diff --git a/build/tasks/release-checks/suite-steps.js b/build/tasks/release-checks/suite-steps.js
index ce584c821..4cc3fae1e 100644
--- a/build/tasks/release-checks/suite-steps.js
+++ b/build/tasks/release-checks/suite-steps.js
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ module.exports = function(suite) {
 
   if (applicable(features, 'webpack')) {
     steps.push(
+      new tests.webpack.AuBuildDoesNotThrowCommandLineErrors(),
+      new tests.webpack.AuBuildStartsWebpackInWatchMode(),
       new tests.webpack.AuRunDoesNotThrowCommandLineErrors(),
       new tests.webpack.AuRunLaunchesServer(),
       new tests.webpack.AuRunRendersPage(),
diff --git a/build/tasks/release-checks/tests/webpack/au-build.js b/build/tasks/release-checks/tests/webpack/au-build.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1cf479faa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build/tasks/release-checks/tests/webpack/au-build.js
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+const Test = require('../test');
+const ExecuteCommand = require('../../tasks/execute-command');
+const path = require('path');
+const fs = require('fs');
+
+class AuBuildDoesNotThrowCommandLineErrors extends Test {
+  constructor() {
+    super('au build does not throw commandline errors');
+  }
+
+  onOutput(message) {
+    this.debug(message);
+
+    if (message.toLowerCase().indexOf('error') > -1) {
+      this.executeCommand.stop();
+      this.fail();
+    } else if (isBuildCompletedMessage(message)) {
+      this.success();
+      this.executeCommand.stop();
+    }
+  }
+
+  execute() {
+    this.executeCommand = new ExecuteCommand('au', ['build'], (msg) => this.onOutput(msg));
+    return this.executeCommand.executeAsNodeScript();
+  }
+}
+
+class AuBuildStartsWebpackInWatchMode extends Test {
+  constructor(fileToChange) {
+    super('au build --watch starts webpack in watch mode');
+
+    this.fileToChange = fileToChange || path.join('src', 'app.html');
+    this.firstBuildCompleted = false;
+  }
+
+  onOutput(message) {
+    this.debug(message);
+
+    if (message.toLowerCase().indexOf('error') > -1) {
+      this.executeCommand.stop();
+      this.fail();
+    } else if (message.indexOf('webpack is watching the files') > -1) {
+      this.success();
+      this.executeCommand.stop();
+    }
+  }
+
+  execute(context) {
+    this.context = context;
+
+    this.executeCommand = new ExecuteCommand('au', ['build', '--watch'], (msg) => this.onOutput(msg));
+    return this.executeCommand.executeAsNodeScript();
+  }
+}
+
+function isBuildCompletedMessage(msg) {
+  return msg.indexOf('Built at') > -1;
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  AuBuildDoesNotThrowCommandLineErrors,
+  AuBuildStartsWebpackInWatchMode
+};
diff --git a/build/tasks/release-checks/tests/webpack/index.js b/build/tasks/release-checks/tests/webpack/index.js
index 1d098164b..86c3f4289 100644
--- a/build/tasks/release-checks/tests/webpack/index.js
+++ b/build/tasks/release-checks/tests/webpack/index.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 module.exports = {
-  ...require('./au-run')
+  ...require('./au-run'),
+  ...require('./au-build')
 };
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 07d6d0e49..ef1afe2e1 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -8,3 +8,5 @@ exports.ProjectItem = require('./project-item').ProjectItem;
 exports.build = require('./build');
 exports.Configuration = require('./configuration').Configuration;
 exports.reportWebpackReadiness = require('./build/webpack-reporter');
+exports.NPM = require('./package-managers/npm').NPM;
+exports.Yarn = require('./package-managers/yarn').Yarn;
diff --git a/lib/package-managers/base-package-manager.js b/lib/package-managers/base-package-manager.js
index 91d4d9a20..bc7534b9d 100644
--- a/lib/package-managers/base-package-manager.js
+++ b/lib/package-managers/base-package-manager.js
@@ -7,10 +7,14 @@ exports.BasePackageManager = class {
   }
 
   install(packages = [], workingDirectory = process.cwd(), command = 'install') {
+    return this.run(command, packages, workingDirectory);
+  }
+
+  run(command, args = [], workingDirectory = process.cwd()) {
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       spawn(
         this.getExecutablePath(workingDirectory),
-        [command, ...packages],
+        [command, ...args],
         { stdio: 'inherit', cwd: workingDirectory }
       )
         .on('close', resolve)
diff --git a/skeleton/webpack/aurelia_project/tasks/build.ext b/skeleton/webpack/aurelia_project/tasks/build.ext
index c1835fa35..1ad979d4b 100644
--- a/skeleton/webpack/aurelia_project/tasks/build.ext
+++ b/skeleton/webpack/aurelia_project/tasks/build.ext
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-import { NPM } from 'aurelia-cli/lib/package-managers/npm';
+import { NPM } from 'aurelia-cli';
 
 export default function() {
   console.log('`au build` is an alias of the `npm run build`, you may use either of those; see README for more details.');
 
   const args = process.argv.slice(3);
-  return (new NPM()).install(['--', ...args], process.cwd(), 'run');
+  return (new NPM()).run('run', ['build', '--', ...args]);
 }
diff --git a/skeleton/webpack/aurelia_project/tasks/run.ext b/skeleton/webpack/aurelia_project/tasks/run.ext
index 742dc17e5..79268fcf3 100644
--- a/skeleton/webpack/aurelia_project/tasks/run.ext
+++ b/skeleton/webpack/aurelia_project/tasks/run.ext
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-import { NPM } from 'aurelia-cli/lib/package-managers/npm';
+import { NPM } from 'aurelia-cli';
 
 export default function() {
   console.log('`au run` is an alias of the `npm start`, you may use either of those; see README for more details.');
 
   const args = process.argv.slice(3);
-  return (new NPM()).install(['--', ...args], process.cwd(), 'start');
+  return (new NPM()).run('start',['--', ...args]);
 }