diff --git a/template/build/core/phing/build.xml b/template/build/core/phing/build.xml
index 8f7df1ad9..41f90f53c 100644
--- a/template/build/core/phing/build.xml
+++ b/template/build/core/phing/build.xml
@@ -57,4 +57,27 @@
     <exec dir="${repo.root}" command="./blt.sh -q -l" passthru="true"/>
   </target>
 
+  <target name="task:execute">
+    <fail unless="task-name"/>
+
+    <if>
+      <isset property="tasks.${task-name}.command"/>
+      <then>
+        <if>
+          <available file="${tasks.${task-name}.dir}" type="dir" property="taskDirExists" />
+          <then>
+            <exec dir="${hooks.${task-name}.dir}" command="${scripts.${task-name}.command}" logoutput="true" checkreturn="true" />
+          </then>
+          <else>
+            <fail>The directory ${scripts.${task-name}.dir} does not exist. Will not run command for ${task-name}.</fail>
+          </else>
+        </if>
+      </then>
+      <else>
+        <echo>No commands are defined for ${task-name}. Skipping.</echo>
+      </else>
+    </if>
+
+  </target>
+
 </project>
diff --git a/template/build/core/phing/tasks/deploy.xml b/template/build/core/phing/tasks/deploy.xml
index 13e0615a3..61e662cb5 100644
--- a/template/build/core/phing/tasks/deploy.xml
+++ b/template/build/core/phing/tasks/deploy.xml
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@
 
     <!-- Build artifact and commit locally. -->
     <phingcall target="deploy:build"/>
+
+    <!--Allow custom commands to be run before commit.-->
+    <phingcall target="task:execute">
+      <property name="task-name" value="deploy"/>
+    </phingcall>
+
+    <!--Commit artifact. -->
     <phingcall target="deploy:commit"/>
 
     <!-- Push up changes to remotes if this is not a dry run.-->
@@ -63,7 +70,7 @@
   </target>
 
   <target name="deploy:build" description="Generates a deploy-ready build in deploy.dir."
-          depends="frontend:build, deploy:copy, deploy:composer:install, deploy:profile:make, deploy:sanitize">
+          depends="frontend:build, deploy:copy, deploy:composer:install, deploy:sanitize">
     <!-- If we are using ACSF, run the ACSF Deploy command. -->
     <if>
       <equals arg1="${hosting}" arg2="acsf"/>
@@ -90,21 +97,6 @@
     <exec dir="${deploy.dir}" command="export COMPOSER_EXIT_ON_PATCH_FAILURE=1; composer install --no-dev --prefer-dist --no-interaction" passthru="true" logoutput="true" checkreturn="true"/>
   </target>
 
-  <target name="deploy:profile:make" description="Build a subsidiary makefile shipped with profile.">
-    <if>
-      <equals arg1="${project.profile.contrib}" arg2="true"/>
-      <then>
-        <echo message="Building make file for ${project.profile.name}"/>
-        <property name="profile.dir" value="${deploy.dir}/docroot/profiles/contrib/${project.profile.name}"/>
-        <drush command="make" assume="yes" verbose="TRUE">
-          <param>"${profile.dir}/drupal-org.make"</param>
-          <param>"${profile.dir}"</param>
-          <option name="no-core"></option>
-        </drush>
-      </then>
-    </if>
-  </target>
-
   <target name="deploy:copy" description="Copy required files from /docroot/sites to /deploy/docroot/sites.">
     <!-- Make sites/default writable so that we can copy files. -->
     <!-- @todo Support multisite. -->
diff --git a/template/build/core/phing/tasks/frontend.xml b/template/build/core/phing/tasks/frontend.xml
index 70f356932..b8d90e9b1 100644
--- a/template/build/core/phing/tasks/frontend.xml
+++ b/template/build/core/phing/tasks/frontend.xml
@@ -1,53 +1,9 @@
 <project name="frontend" default="frontend:install">
 
-  <target name="frontend:build" depends="frontend:install" description="Uses gulp to build front end dependencies for all themes.">
-    <if>
-      <isset property="project.themes"/>
-      <then>
-        <foreach list="${project.themes}" param="frontend.theme" target="frontend:build:run"/>
-      </then>
-    </if>
+  <target name="frontend:build" description="Uses gulp to build front end dependencies for all themes.">
+    <phingcall target="task:execute">
+      <property name="task-name" value="frontend"/>
+    </phingcall>
   </target>
 
-  <target name="frontend:build:run" depends="frontend:install" description="Uses gulp to build front end dependencies for a theme.">
-    <if>
-      <!-- We assume that if the theme name is not thunder, then a subtheme of thunder is being used. -->
-      <not><equals arg1="${frontend.theme}" arg2="thunder" /></not>
-      <then>
-        <exec dir="${docroot}/themes/custom/${frontend.theme}" command="npm run build" logoutput="true" checkreturn="true" />
-      </then>
-    </if>
-
-    <property name="project.frontend.nvmrc.file" value="${docroot}/themes/custom/${frontend.theme}/.nvmrc" />
-    <if>
-      <available file="${project.frontend.nvmrc.file}" />
-      <then>
-        <copy file="${project.frontend.nvmrc.file}" todir="${repo.root}" />
-      </then>
-    </if>
-  </target>
-
-  <target name="frontend:install" description="Installs front end dependencies for themes.">
-    <!-- Enable support for multiple themes (Base + Subtheme or multisite deployments) -->
-    <if>
-      <isset property="project.themes" />
-      <then>
-        <foreach list="${project.themes}" param="frontend.theme" target="frontend:install:run"/>
-      </then>
-      <else>
-        <!-- Skip and tell user no themes were found -->
-        <echo message="No Themes were found, skipping frontend:install."/>
-      </else>
-    </if>
-  </target>
-
-  <target name="frontend:install:run" description="Installs front end dependencies for a theme.">
-    <if>
-      <!-- We assume that if the theme name is not thunder, then a subtheme of thunder is being used. -->
-      <not><equals arg1="${frontend.theme}" arg2="thunder" /></not>
-      <then>
-        <exec dir="${docroot}/themes/custom/${frontend.theme}" command="npm run install-tools" logoutput="true" checkreturn="true" />
-      </then>
-    </if>
-  </target>
 </project>
diff --git a/template/build/core/phing/tasks/setup.xml b/template/build/core/phing/tasks/setup.xml
index f23d4220c..8a314c510 100644
--- a/template/build/core/phing/tasks/setup.xml
+++ b/template/build/core/phing/tasks/setup.xml
@@ -17,22 +17,12 @@
 
   <!-- This is run when a project is cloned to a new environment. -->
   <target name="setup:build:all" description="Generates all required files for a full build. E.g., (re)builds docroot, etc."
-          depends="setup:git-hooks, setup:drupal:settings, setup:behat, setup:composer:install, setup:build:profile, frontend:build">
-  </target>
+          depends="setup:git-hooks, setup:drupal:settings, setup:behat, setup:composer:install, frontend:build">
+
+    <phingcall target="task:execute">
+      <property name="task-name" value="setup"/>
+    </phingcall>
 
-  <target name="setup:build:profile" description="Build a subsidiary makefile shipped with profile">
-    <if>
-      <equals arg1="${project.profile.contrib}" arg2="true"/>
-      <then>
-        <echo message="Building make file for ${project.profile.name}"/>
-        <property name="profile.dir" value="${docroot}/profiles/contrib/${project.profile.name}"/>
-        <drush command="make" assume="yes" verbose="TRUE">
-          <option name="no-core"></option>
-          <param>"${profile.dir}/drupal-org.make"</param>
-          <param>${profile.dir}</param>
-        </drush>
-      </then>
-    </if>
   </target>
 
   <target name="setup:clean" description="Removes .gitignored files and directories.">
diff --git a/template/project.yml b/template/project.yml
index 304871a90..7a5a88740 100644
--- a/template/project.yml
+++ b/template/project.yml
@@ -40,6 +40,22 @@ drush:
     # The default drush alias to be used when no environment is specified.
   default_alias: ${drush.aliases.local}
 
+# Custom tasks that are triggered at pre-defined times in the build process.
+# Available keys are setup, frontend.
+tasks:
+  # Executed after setup:build:all is run.
+  setup:
+    dir: ${docroot}/profiles/contrib/lighting
+    command: npm install && bower install
+  # Executed when front end assets should be generated.
+  frontend:
+    dir: ${docroot}/sites/all/themes/contrib/thunder
+    command: npm run build
+  # Executed after deployment artifact is created.
+  deploy:
+    dir: ${deploy.dir}
+    command: cd docroot/profiles/contrib/lightning && npm install && bower install
+
 # Hosting environment flags.
 # Examples: acsf (Acquia Cloud Site Factory), ac (Acquia Cloud)
 # hosting: "acsf"