diff --git a/jscomp/bsb/templates/react/README.md b/jscomp/bsb/templates/react/README.md
index 1d39274cc8..1cbd4956c0 100644
--- a/jscomp/bsb/templates/react/README.md
+++ b/jscomp/bsb/templates/react/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # ${bsb:name}
 
-Run this project:
+## Run this project:
 
 ```
 npm install
@@ -8,7 +8,14 @@ npm start
 # in another tab
 npm run webpack
 ```
-
 After you see the webpack compilation succeed (the `npm run webpack` step), open up the nested html files in `src/*` (**no server needed!**). Then modify whichever file in `src` and refresh the page to see the changes.
 
 **For more elaborate ReasonReact examples**, please see https://github.com/reasonml-community/reason-react-example
+
+## Build this project
+
+```
+npm run build
+npm run webpack:build
+```
+
diff --git a/jscomp/bsb/templates/react/bsconfig.json b/jscomp/bsb/templates/react/bsconfig.json
index 39a561f701..82fbae78ee 100644
--- a/jscomp/bsb/templates/react/bsconfig.json
+++ b/jscomp/bsb/templates/react/bsconfig.json
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
     "subdirs" : true
   },
   "package-specs": [{
-    "module": "commonjs",
+    "module": "es6",
     "in-source": true
   }],
   "suffix": ".bs.js",
diff --git a/jscomp/bsb/templates/react/package.json b/jscomp/bsb/templates/react/package.json
index 5da7e9fa6d..75cbbfa7d4 100644
--- a/jscomp/bsb/templates/react/package.json
+++ b/jscomp/bsb/templates/react/package.json
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
     "start": "bsb -make-world -w",
     "clean": "bsb -clean-world",
     "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1",
-    "webpack": "webpack -w"
+    "webpack": "webpack -w",
+    "webpack:build": "NODE_ENV=production webpack"
   },
   "keywords": [
     "BuckleScript"
@@ -14,12 +15,13 @@
   "author": "",
   "license": "MIT",
   "dependencies": {
-    "react": "^15.4.2",
-    "react-dom": "^15.4.2",
-    "reason-react": ">=0.3.0"
+    "react": "^16.2.0",
+    "react-dom": "^16.2.0",
+    "reason-react": ">=0.3.4"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "bs-platform": "^${bsb:bs-version}",
-    "webpack": "^3.8.1"
+    "webpack": "^4.0.1",
+    "webpack-cli": "^2.0.10"
   }
 }
diff --git a/jscomp/bsb/templates/react/webpack.config.js b/jscomp/bsb/templates/react/webpack.config.js
index e7162c0183..45db307fa2 100644
--- a/jscomp/bsb/templates/react/webpack.config.js
+++ b/jscomp/bsb/templates/react/webpack.config.js
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 const path = require('path');
 const outputDir = path.join(__dirname, "build/");
 
+const isProd = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production';
+
 module.exports = {
   entry: './src/Index.bs.js',
+  mode: isProd ? 'production' : 'development',
   output: {
     path: outputDir,
     publicPath: outputDir,