diff --git a/templates/AngularSpa/AngularSpa.csproj b/templates/AngularSpa/AngularSpa.csproj
index fc625cd..5643f98 100644
--- a/templates/AngularSpa/AngularSpa.csproj
+++ b/templates/AngularSpa/AngularSpa.csproj
@@ -21,7 +21,15 @@
     <Content Remove="ClientApp\**" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
-  <Target Name="RunWebpack" AfterTargets="ComputeFilesToPublish">
+  <Target Name="DebugRunWebpack" BeforeTargets="Build" Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == 'Debug' And !Exists('wwwroot\dist') ">
+    <!-- In development, the dist files won't exist on the first run or when cloning to
+         a different machine, so rebuild them if not already present. -->
+    <Message Importance="high" Text="Performing first-run Webpack build..." />
+    <Exec Command="node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --config webpack.config.vendor.js" />
+    <Exec Command="node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js" />
+  </Target>
+  
+  <Target Name="PublishRunWebpack" AfterTargets="ComputeFilesToPublish">
     <!-- As part of publishing, ensure the JS resources are freshly built in production mode -->
     <Exec Command="npm install" />
     <Exec Command="node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --config webpack.config.vendor.js --env.prod" />
diff --git a/templates/AureliaSpa/AureliaSpa.csproj b/templates/AureliaSpa/AureliaSpa.csproj
index 0471a27..9d33955 100644
--- a/templates/AureliaSpa/AureliaSpa.csproj
+++ b/templates/AureliaSpa/AureliaSpa.csproj
@@ -16,7 +16,15 @@
     <DotNetCliToolReference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Web.CodeGeneration.Tools" Version="2.0.0-*" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
-  <Target Name="RunWebpack" AfterTargets="ComputeFilesToPublish">
+  <Target Name="DebugRunWebpack" BeforeTargets="Build" Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == 'Debug' And !Exists('wwwroot\dist') ">
+    <!-- In development, the dist files won't exist on the first run or when cloning to
+         a different machine, so rebuild them if not already present. -->
+    <Message Importance="high" Text="Performing first-run Webpack build..." />
+    <Exec Command="node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --config webpack.config.vendor.js" />
+    <Exec Command="node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js" />
+  </Target>
+  
+  <Target Name="PublishRunWebpack" AfterTargets="ComputeFilesToPublish">
     <!-- As part of publishing, ensure the JS resources are freshly built in production mode -->
     <Exec Command="npm install" />
     <Exec Command="node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --config webpack.config.vendor.js --env.prod" />
diff --git a/templates/KnockoutSpa/KnockoutSpa.csproj b/templates/KnockoutSpa/KnockoutSpa.csproj
index 0471a27..9d33955 100644
--- a/templates/KnockoutSpa/KnockoutSpa.csproj
+++ b/templates/KnockoutSpa/KnockoutSpa.csproj
@@ -16,7 +16,15 @@
     <DotNetCliToolReference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Web.CodeGeneration.Tools" Version="2.0.0-*" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
-  <Target Name="RunWebpack" AfterTargets="ComputeFilesToPublish">
+  <Target Name="DebugRunWebpack" BeforeTargets="Build" Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == 'Debug' And !Exists('wwwroot\dist') ">
+    <!-- In development, the dist files won't exist on the first run or when cloning to
+         a different machine, so rebuild them if not already present. -->
+    <Message Importance="high" Text="Performing first-run Webpack build..." />
+    <Exec Command="node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --config webpack.config.vendor.js" />
+    <Exec Command="node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js" />
+  </Target>
+  
+  <Target Name="PublishRunWebpack" AfterTargets="ComputeFilesToPublish">
     <!-- As part of publishing, ensure the JS resources are freshly built in production mode -->
     <Exec Command="npm install" />
     <Exec Command="node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --config webpack.config.vendor.js --env.prod" />
diff --git a/templates/ReactReduxSpa/ReactReduxSpa.csproj b/templates/ReactReduxSpa/ReactReduxSpa.csproj
index fc625cd..5643f98 100644
--- a/templates/ReactReduxSpa/ReactReduxSpa.csproj
+++ b/templates/ReactReduxSpa/ReactReduxSpa.csproj
@@ -21,7 +21,15 @@
     <Content Remove="ClientApp\**" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
-  <Target Name="RunWebpack" AfterTargets="ComputeFilesToPublish">
+  <Target Name="DebugRunWebpack" BeforeTargets="Build" Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == 'Debug' And !Exists('wwwroot\dist') ">
+    <!-- In development, the dist files won't exist on the first run or when cloning to
+         a different machine, so rebuild them if not already present. -->
+    <Message Importance="high" Text="Performing first-run Webpack build..." />
+    <Exec Command="node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --config webpack.config.vendor.js" />
+    <Exec Command="node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js" />
+  </Target>
+  
+  <Target Name="PublishRunWebpack" AfterTargets="ComputeFilesToPublish">
     <!-- As part of publishing, ensure the JS resources are freshly built in production mode -->
     <Exec Command="npm install" />
     <Exec Command="node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --config webpack.config.vendor.js --env.prod" />
diff --git a/templates/ReactSpa/ReactSpa.csproj b/templates/ReactSpa/ReactSpa.csproj
index 0471a27..9d33955 100644
--- a/templates/ReactSpa/ReactSpa.csproj
+++ b/templates/ReactSpa/ReactSpa.csproj
@@ -16,7 +16,15 @@
     <DotNetCliToolReference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Web.CodeGeneration.Tools" Version="2.0.0-*" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
-  <Target Name="RunWebpack" AfterTargets="ComputeFilesToPublish">
+  <Target Name="DebugRunWebpack" BeforeTargets="Build" Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == 'Debug' And !Exists('wwwroot\dist') ">
+    <!-- In development, the dist files won't exist on the first run or when cloning to
+         a different machine, so rebuild them if not already present. -->
+    <Message Importance="high" Text="Performing first-run Webpack build..." />
+    <Exec Command="node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --config webpack.config.vendor.js" />
+    <Exec Command="node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js" />
+  </Target>
+  
+  <Target Name="PublishRunWebpack" AfterTargets="ComputeFilesToPublish">
     <!-- As part of publishing, ensure the JS resources are freshly built in production mode -->
     <Exec Command="npm install" />
     <Exec Command="node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --config webpack.config.vendor.js --env.prod" />
diff --git a/templates/VueSpa/VueSpa.csproj b/templates/VueSpa/VueSpa.csproj
index 0471a27..9d33955 100644
--- a/templates/VueSpa/VueSpa.csproj
+++ b/templates/VueSpa/VueSpa.csproj
@@ -16,7 +16,15 @@
     <DotNetCliToolReference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Web.CodeGeneration.Tools" Version="2.0.0-*" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
-  <Target Name="RunWebpack" AfterTargets="ComputeFilesToPublish">
+  <Target Name="DebugRunWebpack" BeforeTargets="Build" Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == 'Debug' And !Exists('wwwroot\dist') ">
+    <!-- In development, the dist files won't exist on the first run or when cloning to
+         a different machine, so rebuild them if not already present. -->
+    <Message Importance="high" Text="Performing first-run Webpack build..." />
+    <Exec Command="node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --config webpack.config.vendor.js" />
+    <Exec Command="node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js" />
+  </Target>
+  
+  <Target Name="PublishRunWebpack" AfterTargets="ComputeFilesToPublish">
     <!-- As part of publishing, ensure the JS resources are freshly built in production mode -->
     <Exec Command="npm install" />
     <Exec Command="node node_modules/webpack/bin/webpack.js --config webpack.config.vendor.js --env.prod" />