diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/generate.js b/packages/cli/src/commands/generate.js
index 68f248c1d0..47f27ab055 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/generate.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/generate.js
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ export default {
         }
       }
     },
+    'force-build': {
+      type: 'boolean',
+      default: false,
+      description: 'Force to build the application with webpack'
+    },
     'fail-on-error': {
       type: 'boolean',
       default: false,
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/start.js b/packages/cli/src/commands/start.js
index a120a405b1..17677b208c 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/start.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/start.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { TARGETS } from '@nuxt/utils'
-import consola from 'consola'
 import { common, server } from '../options'
 import { showBanner } from '../utils/banner'
 import { serve } from '../utils/serve'
@@ -16,7 +15,6 @@ export default {
     const config = await cmd.getNuxtConfig({ dev: false, _start: true })
 
     if (config.target === TARGETS.static) {
-      consola.info('Serving static dist')
       return serve(cmd)
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/utils/generate.js b/packages/cli/src/utils/generate.js
index 830cee85da..084351f090 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/utils/generate.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/utils/generate.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-import fs from 'fs'
 import path, { relative } from 'path'
+import fs from 'fs-extra'
 import crc32 from 'crc/lib/crc32'
 import consola from 'consola'
 import globby from 'globby'
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ export async function ensureBuild (cmd) {
   const nuxt = await getNuxt({ _build: true, server: false }, cmd)
   const { options } = nuxt
 
-  if (options.generate.cache === false || process.env.NUXT_BUILD) {
+  if (options.generate.cache === false || destr(process.env.NUXT_BUILD) || cmd.argv['force-build']) {
     const builder = await cmd.getBuilder(nuxt)
     await builder.build()
     await nuxt.close()
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/utils/serve.js b/packages/cli/src/utils/serve.js
index c272d7f4a4..7db03a7b62 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/utils/serve.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/utils/serve.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { promises as fs } from 'fs'
-import { join, extname, basename } from 'path'
+import { join, extname, sep } from 'path'
+import consola from 'consola'
 import connect from 'connect'
 import serveStatic from 'serve-static'
 import compression from 'compression'
@@ -20,8 +21,9 @@ export async function serve (cmd) {
   } catch (err) { }
 
   const distStat = await fs.stat(options.generate.dir).catch(err => null) // eslint-disable-line handle-callback-err
+  const distPath = join(options.generate.dir.replace(process.cwd() + sep, ''), sep)
   if (!distStat || !distStat.isDirectory()) {
-    throw new Error('Output directory `' + basename(options.generate.dir) + '/` does not exists, please use `nuxt generate` before `nuxt start` for static target.')
+    throw new Error('Output directory `' + distPath + '` does not exists, please use `nuxt generate` before `nuxt start` for static target.')
   }
   const app = connect()
   app.use(compression({ threshold: 0 }))
@@ -70,4 +72,6 @@ export async function serve (cmd) {
       listeners: [listener]
     }
   }, false)
+
+  consola.info(`Serving static application from \`${distPath}\``)
 }
diff --git a/packages/vue-app/template/client.js b/packages/vue-app/template/client.js
index b3f37b9d97..51c1c366b6 100644
--- a/packages/vue-app/template/client.js
+++ b/packages/vue-app/template/client.js
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ import {
   <% if (features.transitions || features.asyncData || features.fetch) { %>getLocation,<% } %>
   compile,
   getQueryDiff,
-  globalHandleError
+  globalHandleError,
+  isSamePath
 } from './utils.js'
 import { createApp<% if (features.layouts) { %>, NuxtError<% } %> } from './index.js'
 <% if (features.fetch) { %>import fetchMixin from './mixins/fetch.client'<% } %>
@@ -829,7 +830,7 @@ async function mountApp (__app) {
   // Load page chunk
   if (!NUXT.data && NUXT.serverRendered) {
     try {
-      const payload = await _app.fetchPayload(_app.context.route.path)
+      const payload = await _app.fetchPayload(NUXT.routePath || _app.context.route.path)
       Object.assign(NUXT, payload)
     } catch (err) {}
   }
@@ -887,14 +888,17 @@ async function mountApp (__app) {
   router.beforeEach(render.bind(_app))
 
   // Fix in static: remove trailing slash to force hydration
-  if (process.static && NUXT.serverRendered && NUXT.routePath !== '/' && NUXT.routePath.slice(-1) !== '/' && _app.context.route.path.slice(-1) === '/') {
-    _app.context.route.path = _app.context.route.path.replace(/\/+$/, '')
+  // Full static, if server-rendered: hydrate, to allow custom redirect to generated page
+  <% if (isFullStatic) { %>
+  if (NUXT.serverRendered) {
+    return mount()
   }
-  // If page already is server rendered and it was done on the same route path as client side render
-  if (NUXT.serverRendered && NUXT.routePath === _app.context.route.path) {
-    mount()
-    return
+  <% } else { %>
+  // Fix in static: remove trailing slash to force hydration
+  if (NUXT.serverRendered && isSamePath(NUXT.routePath, _app.context.route.path)) {
+    return mount()
   }
+  <% } %>
 
   // First render on client-side
   const clientFirstMount = () => {
diff --git a/packages/vue-app/template/utils.js b/packages/vue-app/template/utils.js
index 126b584dca..2b2d568d74 100644
--- a/packages/vue-app/template/utils.js
+++ b/packages/vue-app/template/utils.js
@@ -648,10 +648,18 @@ export function addLifecycleHook(vm, hook, fn) {
   }
 }
 
-export const urlJoin = function urlJoin () {
+export function urlJoin () {
   return [].slice
     .call(arguments)
     .join('/')
     .replace(/\/+/g, '/')
     .replace(':/', '://')
 }
+
+export function stripTrailingSlash (path) {
+  return path.replace(/\/+$/, '') || '/'
+}
+
+export function isSamePath (p1, p2) {
+  return stripTrailingSlash(p1) === stripTrailingSlash(p2)
+}