diff --git a/src/pylorax/api/config.py b/src/pylorax/api/config.py
index b7ab36db..a27be4dd 100644
--- a/src/pylorax/api/config.py
+++ b/src/pylorax/api/config.py
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ def configure(conf_file="/etc/lorax/composer.conf", root_dir="/", test_config=Fa
     conf.add_section("composer")
     conf.set("composer", "share_dir", os.path.realpath(joinpaths(root_dir, "/usr/share/lorax/")))
     conf.set("composer", "lib_dir", os.path.realpath(joinpaths(root_dir, "/var/lib/lorax/composer/")))
-    conf.set("composer", "yum_conf", os.path.realpath(joinpaths(root_dir, "/var/tmp/composer/yum.conf")))
-    conf.set("composer", "yum_root", os.path.realpath(joinpaths(root_dir, "/var/tmp/composer/yum/root/")))
+    conf.set("composer", "dnf_conf", os.path.realpath(joinpaths(root_dir, "/var/tmp/composer/dnf.conf")))
+    conf.set("composer", "dnf_root", os.path.realpath(joinpaths(root_dir, "/var/tmp/composer/dnf/root/")))
     conf.set("composer", "repo_dir", os.path.realpath(joinpaths(root_dir, "/var/tmp/composer/repos.d/")))
     conf.set("composer", "cache_dir", os.path.realpath(joinpaths(root_dir, "/var/tmp/composer/cache/")))
 
@@ -64,14 +64,14 @@ def configure(conf_file="/etc/lorax/composer.conf", root_dir="/", test_config=Fa
 
     return conf
 
-def make_yum_dirs(conf):
-    """Make any missing yum directories
+def make_dnf_dirs(conf):
+    """Make any missing dnf directories
 
     :param conf: The configuration to use
     :type conf: ComposerConfig
     :returns: None
     """
-    for p in ["yum_conf", "repo_dir", "cache_dir", "yum_root"]:
+    for p in ["dnf_conf", "repo_dir", "cache_dir", "dnf_root"]:
         p_dir = os.path.dirname(conf.get("composer", p))
         if not os.path.exists(p_dir):
             os.makedirs(p_dir)
diff --git a/src/pylorax/api/dnfbase.py b/src/pylorax/api/dnfbase.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7392041c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pylorax/api/dnfbase.py
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2017-2018 Red Hat, Inc.
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+#
+# pylint: disable=bad-preconf-access
+
+import logging
+log = logging.getLogger("lorax-composer")
+
+import dnf
+import dnf.logging
+from glob import glob
+import os
+import shutil
+
+
+def get_base_object(conf):
+    """Get the DNF object with settings from the config file
+
+    :param conf: configuration object
+    :type conf: ComposerParser
+    :returns: A DNF Base object
+    :rtype: dnf.Base
+    """
+    cachedir = os.path.abspath(conf.get("composer", "cache_dir"))
+    dnfconf = os.path.abspath(conf.get("composer", "dnf_conf"))
+    dnfroot = os.path.abspath(conf.get("composer", "dnf_root"))
+    repodir = os.path.abspath(conf.get("composer", "repo_dir"))
+
+    # Setup the config for the DNF Base object
+    dbo = dnf.Base()
+    dbc = dbo.conf
+# TODO - Handle this
+#    dbc.logdir = logdir
+    dbc.installroot = dnfroot
+    if not os.path.isdir(dnfroot):
+        os.makedirs(dnfroot)
+
+    dbc.cachedir = cachedir
+    dbc.reposdir = [repodir]
+    dbc.install_weak_deps = False
+    dbc.prepend_installroot('persistdir')
+    dbc.tsflags.append('nodocs')
+
+    if conf.get_default("dnf", "proxy", None):
+        dbc.proxy = conf.get("dnf", "proxy")
+
+    if conf.has_option("dnf", "sslverify") and not conf.getboolean("dnf", "sslverify"):
+        dbc.sslverify = False
+
+    _releasever = conf.get_default("composer", "releasever", None)
+    if not _releasever:
+        # Use the releasever of the host system
+        _releasever = dnf.rpm.detect_releasever("/")
+    log.info("releasever = %s", _releasever)
+    dbc.releasever = _releasever
+
+    # write the dnf configuration file
+    with open(dnfconf, "w") as f:
+        f.write(dbc.dump())
+
+    # dnf needs the repos all in one directory, composer uses repodir for this
+    # if system repos are supposed to be used, copy them into repodir, overwriting any previous copies
+    if not conf.has_option("repos", "use_system_repos") or conf.getboolean("repos", "use_system_repos"):
+        for repo_file in glob("/etc/yum.repos.d/*.repo"):
+            shutil.copy2(repo_file, repodir)
+    dbo.read_all_repos()
+
+    # Update the metadata from the enabled repos to speed up later operations
+    log.info("Updating repository metadata")
+    dbo.fill_sack(load_system_repo=False)
+    dbo.read_comps()
+
+    return dbo
diff --git a/src/pylorax/api/yumbase.py b/src/pylorax/api/yumbase.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 9cc29aa8..00000000
--- a/src/pylorax/api/yumbase.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,113 +0,0 @@
-#
-# Copyright (C) 2017  Red Hat, Inc.
-#
-# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
-# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
-# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
-# (at your option) any later version.
-#
-# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
-# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
-# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
-# GNU General Public License for more details.
-#
-# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
-# along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
-#
-# pylint: disable=bad-preconf-access
-
-import logging
-log = logging.getLogger("lorax-composer")
-
-import configparser
-from fnmatch import fnmatchcase
-from glob import glob
-import os
-import yum
-# This is a hack to short circuit yum's internal logging
-yum.logginglevels._added_handlers = True
-
-from pylorax.sysutils import joinpaths
-
-def get_base_object(conf):
-    """Get the Yum object with settings from the config file
-
-    :param conf: configuration object
-    :type conf: ComposerParser
-    :returns: A Yum base object
-    :rtype: YumBase
-    """
-    cachedir = os.path.abspath(conf.get("composer", "cache_dir"))
-    yumconf = os.path.abspath(conf.get("composer", "yum_conf"))
-    yumroot = os.path.abspath(conf.get("composer", "yum_root"))
-    repodir = os.path.abspath(conf.get("composer", "repo_dir"))
-
-    c = configparser.ConfigParser()
-
-    # add the main section
-    section = "main"
-    data = {"cachedir": cachedir,
-            "keepcache": 0,
-            "gpgcheck": 0,
-            "plugins": 0,
-            "assumeyes": 1,
-            "reposdir": "",
-            "tsflags": "nodocs"}
-
-    if conf.get_default("yum", "proxy", None):
-        data["proxy"] = conf.get("yum", "proxy")
-
-    if conf.has_option("yum", "sslverify") and not conf.getboolean("yum", "sslverify"):
-        data["sslverify"] = "0"
-
-    c.add_section(section)
-    list(map(lambda key_value: c.set(section, key_value[0], key_value[1]), list(data.items())))
-
-    # write the yum configuration file
-    with open(yumconf, "w") as f:
-        c.write(f)
-
-    # create the yum base object
-    yb = yum.YumBase()
-
-    yb.preconf.fn = yumconf
-
-    yb.preconf.root = yumroot
-    if not os.path.isdir(yb.preconf.root):
-        os.makedirs(yb.preconf.root)
-
-    _releasever = conf.get_default("composer", "releasever", None)
-    if not _releasever:
-        distroverpkg = ['system-release(releasever)', 'redhat-release']
-        # Use yum private function to guess the releasever
-        _releasever = yum.config._getsysver("/", distroverpkg)
-    log.info("releasever = %s", _releasever)
-    yb.preconf.releasever = _releasever
-
-    # Turn on as much yum logging as we can
-    yb.preconf.debuglevel = 6
-    yb.preconf.errorlevel = 6
-    yb.logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
-    yb.verbose_logger.setLevel(logging.DEBUG)
-
-    # Gather up all the available repo files, add the ones matching "repos":"enabled" patterns
-    enabled_repos = conf.get("repos", "enabled").split(",")
-    repo_files = glob(joinpaths(repodir, "*.repo"))
-    if not conf.has_option("repos", "use_system_repos") or conf.getboolean("repos", "use_system_repos"):
-        repo_files.extend(glob("/etc/yum.repos.d/*.repo"))
-
-    for repo_file in repo_files:
-        name = os.path.basename(repo_file)[:-5]
-        if any([fnmatchcase(name, pattern) for pattern in enabled_repos]):     # pylint: disable=cell-var-from-loop
-            yb.getReposFromConfigFile(repo_file)
-
-    # Update the metadata from the enabled repos to speed up later operations
-    log.info("Updating yum repository metadata")
-    for r in yb.repos.sort():
-        r.metadata_expire = 0
-        r.mdpolicy = "group:all"
-    yb.doRepoSetup()
-    yb.repos.doSetup()
-    yb.repos.populateSack(mdtype='all', cacheonly=1)
-
-    return yb