diff --git a/templates/Angular2Spa/ClientApp/dist/_placeholder.txt b/templates/Angular2Spa/ClientApp/dist/_placeholder.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b22cc15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/Angular2Spa/ClientApp/dist/_placeholder.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+------------------------------------------------------------------
+Don't delete this file. Do include it in your source control repo.
+------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+This file exists as a workaround for https://github.com/dotnet/cli/issues/1396
+('dotnet publish' does not publish any directories that didn't exist or were
+empty before the publish script started).
+
+Hopefully, this can be removed after the move to the new MSBuild.
diff --git a/templates/Angular2Spa/template_gitignore b/templates/Angular2Spa/template_gitignore
index 6868c54..f8bf5e9 100644
--- a/templates/Angular2Spa/template_gitignore
+++ b/templates/Angular2Spa/template_gitignore
@@ -28,8 +28,13 @@ Obj/
 
 # Visual Studio 2015 cache/options directory
 .vs/
-/wwwroot/dist/
-/ClientApp/dist/
+/wwwroot/dist/**
+/ClientApp/dist/**
+
+# Workaround for https://github.com/aspnet/JavaScriptServices/issues/235
+!/wwwroot/dist/_placeholder.txt
+!/ClientApp/dist/_placeholder.txt
+
 
 # MSTest test Results
 [Tt]est[Rr]esult*/
diff --git a/templates/Angular2Spa/template_nodemodules_placeholder.txt b/templates/Angular2Spa/template_nodemodules_placeholder.txt
index 09ae8c0..97e54d1 100644
--- a/templates/Angular2Spa/template_nodemodules_placeholder.txt
+++ b/templates/Angular2Spa/template_nodemodules_placeholder.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+------------------------------------------------------------------
+Don't delete this file. Do include it in your source control repo.
+------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 This file exists as a workaround for https://github.com/dotnet/cli/issues/1396
 ('dotnet publish' does not publish any directories that didn't exist or were
 empty before the publish script started, which means it's not enough just to
diff --git a/templates/Angular2Spa/wwwroot/dist/_placeholder.txt b/templates/Angular2Spa/wwwroot/dist/_placeholder.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b22cc15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/Angular2Spa/wwwroot/dist/_placeholder.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+------------------------------------------------------------------
+Don't delete this file. Do include it in your source control repo.
+------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+This file exists as a workaround for https://github.com/dotnet/cli/issues/1396
+('dotnet publish' does not publish any directories that didn't exist or were
+empty before the publish script started).
+
+Hopefully, this can be removed after the move to the new MSBuild.
diff --git a/templates/package-builder/src/yeoman/package.json b/templates/package-builder/src/yeoman/package.json
index 9412708..7e2c392 100644
--- a/templates/package-builder/src/yeoman/package.json
+++ b/templates/package-builder/src/yeoman/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "generator-aspnetcore-spa",
-  "version": "0.3.2",
+  "version": "0.3.3",
   "description": "Single-Page App templates for ASP.NET Core",
   "author": "Microsoft",
   "license": "Apache-2.0",