diff --git a/packages/cli/generators/project/templates/package.json.ejs b/packages/cli/generators/project/templates/package.json.ejs
index c08f134813be..acc1a5760570 100644
--- a/packages/cli/generators/project/templates/package.json.ejs
+++ b/packages/cli/generators/project/templates/package.json.ejs
@@ -61,9 +61,9 @@
 <% } -%>
 <% } -%>
 <% if (packageManager === 'yarn') { -%>
-    "pretest": "yarn run clean && yarn run build",
+    "pretest": "yarn run rebuild",
 <% } else { -%>
-    "pretest": "npm run clean && npm run build",
+    "pretest": "npm run rebuild",
 <% } -%>
 <% if (project.mocha) { -%>
     "test": "lb-mocha --allow-console-logs \"dist/__tests__\"",
@@ -94,9 +94,11 @@
     "preopenapi-spec": "npm run build",
     "openapi-spec": "node ./dist/openapi-spec",
 <% if (packageManager === 'yarn') { -%>
-    "prestart": "yarn run build",
+    "rebuild": "yarn run clean && yarn run build",
+    "prestart": "yarn run rebuild",
 <% } else { -%>
-    "prestart": "npm run build",
+    "rebuild": "npm run clean && npm run build",
+    "prestart": "npm run rebuild",
 <% } -%>
     "start": "node -r source-map-support/register .",
 <% } -%>
diff --git a/packages/cli/generators/project/templates/package.plain.json.ejs b/packages/cli/generators/project/templates/package.plain.json.ejs
index 53ce2b72aff3..445acf2ed33f 100644
--- a/packages/cli/generators/project/templates/package.plain.json.ejs
+++ b/packages/cli/generators/project/templates/package.plain.json.ejs
@@ -62,9 +62,9 @@
 <% } -%>
 <% } -%>
 <% if (packageManager === 'yarn') { -%>
-    "pretest": "yarn run clean && yarn run build",
+    "pretest": "yarn run rebuild",
 <% } else { -%>
-    "pretest": "npm run clean && npm run build",
+    "pretest": "npm run rebuild",
 <% } -%>
 <% if (project.mocha) { -%>
     "test": "mocha dist/__tests__",
@@ -93,9 +93,11 @@
     "migrate": "node ./dist/migrate",
     "openapi-spec": "node ./dist/openapi-spec",
 <% if (packageManager === 'yarn') { -%>
-    "prestart": "yarn run build",
+    "rebuild": "yarn run clean && yarn run build",
+    "prestart": "yarn run rebuild",
 <% } else { -%>
-    "prestart": "npm run build",
+    "rebuild": "npm run clean && npm run build",
+    "prestart": "npm run rebuild",
 <% } -%>
     "start": "node -r source-map-support/register .",
 <% } -%>
diff --git a/packages/cli/test/integration/lib/project-generator.js b/packages/cli/test/integration/lib/project-generator.js
index d8a8146ca5a4..666661a32297 100644
--- a/packages/cli/test/integration/lib/project-generator.js
+++ b/packages/cli/test/integration/lib/project-generator.js
@@ -283,7 +283,8 @@ module.exports = function (projGenerator, props, projectType) {
           );
           assert.jsonFileContent('package.json', {
             scripts: {
-              prestart: 'npm run build',
+              rebuild: 'npm run clean && npm run build',
+              prestart: 'npm run rebuild',
               start: 'node -r source-map-support/register .',
             },
           });
@@ -296,7 +297,8 @@ module.exports = function (projGenerator, props, projectType) {
           assert.noFileContent('package.json', '"@loopback/rest"');
           assert.noFileContent('package.json', '"@loopback/openapi-v3"');
           assert.noJsonFileContent('package.json', {
-            prestart: 'npm run build',
+            rebuild: 'npm run clean && npm run build',
+            prestart: 'npm run rebuild',
             start: 'node .',
           });
         }