given directory is the root of its own package
@@ -66,7 +68,7 @@ function encodeRelativeURL(startPath, uri) {
     var isWorking;
     do {
       pathToRoot.push(absoluteStart);
-      isWorking     = (absoluteStart !== process.cwd()) && notPackage(absoluteStart);
+      isWorking = (absoluteStart !== process.cwd()) && notPackage(absoluteStart);
       absoluteStart = path.resolve(absoluteStart, '..');
     } while (isWorking);
 
@@ -83,16 +85,36 @@ function encodeRelativeURL(startPath, uri) {
 
       // file exists so convert to a dataURI and end
       if (fs.existsSync(fullPath)) {
-        var type     = mime.lookup(fullPath);
-        var contents = fs.readFileSync(fullPath);
-        var base64   = new Buffer(contents).toString('base64');
-        return 'data:' + type + ';base64,' + base64;
+        return fullPath;
       }
       // enqueue subdirectories that are not packages and are not in the root path
       else {
         enqueue(queue, basePath);
       }
     }
+
+    // not found
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Search for the relative file reference from the <code>startPath</code> up to the process
+ * working directory, avoiding any other directories with a <code>package.json</code> or <code>bower.json</code>,
+ * and encode as base64 data URI.
+ * @param {string} startPath The location of the uri declaration and the place to start the search from
+ * @param {string} uri The content of the url() statement, expected to be a relative file path
+ * @returns {string} data URI of the file where found or <code>null</code> otherwise
+ */
+function embedRelativeURL(startPath, uri) {
+  var fullPath = findFile(startPath, uri);
+  if (fullPath) {
+    var type     = mime.lookup(fullPath),
+        contents = fs.readFileSync(fullPath),
+        base64   = new Buffer(contents).toString('base64');
+    return 'data:' + type + ';base64,' + base64;
+  } else {
+    return null;
   }
 }
 
@@ -103,107 +125,129 @@ function encodeRelativeURL(startPath, uri) {
  * @param {Array.<string>} [libraryPaths] Any number of library path strings
  * @returns {stream.Through} A through stream that performs the operation of a gulp stream
  */
-module.exports = function (bannerWidth, libraryPaths) {
-  var output  = [ ];
-  var libList = (libraryPaths || [ ]).filter(function isString(value) {
-    return (typeof value === 'string');
+module.exports = function (options) {
+  defaults(options, {
+    libraryPaths: [],
+    embedAssets : false
   });
+
+  var output  = [],
+      libList = options.libraryPaths.filter(function isString(value) {
+        return (typeof value === 'string');
+      });
+
   return through.obj(function (file, encoding, done) {
     var stream = this;
 
     // setup parameters
-    var sourcePath = file.path.replace(path.basename(file.path), '');
-    var sourceName = path.basename(file.path, path.extname(file.path));
-    var mapName    = sourceName + '.css.map';
-    var sourceMapConsumer;
+    var sourcePath   = path.dirname(file.path),
+        compiledName = path.basename(file.path, path.extname(file.path)) + '.css',
+        mapName      = compiledName + '.map',
+        sourceMapConsumer;
 
     /**
      * Push file contents to the output stream.
-     * @param {string} ext The extension for the file, including dot
-     * @param {string|object?} contents The contents for the file or fields to assign to it
+     * @param {string} filename The filename of the file, including extension
+     * @param {Buffer|string|object} [contents] Optional contents for the file or fields to assign to it
      * @return {vinyl.File} The file that has been pushed to the stream
      */
-    function pushResult(ext, contents) {
+    function pushResult(filename, contents) {
       var pending = new gutil.File({
-        cwd:      file.cwd,
-        base:     file.base,
-        path:     sourcePath + sourceName + ext,
-        contents: (typeof contents === 'string') ? new Buffer(contents) : null
+        cwd     : file.cwd,
+        base    : file.base,
+        path    : path.join(sourcePath, filename),
+        contents: Buffer.isBuffer(contents) ? contents : (typeof contents === 'string') ? new Buffer(contents) : null
       });
-      if (typeof contents === 'object') {
-        for (var key in contents) {
-          pending[key] = contents[key];
-        }
-      }
       stream.push(pending);
       return pending;
     }
 
     /**
-     * Plugin for css rework that follows SASS transpilation
-     * @param {object} stylesheet AST for the CSS output from SASS
+     * Create a plugin for css rework that performs rewriting of url() sources
+     * @param {function({string}, {string}):{string}} uriRewriter A method that rewrites uris
      */
-    function reworkPlugin(stylesheet) {
-
-      // visit each node (selector) in the stylesheet recursively using the official utility method
-      //  each node may have multiple declarations
-      visit(stylesheet, function visitor(declarations) {
-        declarations
-          .forEach(eachDeclaration);
-      });
-
-      /**
-       * Process a declaration from the syntax tree.
-       * @param declaration
-       */
-      function eachDeclaration(declaration) {
-        var URL_STATEMENT_REGEX = /(url\s*\()\s*(?:(['"])((?:(?!\2).)*)(\2)|([^'"](?:(?!\)).)*[^'"]))\s*(\))/g;
-
-        // reverse the original source-map to find the original sass file
-        var cssStart = declaration.position.start;
-        var sassStart = sourceMapConsumer.originalPositionFor({
-          line  : cssStart.line,
-          column: cssStart.column
+    function rewriteUriPlugin(uriRewriter) {
+      return function reworkPlugin(stylesheet) {
+
+        // visit each node (selector) in the stylesheet recursively using the official utility method
+        //  each node may have multiple declarations
+        visit(stylesheet, function visitor(declarations) {
+          declarations
+            .forEach(eachDeclaration);
         });
-        if (!sassStart.source) {
-          throw new Error('failed to decode node-sass source map'); // this can occur with regressions in libsass
-        }
-        var sassDir = path.dirname(sassStart.source);
-
-        // allow multiple url() values in the declaration
-        //  split by url statements and process the content
-        //  additional capture groups are needed to match quotations correctly
-        //  escaped quotations are not considered
-        declaration.value = declaration.value
-          .split(URL_STATEMENT_REGEX)
-          .map(eachSplitOrGroup)
-          .join('');
 
         /**
-         * Encode the content portion of <code>url()</code> statements.
-         * There are 4 capture groups in the split making every 5th unmatched.
-         * @param {string} token A single split item
-         * @param i The index of the item in the split
-         * @returns {string} Every 3 or 5 items is an encoded url everything else is as is
+         * Process a declaration from the syntax tree.
+         * @param declaration
          */
-        function eachSplitOrGroup(token, i) {
-
-          // we can get groups as undefined under certain match circumstances
-          var initialised = token || '';
-
-          // the content of the url() statement is either in group 3 or group 5
-          var mod = i % 7;
-          if ((mod === 3) || (mod === 5)) {
-
-            // remove query string or hash suffix
-            var uri = initialised.split(/[?#]/g).shift();
-            return uri && encodeRelativeURL(sassDir, uri) || initialised;
+        function eachDeclaration(declaration) {
+          var URL_STATEMENT_REGEX = /(url\s*\()\s*(?:(['"])((?:(?!\2).)*)(\2)|([^'"](?:(?!\)).)*[^'"]))\s*(\))/g;
+
+          // reverse the original source-map to find the original sass file
+          var cssStart = declaration.position.start;
+          var sassStart = sourceMapConsumer.originalPositionFor({
+            line  : cssStart.line,
+            column: cssStart.column
+          });
+          if (!sassStart.source) {
+            throw new Error('failed to decode node-sass source map'); // this can occur with regressions in libsass
           }
-          // everything else, including parentheses and quotation (where present) and media statements
-          else {
-            return initialised;
+          var sassDir = path.dirname(sassStart.source);
+
+          // allow multiple url() values in the declaration
+          //  split by url statements and process the content
+          //  additional capture groups are needed to match quotations correctly
+          //  escaped quotations are not considered
+          declaration.value = declaration.value
+            .split(URL_STATEMENT_REGEX)
+            .map(eachSplitOrGroup)
+            .join('');
+
+          /**
+           * Encode the content portion of <code>url()</code> statements.
+           * There are 4 capture groups in the split making every 5th unmatched.
+           * @param {string} token A single split item
+           * @param i The index of the item in the split
+           * @returns {string} Every 3 or 5 items is an encoded url everything else is as is
+           */
+          function eachSplitOrGroup(token, i) {
+
+            // we can get groups as undefined under certain match circumstances
+            var initialised = token || '';
+
+            // the content of the url() statement is either in group 3 or group 5
+            var mod = i % 7;
+            if ((mod === 3) || (mod === 5)) {
+
+              // remove query string or hash suffix
+              var uri = initialised.split(/[?#]/g).shift();
+              return uri && uriRewriter(sassDir, uri) || initialised;
+            }
+            // everything else, including parentheses and quotation (where present) and media statements
+            else {
+              return initialised;
+            }
           }
         }
+      };
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * A URI re-writer function that pushes the file to the output stream and rewrites the URI accordingly.
+     * @param {string} startPath The location of the uri declaration and the place to start the search from
+     * @param {string} uri The content of the url() statement, expected to be a relative file path
+     * @returns {string} the new URL of the output file where found or <code>null</code> otherwise
+     */
+    function pushAssetToOutput(startPath, uri) {
+      var fullPath = findFile(startPath, uri);
+      if (fullPath) {
+        var contents = fs.readFileSync(fullPath),
+            hash     = crypto.createHash('md5').update(contents).digest('hex'),
+            filename = ['.', compiledName + '.assets', hash + path.extname(fullPath)].join('/');
+        pushResult(filename, contents);
+        return filename;
+      } else {
+        return null;
       }
     }
 
@@ -232,12 +276,13 @@ module.exports = function (bannerWidth, libraryPaths) {
       );
 
       // rework css
-      var reworked = rework(cssWithMap, '')
-        .use(reworkPlugin)
-        .toString({
-          sourcemap        : true,
-          sourcemapAsObject: true
-        });
+      var plugin   = rewriteUriPlugin(options.embedAssets ? embedRelativeURL : pushAssetToOutput),
+          reworked = rework(cssWithMap, '')
+            .use(plugin)
+            .toString({
+              sourcemap        : true,
+              sourcemapAsObject: true
+            });
 
       // adjust overall sourcemap
       delete reworked.map.file;
@@ -247,8 +292,8 @@ module.exports = function (bannerWidth, libraryPaths) {
       });
 
       // write stream output
-      pushResult('.css', reworked.code + '\n/*# sourceMappingURL=' + mapName  + ' */');
-      pushResult('.css.map', JSON.stringify(reworked.map, null, 2));
+      pushResult(compiledName, reworked.code + '\n/*# sourceMappingURL=' + mapName + ' */');
+      pushResult(mapName, JSON.stringify(reworked.map, null, 2));
       done();
     }
 
@@ -257,19 +302,19 @@ module.exports = function (bannerWidth, libraryPaths) {
      * @param {string} error The error text from node-sass
      */
     function errorHandler(error) {
-      var analysis = /(.*)\:(\d+)\:\s*error\:\s*(.*)/.exec(error);
-      var resolved = path.resolve(analysis[1]);
-      var filename = [ '.scss', '.css']
-        .map(function (ext) {
-          return resolved + ext;
-        })
-        .filter(function (fullname) {
-          return fs.existsSync(fullname);
-        })
-        .pop();
-      var message  = analysis ?
-        ((filename || resolved) + ':' + analysis[2] + ':0: ' + analysis[3] + '\n') :
-        ('TODO parse this error\n' + error + '\n');
+      var analysis = /(.*)\:(\d+)\:\s*error\:\s*(.*)/.exec(error),
+          resolved = path.resolve(analysis[1]),
+          filename = ['.scss', '.css']
+            .map(function (ext) {
+              return resolved + ext;
+            })
+            .filter(function (fullname) {
+              return fs.existsSync(fullname);
+            })
+            .pop(),
+          message  = analysis ?
+            ((filename || resolved) + ':' + analysis[2] + ':0: ' + analysis[3] + '\n') :
+            ('TODO parse this error\n' + error + '\n');
       if (output.indexOf(message) < 0) {
         output.push(message);
       }
@@ -291,7 +336,7 @@ module.exports = function (bannerWidth, libraryPaths) {
         error       : error,
         includePaths: libList,
         outputStyle : 'compressed',
-        stats       : { },
+        stats       : {},
         sourceMap   : map
       });
     }
@@ -305,10 +350,10 @@ module.exports = function (bannerWidth, libraryPaths) {
 
     // display the output buffer with padding before and after and between each item
     if (output.length) {
-      var width = Number(bannerWidth) || 0;
-      var hr    = new Array(width + 1);   // this is a good trick to repeat a character N times
-      var start = (width > 0) ? (hr.join('\u25BC') + '\n') : '';
-      var stop  = (width > 0) ? (hr.join('\u25B2') + '\n') : '';
+      var WIDTH = 80,
+          hr    = new Array(WIDTH + 1),       // this is a good trick to repeat a character N times
+          start = (WIDTH > 0) ? (hr.join('\u25BC') + '\n') : '',
+          stop  = (WIDTH > 0) ? (hr.join('\u25B2') + '\n') : '';
       process.stdout.write(start + '\n' + output.join('\n') + '\n' + stop);
     }
     done();
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 2c38d8f..2d9a591 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "angularity-helloworld-es5": "angularity/angularity-helloworld-es5#ci-build-0.2.0-E",
-    "angularity-todo-es5": "angularity/angularity-todo-es5#ci-build-0.2.0-F",
+    "angularity-todo-es5": "angularity/angularity-todo-es5#ci-build-0.3.1-A",
     "autodocs": "^0.6.8",
     "jasmine-diff-matchers": "~2.0.0",
     "jasmine-node": "2.0.0-beta4",
diff --git a/tasks/css.js b/tasks/css.js
index fb4e43b..8a545d9 100644
--- a/tasks/css.js
+++ b/tasks/css.js
@@ -9,19 +9,19 @@ function setUpTaskCss(context) {
   }
 
   var taskDefinition = {
-    name: 'css',
-    description: 'The "css" task performs a one time build of the SASS composition root(s).',
+    name             : 'css',
+    description      : 'The "css" task performs a one time build of the SASS composition root(s).',
     prerequisiteTasks: ['help'],
-    checks: [],
-    options: [],
-    onInit: function onInitCssTask() {
-      var gulp            = context.gulp,
-          runSequence     = context.runSequence,
-          rimraf          = require('gulp-rimraf');
+    checks           : [],
+    options          : [],
+    onInit           : function onInitCssTask() {
+      var gulp        = context.gulp,
+          runSequence = context.runSequence,
+          rimraf      = require('gulp-rimraf');
 
-      var nodeSass        = require('../lib/build/node-sass'),
-          hr              = require('../lib/util/hr'),
-          streams         = require('../lib/config/streams');
+      var nodeSass = require('../lib/build/node-sass'),
+          hr       = require('../lib/util/hr'),
+          streams  = require('../lib/config/streams');
 
       gulp.task('css', function (done) {
         console.log(hr('-', 80, 'css'));
@@ -41,12 +41,14 @@ function setUpTaskCss(context) {
       // compile sass with the previously discovered lib paths
       gulp.task('css:build', function () {
         return streams.scssApp()
-          .pipe(nodeSass(80, [streams.BOWER, streams.NODE]))
+          .pipe(nodeSass({
+            libraryPaths: [streams.BOWER, streams.NODE]
+          }))
           .pipe(gulp.dest(streams.BUILD));
       });
     },
-    onRun: function onRunCssTask() {
-      var gulp        = context.gulp;
+    onRun            : function onRunCssTask() {
+      var gulp = context.gulp;
       gulp.start(taskDefinition.name);
     }
   };
diff --git a/tasks/release.js b/tasks/release.js
index 85ef41c..70dea9d 100644
--- a/tasks/release.js
+++ b/tasks/release.js
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ function setUpTaskRelease(context) {
       });
 
       gulp.task('release:adjacent', function () {
-        return gulp.src([streams.BUILD + '/*.js*', streams.BUILD + '/*.css*', streams.BUILD + '/assets/**'])
+        return gulp.src([streams.BUILD + '/*.js*', streams.BUILD + '/*.css*', streams.BUILD + '/*assets/**'])
           .pipe(semiflat(streams.BUILD))
           .pipe(gulp.dest(streams.RELEASE_BUNDLE));
       });
diff --git a/test/specs/tasks/css-task.js b/test/specs/tasks/css-task.js
index 211d8aa..9d717cd 100644
--- a/test/specs/tasks/css-task.js
+++ b/test/specs/tasks/css-task.js
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 'use strict';
 
-var diffMatchers = require('jasmine-diff-matchers');
+var diffMatchers = require('jasmine-diff-matchers'),
+    fs           = require('fs'),
+    path         = require('path');
 
 var helper   = require('./../../helpers/angularity-test'),
     matchers = require('./../../helpers/jasmine-matchers');
@@ -10,11 +12,25 @@ var BUILD_FOLDER = 'app-build';
 function expectations(testCase) {
   var workingBuildFile = helper.getConcatenation(testCase.cwd, BUILD_FOLDER);
   var sourceBuildFile  = helper.getConcatenation(testCase.sourceDir, testCase.subdir, BUILD_FOLDER);
+
+  // general
   expect(testCase.stdout).toBeTask('css');
+
+  // build output
   expect(testCase.cwd).toHaveExpectedCssExcept();
   expect(workingBuildFile('index.css')).diffFilePatch(sourceBuildFile('index.css'));
-//  expect(workingBuildFile('index.css.map')).diffFilePatch(sourceBuildFile('index.css.map'));
-// TODO @bholloway solve repeatability of .map files
+  //  expect(workingBuildFile('index.css.map')).diffFilePatch(sourceBuildFile('index.css.map'));
+  // TODO @bholloway solve repeatability of .map files
+
+  // css assets
+  var assetDir = path.join.apply(path, sourceBuildFile('index.css.assets'));
+  if (fs.existsSync(assetDir)) {
+    fs.readdirSync(assetDir)
+      .forEach(function eachAsset(filename) {
+        var relative = path.join('index.css.assets', filename);
+        expect(workingBuildFile(relative)).diffFilePatch(sourceBuildFile(relative));
+      });
+  }
 }
 
 function customMatchers() {