diff --git a/packages/generator-react-server/generators/app/templates/gulpfile.js b/packages/generator-react-server/generators/app/templates/gulpfile.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..156852c6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/generator-react-server/generators/app/templates/gulpfile.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+const gulp = require('gulp');
+const tagger = require('react-server-gulp-module-tagger');
+const babel = require('gulp-babel');
+
+gulp.task('default', () => {
+	gulp.src('*.js')
+			.pipe(tagger())
+			.pipe(babel({
+				presets: ['react-server']
+			}))
+			.pipe(gulp.dest('build'));
+});
diff --git a/packages/generator-react-server/generators/app/templates/hello-world.js b/packages/generator-react-server/generators/app/templates/hello-world.js
index 9bf38e2c6..ffee4fcd9 100644
--- a/packages/generator-react-server/generators/app/templates/hello-world.js
+++ b/packages/generator-react-server/generators/app/templates/hello-world.js
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
 import React from 'react';
+import {logging} from 'react-server';
+
+const logger = logging.getLogger(__LOGGER__);
 
 export default class HelloWorld extends React.Component {
 	constructor(props) {
 		super(props);
 		this.state = {exclamationCount: 0};
 		this.handleClick = () => {
+			logger.info(`Getting more excited! previously ${this.state.exclamationCount} excitements.`);
 			this.setState({exclamationCount: this.state.exclamationCount + 1});
 		};
 	}
diff --git a/packages/generator-react-server/generators/app/templates/package.json b/packages/generator-react-server/generators/app/templates/package.json
index b90a92953..cff3f4b2b 100644
--- a/packages/generator-react-server/generators/app/templates/package.json
+++ b/packages/generator-react-server/generators/app/templates/package.json
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
   "description": "A react-server instance",
   "main": "HelloWorld.js",
   "scripts": {
-    "start": "react-server-cli",
+    "start": "gulp && react-server-cli --routes build/routes.js",
     "test": "xo && nsp check"
   },
   "license": "Apache-2.0",
@@ -20,14 +20,19 @@
     "superagent": "1.2.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
+    "babel-preset-react-server": "^0.2.0",
     "eslint-config-xo-react": "^0.7.0",
     "eslint-plugin-react": "^5.1.1",
+    "gulp": "^3.9.1",
+    "gulp-babel": "^6.1.2",
     "nsp": "^2.3.3",
+    "react-server-gulp-module-tagger": "^0.2.6",
     "xo": "^0.15.1"
   },
   "xo": {
     "esnext": true,
     "extends": "xo-react",
+    "globals": ["__LOGGER__"],
     "ignores": ["__clientTemp/**/*"]
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/generator-react-server/package.json b/packages/generator-react-server/package.json
index 0932d677b..907c8c395 100644
--- a/packages/generator-react-server/package.json
+++ b/packages/generator-react-server/package.json
@@ -38,12 +38,11 @@
   },
   "license": "Apache-2.0",
   "xo": {
+    "envs": ["node"],
     "extends": "xo-react",
+    "globals": ["__LOGGER__"],
     "ignores": [
       "test/**/*"
-    ],
-    "envs": [
-      "node"
     ]
   }
 }