diff --git a/bin/nuxt-build b/bin/nuxt-build
index fe53759e30..c32dc0221d 100755
--- a/bin/nuxt-build
+++ b/bin/nuxt-build
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ const { resolve } = require('path')
 
 const rootDir = resolve(process.argv.slice(2)[0] || '.')
 const nuxtConfigFile = resolve(rootDir, 'nuxt.config.js')
+
 let options = {}
 if (fs.existsSync(nuxtConfigFile)) {
   options = require(nuxtConfigFile)
@@ -16,12 +17,12 @@ if (fs.existsSync(nuxtConfigFile)) {
 if (typeof options.rootDir !== 'string') {
   options.rootDir = rootDir
 }
-
 options.dev = false // Create production build when calling `nuxt build`
 
 console.log('[nuxt] Building...')
-new Nuxt(options)
-.then((nuxt) => {
+const nuxt = new Nuxt(options)
+nuxt.build()
+.then(() => {
   console.log('[nuxt] Building done')
 })
 .catch((err) => {
diff --git a/lib/build/index.js b/lib/build/index.js
index 820f276a10..4fa69d3c7b 100644
--- a/lib/build/index.js
+++ b/lib/build/index.js
@@ -70,26 +70,24 @@ const defaultsPostcss = [
   })
 ]
 
-module.exports = function * () {
+exports.options = function () {
   // Defaults build options
   let extraDefaults = {}
   if (this.options.build && !Array.isArray(this.options.build.loaders)) extraDefaults.loaders = defaultsLoaders
   if (this.options.build && !Array.isArray(this.options.build.postcss)) extraDefaults.postcss = defaultsPostcss
   this.options.build = _.defaultsDeep(this.options.build, defaults, extraDefaults)
-  if (!this.options._build && !this.options._renderer) {
-    return Promise.resolve()
-  }
-  if (!this.options._build) {
+  // Production, create server-renderer
+  if (!this.dev) {
     const serverConfig = getWebpackServerConfig.call(this)
     const bundlePath = join(serverConfig.output.path, serverConfig.output.filename)
-    if (!fs.existsSync(bundlePath)) {
-      console.error('> No build files found, please run `nuxt build` before launching `nuxt start`')
-      process.exit(1)
+    if (fs.existsSync(bundlePath)) {
+      const bundle = fs.readFileSync(bundlePath, 'utf8')
+      createRenderer.call(this, bundle)
     }
-    const bundle = yield readFile(bundlePath, 'utf8')
-    createRenderer.call(this, bundle)
-    return Promise.resolve()
   }
+}
+
+exports.build = function * () {
   /*
   ** Check if pages dir exists and warn if not
   */
@@ -135,6 +133,7 @@ module.exports = function * () {
       webpackRunServer.call(this)
     ]
   }
+  return this
 }
 
 function * generateRoutesAndFiles () {