diff --git a/src/dev-server/http-server.ts b/src/dev-server/http-server.ts
index ad6bd4e6..fa285b96 100644
--- a/src/dev-server/http-server.ts
+++ b/src/dev-server/http-server.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ import {
 import { Logger } from '../logger/logger';
 import * as proxyMiddleware from 'proxy-middleware';
 import { injectDiagnosticsHtml } from '../logger/logger-diagnostics';
+import * as Constants from '../util/constants';
+import { getBooleanPropertyValue } from '../util/helpers';
 import { getProjectJson, IonicProject } from '../util/ionic-project';
 
 import { LabAppView, ApiCordovaProject } from './lab';
@@ -51,20 +53,23 @@ export function createHttpServer(config: ServeConfig): express.Application {
 }
 
 function setupProxies(app: express.Application) {
-
-  getProjectJson().then(function(projectConfig: IonicProject) {
-    for (const proxy of projectConfig.proxies || []) {
-      let opts: any = url.parse(proxy.proxyUrl);
-      if (proxy.proxyNoAgent) {
-        opts.agent = false;
+  if (getBooleanPropertyValue(Constants.ENV_READ_CONFIG_JSON)) {
+    getProjectJson().then(function(projectConfig: IonicProject) {
+      for (const proxy of projectConfig.proxies || []) {
+        let opts: any = url.parse(proxy.proxyUrl);
+        if (proxy.proxyNoAgent) {
+          opts.agent = false;
+        }
+
+        opts.rejectUnauthorized = !(proxy.rejectUnauthorized === false);
+
+        app.use(proxy.path, proxyMiddleware(opts));
+        Logger.info('Proxy added:' + proxy.path + ' => ' + url.format(opts));
       }
-
-      opts.rejectUnauthorized = !(proxy.rejectUnauthorized === false);
-
-      app.use(proxy.path, proxyMiddleware(opts));
-      Logger.info('Proxy added:' + proxy.path + ' => ' + url.format(opts));
-    }
-  });
+    }).catch((err: Error) => {
+      Logger.error(`Failed to read the projects ionic.config.json file: ${err.message}`);
+    });
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -74,7 +79,7 @@ function serveIndex(req: express.Request, res: express.Response)  {
   const config: ServeConfig = req.app.get('serveConfig');
 
   // respond with the index.html file
-  const indexFileName = path.join(config.wwwDir, 'index.html');
+  const indexFileName = path.join(config.wwwDir, process.env[Constants.ENV_VAR_HTML_TO_SERVE]);
   fs.readFile(indexFileName, (err, indexHtml) => {
     if (config.useLiveReload) {
       indexHtml = injectLiveReloadScript(indexHtml, config.host, config.liveReloadPort);
diff --git a/src/util/config.ts b/src/util/config.ts
index 3ffc8d9c..781223c0 100644
--- a/src/util/config.ts
+++ b/src/util/config.ts
@@ -75,7 +75,8 @@ export function generateContext(context?: BuildContext): BuildContext {
   setProcessEnvVar(Constants.ENV_VAR_WWW_DIR, context.wwwDir);
   Logger.debug(`wwwDir set to ${context.wwwDir}`);
 
-  context.wwwIndex = join(context.wwwDir, Constants.WWW_INDEX_FILENAME);
+  context.wwwIndex = getConfigValue(context, '--wwwIndex', null, Constants.ENV_VAR_HTML_TO_SERVE, Constants.ENV_VAR_HTML_TO_SERVE.toLowerCase(), 'index.html');
+  setProcessEnvVar(Constants.ENV_VAR_HTML_TO_SERVE, context.wwwIndex);
   Logger.debug(`wwwIndex set to ${context.wwwIndex}`);
 
   context.buildDir = resolve(context.buildDir || getConfigValue(context, '--buildDir', null, Constants.ENV_VAR_BUILD_DIR, Constants.ENV_VAR_BUILD_DIR.toLowerCase(), join(context.wwwDir, Constants.BUILD_DIR)));
@@ -118,6 +119,10 @@ export function generateContext(context?: BuildContext): BuildContext {
   setProcessEnvVar(Constants.ENV_TS_CONFIG, tsConfigPathValue);
   Logger.debug(`tsconfig set to ${tsConfigPathValue}`);
 
+  const readConfigJson = resolve(getConfigValue(context, '--readConfigJson', null, Constants.ENV_READ_CONFIG_JSON, Constants.ENV_READ_CONFIG_JSON.toLowerCase(), 'true'));
+  setProcessEnvVar(Constants.ENV_READ_CONFIG_JSON, readConfigJson);
+  Logger.debug(`readConfigJson set to ${readConfigJson}`);
+
   const appEntryPointPathValue = resolve(getConfigValue(context, '--appEntryPoint', null, Constants.ENV_APP_ENTRY_POINT, Constants.ENV_APP_ENTRY_POINT.toLowerCase(), join(context.srcDir, 'app', 'main.ts')));
   setProcessEnvVar(Constants.ENV_APP_ENTRY_POINT, appEntryPointPathValue);
   Logger.debug(`appEntryPoint set to ${appEntryPointPathValue}`);
diff --git a/src/util/constants.ts b/src/util/constants.ts
index d3fefab9..3761c37b 100644
--- a/src/util/constants.ts
+++ b/src/util/constants.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ export const TMP_DIR = '.tmp';
 export const WWW_DIR = 'www';
 export const NODE_MODULES = 'node_modules';
 export const IONIC_ANGULAR = 'ionic-angular';
-export const WWW_INDEX_FILENAME = 'index.html';
 
 export const ENV_VAR_PROD = 'prod';
 export const ENV_VAR_DEV = 'dev';
@@ -22,6 +21,7 @@ export const ENV_VAR_ROOT_DIR = 'IONIC_ROOT_DIR';
 export const ENV_VAR_SRC_DIR = 'IONIC_SRC_DIR';
 export const ENV_VAR_TMP_DIR = 'IONIC_TMP_DIR';
 export const ENV_VAR_WWW_DIR = 'IONIC_WWW_DIR';
+export const ENV_VAR_HTML_TO_SERVE = 'IONIC_HTML_TO_SERVE';
 export const ENV_VAR_BUILD_DIR = 'IONIC_BUILD_DIR';
 export const ENV_VAR_NODE_MODULES_DIR = 'IONIC_NODE_MODULES_DIR';
 export const ENV_VAR_IONIC_ANGULAR_DIR = 'IONIC_ANGULAR_DIR';
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ export const ENV_APP_NG_MODULE_CLASS = 'IONIC_APP_NG_MODULE_CLASS';
 export const ENV_GLOB_UTIL = 'IONIC_GLOB_UTIL';
 export const ENV_CLEAN_BEFORE_COPY = 'IONIC_CLEAN_BEFORE_COPY';
 export const ENV_CLOSURE_JAR = 'IONIC_CLOSURE_JAR';
+export const ENV_READ_CONFIG_JSON = 'IONIC_READ_CONFIG_JSON';
 
 export const ENV_OUTPUT_JS_FILE_NAME = 'IONIC_OUTPUT_JS_FILE_NAME';
 export const ENV_OUTPUT_JS_MAP_FILE_NAME = 'IONIC_OUTPUT_JS_MAP_FILE_NAME';