diff --git a/packages/nitro/src/build.ts b/packages/nitro/src/build.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1c60dad82c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/nitro/src/build.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+import { resolve } from 'path'
+import consola from 'consola'
+import { rollup, OutputOptions } from 'rollup'
+import Hookable from 'hookable'
+import defu from 'defu'
+import prettyBytes from 'pretty-bytes'
+import gzipSize from 'gzip-size'
+import chalk from 'chalk'
+import { copy, emptyDir, existsSync } from 'fs-extra'
+import { getRollupConfig } from './rollup/config'
+import { tryImport, hl, prettyPath, renderTemplate, compileTemplateToJS } from './utils'
+
+export async function build (baseConfig, target) {
+  consola.info(`Generating bundle for ${hl(target.target)}`)
+
+  const _targetDefaults = tryImport(__dirname, `./targets/${target.target}`) ||
+    tryImport(baseConfig.rootDir, target.target)
+  if (!_targetDefaults) {
+    throw new Error('Cannot resolve target: ' + target.target)
+  }
+
+  const config: any = defu(
+    // Target specific config by user
+    target,
+    // Global user config
+    baseConfig,
+    // Target defaults
+    _targetDefaults,
+    // Generic defaults
+    { outDir: resolve(baseConfig.buildDir, `dist/${target.target}`), outName: 'index.js' }
+  )
+
+  const hooks = new Hookable()
+  hooks.addHooks(config.hooks)
+
+  await hooks.callHook('config', config)
+
+  emptyDir(config.outDir)
+
+  config.rollupConfig = getRollupConfig(config)
+  await hooks.callHook('rollup:before', config)
+  const build = await rollup(config.rollupConfig)
+
+  const { output } = await build.write(config.rollupConfig.output as OutputOptions)
+  const size = prettyBytes(output[0].code.length)
+  const zSize = prettyBytes(await gzipSize(output[0].code))
+  consola.success('Generated', prettyPath((config.rollupConfig.output as any).file),
+    chalk.gray(`(Size: ${size} Gzip: ${zSize})`)
+  )
+
+  for (const tmpl of config.templates) {
+    const dstPath = resolve(config.outDir, tmpl.dst)
+    await renderTemplate(tmpl.src, dstPath, { config })
+    consola.info('Compiled', prettyPath(dstPath))
+  }
+
+  if (config.copyAssets) {
+    const publicDir = typeof config.copyAssets === 'string' ? config.copyAssets : 'public'
+    const dst = resolve(config.outDir, publicDir, '_nuxt')
+    await copy(resolve(config.buildDir, 'dist/client'), dst)
+    consola.info('Copied public assets to', prettyPath(dst))
+  }
+
+  await hooks.callHook('done', config)
+}
+
+export async function compileHTMLTemplate (baseConfig) {
+  const htmlTemplateFile = resolve(baseConfig.buildDir, `views/${{ 2: 'app', 3: 'document' }[baseConfig.nuxt]}.template.html`)
+  const htmlTemplateFileJS = htmlTemplateFile.replace(/.html$/, '.js').replace('app.', 'document.')
+  await compileTemplateToJS(htmlTemplateFile, htmlTemplateFileJS)
+  consola.info('Generated', prettyPath(htmlTemplateFileJS))
+}
+
+export function ensureDist (baseConfig) {
+  if (!existsSync(resolve(baseConfig.buildDir, 'dist/server'))) {
+    return consola.error('Please use `nuxt build` first to build project!')
+  } else {
+    consola.success('Using existing nuxt build from', prettyPath(baseConfig.buildDir))
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/nitro/src/cli.ts b/packages/nitro/src/cli.ts
index b048857b45..11558f595c 100644
--- a/packages/nitro/src/cli.ts
+++ b/packages/nitro/src/cli.ts
@@ -1,117 +1,26 @@
 import { resolve } from 'path'
-import { rollup, OutputOptions } from 'rollup'
 import consola from 'consola'
-import Hookable from 'hookable'
-import defu from 'defu'
-import { existsSync, copy, emptyDir } from 'fs-extra'
-import prettyBytes from 'pretty-bytes'
-import gzipSize from 'gzip-size'
-import chalk from 'chalk'
-import { getRollupConfig } from './rollup/config'
-import { tryImport, hl, prettyPath, compileTemplateToJS, renderTemplate } from './utils'
+import { build, compileHTMLTemplate, ensureDist } from './build'
+import { getBaseConfig } from './config'
 
 async function _runCLI () {
   const rootDir = resolve(process.cwd(), process.argv[2] || '.')
 
   // Config
-  const config = {
-    rootDir,
-    buildDir: '',
-    targets: [],
-    templates: [],
-    nuxt: 2,
-    target: process.argv[3] && process.argv[3][0] !== '-' ? process.argv[3] : null,
-    minify: process.argv.includes('--minify') ? true : null,
-    analyze: process.argv.includes('--analyze') ? true : null,
-    logStartup: true
-  }
-
-  Object.assign(config, tryImport(rootDir, './nuxt.config')!.serverless)
-
-  config.buildDir = resolve(config.rootDir, config.buildDir || '.nuxt')
-
-  config.targets = config.targets.map(t => typeof t === 'string' ? { target: t } : t)
-  if (config.target && !config.targets.find(t => t.target === config.target)) {
-    config.targets.push({ target: config.target })
-  }
+  const baseConfig = getBaseConfig(rootDir)
 
   // Ensure dist exists
-  if (!existsSync(resolve(config.buildDir, 'dist/server'))) {
-    return consola.error('Please use `nuxt build` first to build project!')
-  } else {
-    consola.success('Using existing nuxt build from', prettyPath(config.buildDir))
-  }
-
-  // Ensure relative operations are relative to build dir (fixes rollup dynamic imports)
-  process.chdir(config.buildDir)
+  await ensureDist(baseConfig)
 
   // Compile html template
-  const htmlTemplateFile = resolve(config.buildDir, `views/${{ 2: 'app', 3: 'document' }[config.nuxt]}.template.html`)
-  const htmlTemplateFileJS = htmlTemplateFile.replace(/.html$/, '.js').replace('app.', 'document.')
-  await compileTemplateToJS(htmlTemplateFile, htmlTemplateFileJS)
-  consola.info('Generated', prettyPath(htmlTemplateFileJS))
+  await compileHTMLTemplate(baseConfig)
 
   // Bundle for each target
-  for (let target of config.targets) {
-    if (typeof target === 'string') {
-      target = { target }
-    }
-
-    if (config.target && target.target !== config.target) {
+  for (const target of baseConfig.targets) {
+    if (baseConfig.target && target.target !== baseConfig.target) {
       continue
     }
-
-    consola.info(`Generating bundle for ${hl(target.target)}`)
-
-    const _targetDefaults = tryImport(__dirname, `./targets/${target.target}`) || tryImport(config.rootDir, target.target)
-    if (!_targetDefaults) {
-      consola.warn('Cannot resolve target', target.target)
-      continue
-    }
-
-    const _config: any = defu(
-      // Target specific config by user
-      target,
-      // Global user config
-      config,
-      // Target defaults
-      _targetDefaults,
-      // Generic defaults
-      { outDir: resolve(config.buildDir, `dist/${target.target}`), outName: 'index.js' }
-    )
-
-    const hooks = new Hookable()
-    hooks.addHooks(_config.hooks)
-
-    await hooks.callHook('config', _config)
-
-    emptyDir(_config.outDir)
-
-    _config.rollupConfig = getRollupConfig(_config)
-    await hooks.callHook('rollup:before', _config)
-    const build = await rollup(_config.rollupConfig)
-
-    const { output } = await build.write(_config.rollupConfig.output as OutputOptions)
-    const size = prettyBytes(output[0].code.length)
-    const zSize = prettyBytes(await gzipSize(output[0].code))
-    consola.success('Generated', prettyPath((_config.rollupConfig.output as any).file),
-      chalk.gray(`(Size: ${size} Gzip: ${zSize})`)
-    )
-
-    for (const tmpl of _config.templates) {
-      const dstPath = resolve(_config.outDir, tmpl.dst)
-      await renderTemplate(tmpl.src, dstPath, { config: _config })
-      consola.info('Compiled', prettyPath(dstPath))
-    }
-
-    if (_config.copyAssets) {
-      const publicDir = typeof _config.copyAssets === 'string' ? _config.copyAssets : 'public'
-      const dst = resolve(_config.outDir, publicDir, '_nuxt')
-      await copy(resolve(_config.buildDir, 'dist/client'), dst)
-      consola.info('Copied public assets to', prettyPath(dst))
-    }
-
-    await hooks.callHook('done', _config)
+    await build(baseConfig, target)
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/nitro/src/config.ts b/packages/nitro/src/config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..33445067ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/nitro/src/config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+import { resolve } from 'path'
+import { tryImport } from './utils'
+
+export function getBaseConfig (rootDir) {
+  const baseConfig = {
+    rootDir,
+    buildDir: '',
+    targets: [],
+    templates: [],
+    nuxt: 2,
+    target: process.argv[3] && process.argv[3][0] !== '-' ? process.argv[3] : null,
+    minify: process.argv.includes('--minify') ? true : null,
+    analyze: process.argv.includes('--analyze') ? true : null,
+    logStartup: true
+  }
+
+  Object.assign(baseConfig, tryImport(rootDir, './nuxt.config')!.serverless)
+
+  baseConfig.buildDir = resolve(baseConfig.rootDir, baseConfig.buildDir || '.nuxt')
+
+  baseConfig.targets = baseConfig.targets.map(t => typeof t === 'string' ? { target: t } : t)
+  if (baseConfig.target && !baseConfig.targets.find(t => t.target === baseConfig.target)) {
+    baseConfig.targets.push({ target: baseConfig.target })
+  }
+
+  return baseConfig
+}