diff --git a/src/build.spec.ts b/src/build.spec.ts
index d44c195d..2264dcae 100644
--- a/src/build.spec.ts
+++ b/src/build.spec.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,14 @@ import * as transpile from './transpile';
 describe('build', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     spyOn(clean, 'clean');
-    spyOn(helpers, 'readFileAsync').and.returnValue(Promise.resolve());
+    spyOn(helpers, 'readFileAsync').and.callFake(() => {
+      return Promise.resolve(`{
+        "compilerOptions": {
+          "sourceMap": true
+        }
+      }
+      `);
+    });
     spyOn(copy, 'copy').and.returnValue(Promise.resolve());
     spyOn(ngc, 'ngc').and.returnValue(Promise.resolve());
     spyOn(bundle, 'bundle').and.returnValue(Promise.resolve());
@@ -26,56 +33,150 @@ describe('build', () => {
   });
 
   it('should do a prod build', () => {
-      let context: BuildContext = {
-        isProd: true,
-        optimizeJs: true,
-        runMinifyJs: true,
-        runMinifyCss: true,
-        runAot: true
-      };
-
-      return build.build(context).then(() => {
-        expect(helpers.readFileAsync).toHaveBeenCalled();
-        expect(copy.copy).toHaveBeenCalled();
-        expect(ngc.ngc).toHaveBeenCalled();
-        expect(bundle.bundle).toHaveBeenCalled();
-        expect(minify.minifyJs).toHaveBeenCalled();
-        expect(sass.sass).toHaveBeenCalled();
-        expect(minify.minifyCss).toHaveBeenCalled();
-        expect(lint.lint).toHaveBeenCalled();
-
-        expect(transpile.transpile).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-      }).catch(err => {
-        console.log(`err.message: `, err.message);
-        expect(true).toEqual(false);
-      });
+    let context: BuildContext = {
+      isProd: true,
+      optimizeJs: true,
+      runMinifyJs: true,
+      runMinifyCss: true,
+      runAot: true
+    };
+
+    return build.build(context).then(() => {
+      expect(helpers.readFileAsync).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(copy.copy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(ngc.ngc).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(bundle.bundle).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(minify.minifyJs).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(sass.sass).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(minify.minifyCss).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(lint.lint).toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+      expect(transpile.transpile).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    }).catch(err => {
+      console.log(`err.message: `, err.message);
+      expect(true).toEqual(false);
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should do a dev build', () => {
+    let context: BuildContext = {
+      isProd: false,
+      optimizeJs: false,
+      runMinifyJs: false,
+      runMinifyCss: false,
+      runAot: false
+    };
+
+    return build.build(context).then(() => {
+      expect(helpers.readFileAsync).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(copy.copy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(transpile.transpile).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(bundle.bundle).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(sass.sass).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(lint.lint).toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+      expect(ngc.ngc).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(minify.minifyJs).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(minify.minifyCss).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    }).catch(err => {
+      console.log(`err.message: `, err.message);
+      expect(true).toEqual(false);
+    });
+  });
+});
+
+describe('test project requirements before building', () => {
+  it('should fail if APP_ENTRY_POINT file does not exist', () => {
+    process.env.IONIC_APP_ENTRY_POINT = 'src/app/main.ts';
+    process.env.IONIC_TS_CONFIG = 'tsConfig.js';
+    const error = new Error('App entry point was not found');
+
+    spyOn(helpers, 'readFileAsync').and.returnValue(Promise.reject(error));
+
+    return build.build({}).catch((e) => {
+      expect(helpers.readFileAsync).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+      expect(e).toEqual(error);
     });
+  });
+
+  it('should fail if IONIC_TS_CONFIG file does not exist', () => {
+    process.env.IONIC_APP_ENTRY_POINT = 'src/app/main.ts';
+    process.env.IONIC_TS_CONFIG = 'tsConfig.js';
+    const error = new Error('App entry point was not found');
 
-    it('should do a dev build', (done: Function) => {
-      let context: BuildContext = {
-        isProd: false,
-        optimizeJs: false,
-        runMinifyJs: false,
-        runMinifyCss: false,
-        runAot: false
-      };
-
-      build.build(context).then(() => {
-        expect(helpers.readFileAsync).toHaveBeenCalled();
-        expect(copy.copy).toHaveBeenCalled();
-        expect(transpile.transpile).toHaveBeenCalled();
-        expect(bundle.bundle).toHaveBeenCalled();
-        expect(sass.sass).toHaveBeenCalled();
-        expect(lint.lint).toHaveBeenCalled();
-
-        expect(ngc.ngc).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-        expect(minify.minifyJs).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-        expect(minify.minifyCss).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-        done();
-      }).catch(err => {
-        console.log(`err.message: `, err.message);
-        expect(true).toEqual(false);
-      });
+    spyOn(helpers, 'readFileAsync').and.callFake((filePath: string) => {
+      if (filePath === 'src/app/main.ts') {
+        return Promise.resolve('allgood');
+      }
+      return Promise.reject(error);
     });
 
+    return build.build({}).catch((e) => {
+      expect(helpers.readFileAsync).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+      expect(e).toEqual(error);
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should fail fataly if IONIC_TS_CONFIG file does not contain valid JSON', () => {
+    process.env.IONIC_APP_ENTRY_POINT = 'src/app/main.ts';
+    process.env.IONIC_TS_CONFIG = 'tsConfig.js';
+    spyOn(helpers, 'readFileAsync').and.callFake(() => {
+      return Promise.resolve(`{
+        "compilerOptions" {
+          "sourceMap": false
+        }
+      }
+      `);
+    });
+
+    return build.build({}).catch((e) => {
+      expect(helpers.readFileAsync).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+      expect(e.isFatal).toBeTruthy();
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should fail fataly if IONIC_TS_CONFIG file does not contain compilerOptions.sourceMap === true', () => {
+    process.env.IONIC_APP_ENTRY_POINT = 'src/app/main.ts';
+    process.env.IONIC_TS_CONFIG = 'tsConfig.js';
+    spyOn(helpers, 'readFileAsync').and.callFake(() => {
+      return Promise.resolve(`{
+        "compilerOptions": {
+          "sourceMap": false
+        }
+      }
+      `);
+    });
+
+    return build.build({}).catch((e) => {
+      expect(helpers.readFileAsync).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+      expect(e.isFatal).toBeTruthy();
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should succeed if IONIC_TS_CONFIG file contains compilerOptions.sourceMap === true', () => {
+    process.env.IONIC_APP_ENTRY_POINT = 'src/app/main.ts';
+    process.env.IONIC_TS_CONFIG = 'tsConfig.js';
+
+    spyOn(clean, 'clean');
+    spyOn(copy, 'copy').and.returnValue(Promise.resolve());
+    spyOn(ngc, 'ngc').and.returnValue(Promise.resolve());
+    spyOn(bundle, 'bundle').and.returnValue(Promise.resolve());
+    spyOn(minify, 'minifyJs').and.returnValue(Promise.resolve());
+    spyOn(sass, 'sass').and.returnValue(Promise.resolve());
+    spyOn(minify, 'minifyCss').and.returnValue(Promise.resolve());
+    spyOn(lint, 'lint').and.returnValue(Promise.resolve());
+    spyOn(transpile, 'transpile').and.returnValue(Promise.resolve());
+    spyOn(helpers, 'readFileAsync').and.callFake(() => {
+      return Promise.resolve(`{
+        "compilerOptions": {
+          "sourceMap": true
+        }
+      }
+      `);
+    });
+
+    return build.build({}).then(() => {
+      expect(helpers.readFileAsync).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/build.ts b/src/build.ts
index 0d0f3b6b..f84080a0 100644
--- a/src/build.ts
+++ b/src/build.ts
@@ -24,35 +24,71 @@ export function build(context: BuildContext) {
       logger.finish();
     })
     .catch(err => {
-      handleDeprecations(err);
+      if (err.isFatal) { throw err; }
       throw logger.fail(err);
     });
 }
 
-function handleDeprecations(error: Error) {
-  if (error && error.message && error.message.indexOf('ENOENT') >= 0 && error.message.indexOf(process.env.IONIC_APP_ENTRY_POINT)) {
-    const error = new BuildError(`"main.dev.ts" and "main.prod.ts" have been deprecated. Please create a new file "main.ts" containing the content of "main.dev.ts", and then delete the deprecated files.
-                           For more information, please see the default Ionic project main.ts file here:
-                           https://github.com/driftyco/ionic2-app-base/tree/master/src/app/main.ts`);
-    error.isFatal = true;
-    throw error;
-  }
-}
-
-
 function buildWorker(context: BuildContext) {
   return Promise.resolve().then(() => {
     // load any 100% required files to ensure they exist
     return validateRequiredFilesExist();
-  }).then(() => {
+  })
+  .then(([appEntryPointContents, tsConfigContents]) => {
+    return validateTsConfigSettings(tsConfigContents);
+  })
+  .then(() => {
     return buildProject(context);
   });
 }
 
 function validateRequiredFilesExist() {
-  // for now, just do the entry point
-  // eventually this could be Promise.all and load a bunch of stuff
-  return readFileAsync(process.env.IONIC_APP_ENTRY_POINT);
+  return Promise.all([
+    readFileAsync(process.env.IONIC_APP_ENTRY_POINT),
+    readFileAsync(process.env.IONIC_TS_CONFIG)
+  ]).catch((error) => {
+    if (error.code === 'ENOENT' && error.path === process.env.IONIC_APP_ENTRY_POINT) {
+      error = new BuildError(`"main.dev.ts" and "main.prod.ts" have been deprecated. Please create a new file "main.ts" containing the content of "main.dev.ts", and then delete the deprecated files.
+                            For more information, please see the default Ionic project main.ts file here:
+                            https://github.com/driftyco/ionic2-app-base/tree/master/src/app/main.ts`);
+      error.isFatal = true;
+      throw error;
+    }
+    if (error.code === 'ENOENT' && error.path === process.env.IONIC_TS_CONFIG) {
+      error = new BuildError(['You are missing a "tsconfig.json" file. This file is required.',
+        'For more information please see the default Ionic project tsconfig.json file here:',
+        'https://github.com/driftyco/ionic2-app-base/blob/master/tsconfig.json'].join('\n'));
+      error.isFatal = true;
+      throw error;
+    }
+    error.isFatal = true;
+    throw error;
+  });
+}
+
+function validateTsConfigSettings(tsConfigFileContents: string) {
+
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    try {
+      const tsConfigJson = JSON.parse(tsConfigFileContents);
+      const isValid = tsConfigJson.hasOwnProperty('compilerOptions') &&
+        tsConfigJson.compilerOptions.hasOwnProperty('sourceMap') &&
+        tsConfigJson.compilerOptions.sourceMap === true;
+
+      if (!isValid) {
+        const error = new BuildError(['Your "tsconfig.json" file must have compilerOptions.sourceMap set to true.',
+          'For more information please see the default Ionic project tsconfig.json file here:',
+          'https://github.com/driftyco/ionic2-app-base/blob/master/tsconfig.json'].join('\n'));
+        error.isFatal = true;
+        return reject(error);
+      }
+      resolve();
+    } catch (e) {
+      const error = new BuildError('Your "tsconfig.json" file contains malformed JSON.');
+      error.isFatal = true;
+      return reject(error);
+    }
+  });
 }
 
 function buildProject(context: BuildContext) {
diff --git a/src/util/helpers.ts b/src/util/helpers.ts
index 73d8b99f..5a698a67 100644
--- a/src/util/helpers.ts
+++ b/src/util/helpers.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import { basename, dirname, extname, join } from 'path';
 import { BuildContext, File } from './interfaces';
-import { BuildError } from './errors';
 import { createReadStream, createWriteStream, readFile, readFileSync, readJsonSync, remove, unlink, writeFile } from 'fs-extra';
 import * as osName from 'os-name';
 
@@ -98,7 +97,7 @@ export function writeFileAsync(filePath: string, content: string): Promise<any>
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     writeFile(filePath, content, (err) => {
       if (err) {
-        return reject(new BuildError(err));
+        return reject(err);
       }
       return resolve();
     });
@@ -109,7 +108,7 @@ export function readFileAsync(filePath: string): Promise<string> {
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     readFile(filePath, 'utf-8', (err, buffer) => {
       if (err) {
-        return reject(new BuildError(err));
+        return reject(err);
       }
       return resolve(buffer);
     });
@@ -120,7 +119,7 @@ export function unlinkAsync(filePath: string): Promise<any> {
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     unlink(filePath, (err: Error) => {
       if (err) {
-        return reject(new BuildError(err));
+        return reject(err);
       }
       return resolve();
     });