diff --git a/lib/builder/generator.js b/lib/builder/generator.js
index 5eb4bf0c02..1f01bea614 100644
--- a/lib/builder/generator.js
+++ b/lib/builder/generator.js
@@ -26,34 +26,27 @@ export default class Generator extends Tapable {
     this.nuxt.applyPluginsAsync('generator', this).catch(this.nuxt.errorHandler)
   }
 
-  async generate (doBuild = true) {
+  async generate ({ build = true, init = true } = {}) {
     const s = Date.now()
     let errors = []
-    let generateRoutes = []
 
     // Wait for nuxt be ready
     await this.nuxt.ready()
 
     // Start build process
-    if (this.builder && doBuild) {
+    if (this.builder && build) {
       await this.builder.build()
     }
 
-    await this.applyPluginsAsync('before-generate', this)
+    await this.applyPluginsAsync('beforeGenerate', this)
 
-    // Clean destination folder
-    await remove(this.distPath)
-    debug('Destination folder cleaned')
-
-    // Copy static and built files
-    /* istanbul ignore if */
-    if (fs.existsSync(this.generateRoutes)) {
-      await copy(this.generateRoutes, this.distPath)
+    // Initialize dist directory
+    if (init) {
+      await this.initDist()
     }
-    await copy(this.srcBuiltPath, this.distNuxtPath)
-    debug('Static & build files copied')
 
     // Resolve config.generate.routes promises before generating the routes
+    let generateRoutes = []
     if (this.options.router.mode !== 'hash') {
       try {
         console.log('Generating routes') // eslint-disable-line no-console
@@ -66,70 +59,21 @@ export default class Generator extends Tapable {
       }
     }
 
-    const decorateWithPayloads = (routes) => {
-      let routeMap = {}
-      // Fill routeMap for known routes
-      routes.forEach((route) => {
-        routeMap[route] = {
-          route,
-          payload: null
-        }
-      })
-      // Fill routeMap with given generate.routes
-      generateRoutes.forEach((route) => {
-        // route is either a string or like {route : "/my_route/1"}
-        const path = _.isString(route) ? route : route.route
-        routeMap[path] = {
-          route: path,
-          payload: route.payload || null
-        }
-      })
-      return _.values(routeMap)
-    }
-
     // Generate only index.html for router.mode = 'hash'
     let routes = (this.options.router.mode === 'hash') ? ['/'] : flatRoutes(this.options.router.routes)
-    routes = decorateWithPayloads(routes)
+    routes = this.decorateWithPayloads(routes, generateRoutes)
 
     await this.applyPluginsAsync('generate', {generator: this, routes})
 
+    // Start generate process
     while (routes.length) {
       let n = 0
       await Promise.all(routes.splice(0, 500).map(async ({ route, payload }) => {
         await waitFor(n++ * this.options.generate.interval)
-        let html
-        try {
-          const res = await this.nuxt.renderer.renderRoute(route, { _generate: true, payload })
-          html = res.html
-          if (res.error) {
-            errors.push({ type: 'handled', route, error: res.error })
-          }
-        } catch (err) {
-          /* istanbul ignore next */
-          return errors.push({ type: 'unhandled', route, error: err })
-        }
-        if (this.options.generate.minify) {
-          try {
-            html = minify(html, this.options.generate.minify)
-          } catch (err) /* istanbul ignore next */ {
-            const minifyErr = new Error(`HTML minification failed. Make sure the route generates valid HTML. Failed HTML:\n ${html}`)
-            errors.push({ type: 'unhandled', route, error: minifyErr })
-          }
-        }
-        let path = join(route, sep, 'index.html') // /about -> /about/index.html
-        path = (path === '/404/index.html') ? '/404.html' : path // /404 -> /404.html
-        debug('Generate file: ' + path)
-        path = join(this.distPath, path)
-        // Make sure the sub folders are created
-        await mkdirp(dirname(path))
-        await writeFile(path, html, 'utf8')
+        await this.generateRoute({route, payload, errors})
       }))
     }
 
-    // Add .nojekyll file to let Github Pages add the _nuxt/ folder
-    // https://help.github.com/articles/files-that-start-with-an-underscore-are-missing/
-    const nojekyllPath = resolve(this.distPath, '.nojekyll')
-    writeFile(nojekyllPath, '')
     const duration = Math.round((Date.now() - s) / 100) / 10
     debug(`HTML Files generated in ${duration}s`)
 
@@ -149,4 +93,80 @@ export default class Generator extends Tapable {
 
     return { duration, errors }
   }
+
+  async initDist () {
+    // Clean destination folder
+    await remove(this.distPath)
+    debug('Destination folder cleaned')
+
+    // Copy static and built files
+    /* istanbul ignore if */
+    if (fs.existsSync(this.generateRoutes)) {
+      await copy(this.generateRoutes, this.distPath)
+    }
+    await copy(this.srcBuiltPath, this.distNuxtPath)
+
+    // Add .nojekyll file to let Github Pages add the _nuxt/ folder
+    // https://help.github.com/articles/files-that-start-with-an-underscore-are-missing/
+    const nojekyllPath = resolve(this.distPath, '.nojekyll')
+    writeFile(nojekyllPath, '')
+
+    debug('Static & build files copied')
+  }
+
+  decorateWithPayloads (routes, generateRoutes) {
+    let routeMap = {}
+    // Fill routeMap for known routes
+    routes.forEach((route) => {
+      routeMap[route] = {
+        route,
+        payload: null
+      }
+    })
+    // Fill routeMap with given generate.routes
+    generateRoutes.forEach((route) => {
+      // route is either a string or like {route : "/my_route/1"}
+      const path = _.isString(route) ? route : route.route
+      routeMap[path] = {
+        route: path,
+        payload: route.payload || null
+      }
+    })
+    return _.values(routeMap)
+  }
+
+  async generateRoute ({route, payload = {}, errors = []}) {
+    let html
+
+    try {
+      const res = await this.nuxt.renderer.renderRoute(route, { _generate: true, payload })
+      html = res.html
+      if (res.error) {
+        errors.push({ type: 'handled', route, error: res.error })
+      }
+    } catch (err) {
+      /* istanbul ignore next */
+      return errors.push({ type: 'unhandled', route, error: err })
+    }
+
+    if (this.options.generate.minify) {
+      try {
+        html = minify(html, this.options.generate.minify)
+      } catch (err) /* istanbul ignore next */ {
+        const minifyErr = new Error(`HTML minification failed. Make sure the route generates valid HTML. Failed HTML:\n ${html}`)
+        errors.push({ type: 'unhandled', route, error: minifyErr })
+      }
+    }
+
+    let path = join(route, sep, 'index.html') // /about -> /about/index.html
+    path = (path === '/404/index.html') ? '/404.html' : path // /404 -> /404.html
+    debug('Generate file: ' + path)
+    path = join(this.distPath, path)
+
+    // Make sure the sub folders are created
+    await mkdirp(dirname(path))
+    await writeFile(path, html, 'utf8')
+
+    return true
+  }
 }