diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index fa3a31ff19..b753f4c108 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -14,14 +14,13 @@ require('source-map-support').install();
 
 const Core = require('./dist/core.js')
 
-// ------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Use special env flag to specify app dir without modify builder
+if (!process.env.NUXT_APP_DIR) {
+  process.env.NUXT_APP_DIR = path.resolve(__dirname, 'app')
+}
+
 // Polyfill Builder into Core
 const Builder = require('./dist/builder')
-// Use special env flag to specify app dir without modify builder
-if (!process.env.NUXT_APP_TEMPALTE_DIR) {
-  process.env.NUXT_APP_TEMPALTE_DIR = path.resolve(__dirname, 'app')
-}
 Object.assign(Core, Builder)
-// ------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 module.exports = Core.default ? Core.default : Core
diff --git a/src/builder/builder.js b/src/builder/builder.js
index 7667d03448..5a65c2b9d5 100644
--- a/src/builder/builder.js
+++ b/src/builder/builder.js
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ export default class Builder extends Tapable {
     if (!templateVars.layouts.default) {
       await mkdirp(r(this.options.buildDir, 'layouts'))
       templatesFiles.push('layouts/default.vue')
-      templateVars.layouts.default = r(__dirname, 'app', 'layouts', 'default.vue')
+      templateVars.layouts.default = r(this.options.nuxtAppDir, 'layouts', 'default.vue')
     }
 
     // -- Routes --
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ export default class Builder extends Tapable {
       return {
         src: customFileExists
           ? customPath
-          : r(__dirname, '../app', file), // Relative to dist
+          : r(this.options.nuxtAppDir, file),
         dst: file,
         custom: customFileExists
       }
diff --git a/src/core/options.js b/src/core/options.js
index 42e2e5e29a..a01e346cde 100755
--- a/src/core/options.js
+++ b/src/core/options.js
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ const defaultOptions = {
   dev: (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production'),
   runBuild: false,
   buildDir: '.nuxt',
+  nuxtAppDir: process.env.NUXT_APP_DIR || resolve(__dirname, '../app'), // relative to dist
   build: {
     analyze: false,
     extractCSS: false,
diff --git a/test/with-config.test.js b/test/with-config.test.js
index def656d841..ae4db48b02 100644
--- a/test/with-config.test.js
+++ b/test/with-config.test.js
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ test.after('Closing server and nuxt.js', t => {
 })
 
 test.after('Should be able to start Nuxt with build done', async t => {
-  const Nuxt = require('../')
   const rootDir = resolve(__dirname, 'fixtures/with-config')
   let config = require(resolve(rootDir, 'nuxt.config.js'))
   config.rootDir = rootDir