diff --git a/packages/@vuepress/core/__tests__/plugin-api/PluginUtil.spec.js b/packages/@vuepress/core/__tests__/plugin-api/PluginUtil.spec.js
index 2bc618c2d3..211c2fbf6c 100644
--- a/packages/@vuepress/core/__tests__/plugin-api/PluginUtil.spec.js
+++ b/packages/@vuepress/core/__tests__/plugin-api/PluginUtil.spec.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { flattenPlugin } from '../../lib/plugin-api/util'
 
 describe('flattenPlugin', () => {
-  test('shoould hydrate plugin correctly', () => {
+  test('should hydrate plugin correctly', () => {
     const plugin = { name: 'a', shortcut: 'a', module: { enhanceAppFiles: 'file' }}
     const hydratedPlugin = flattenPlugin(plugin, {}, {})
     expect(hydratedPlugin.name).toBe('a')
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ describe('flattenPlugin', () => {
     expect(hydratedPlugin.enhanceAppFiles).toBe('file')
   })
 
-  test('shoould set \'enabled\' to false when \'pluginOptions\' is set to false.', () => {
+  test('should set \'enabled\' to false when \'pluginOptions\' is set to false.', () => {
     const plugin = { name: 'a', shortcut: 'a', module: {}}
     const hydratedPlugin = flattenPlugin(plugin, false, {})
     expect(hydratedPlugin.name).toBe('a')
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ describe('flattenPlugin', () => {
     expect(hydratedPlugin.enabled).toBe(false)
   })
 
-  test('shoould flatten functional plugin correctly.', () => {
+  test('should flatten functional plugin correctly.', () => {
     const config = jest.fn(() => ({ enhanceAppFiles: 'file' }))
     const plugin = { name: 'a', shortcut: 'a', module: config }
     const pluginOptions = {}
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ describe('flattenPlugin', () => {
     expect(Object.getPrototypeOf(config.mock.calls[0][1])).toBe(pluginContext)
   })
 
-  test('shoould flatten functional plugin correctly - options defaults to \'{}\'.', () => {
+  test('should flatten functional plugin correctly - options defaults to \'{}\'.', () => {
     const config = jest.fn(() => ({ enhanceAppFiles: 'file' }))
     const plugin = { name: 'a', shortcut: 'a', module: config }
     const pluginOptions = undefined
diff --git a/packages/@vuepress/core/lib/dev.js b/packages/@vuepress/core/lib/dev.js
index f8124f6968..8cca233f42 100644
--- a/packages/@vuepress/core/lib/dev.js
+++ b/packages/@vuepress/core/lib/dev.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ async function prepareServer (sourceDir, cliOptions = {}, context) {
   const chokidar = require('chokidar')
 
   const prepare = require('./prepare/index')
-  const { chalk, logger } = require('@vuepress/shared-utils')
+  const { chalk, fs, logger } = require('@vuepress/shared-utils')
   const HeadPlugin = require('./webpack/HeadPlugin')
   const DevLogPlugin = require('./webpack/DevLogPlugin')
   const createClientConfig = require('./webpack/createClientConfig')
@@ -110,6 +110,8 @@ async function prepareServer (sourceDir, cliOptions = {}, context) {
     config = applyUserWebpackConfig(userConfig, config, false /* isServer */)
   }
 
+  const contentBase = path.resolve(sourceDir, '.vuepress/public')
+
   const serverConfig = Object.assign({
     disableHostCheck: true,
     compress: true,
@@ -124,14 +126,19 @@ async function prepareServer (sourceDir, cliOptions = {}, context) {
       ignored: /node_modules/
     },
     historyApiFallback: {
+      disableDotRule: true,
       rewrites: [
-        { from: /\.html$/, to: '/' }
+        { from: /./, to: path.posix.join(ctx.base, 'index.html') }
       ]
     },
     overlay: false,
     host,
-    contentBase: path.resolve(sourceDir, '.vuepress/public'),
+    contentBase,
     before (app, server) {
+      if (fs.existsSync(contentBase)) {
+        app.use(ctx.base, require('express').static(contentBase))
+      }
+
       ctx.pluginAPI.options.beforeDevServer.syncApply(app, server)
     },
     after (app, server) {
diff --git a/packages/@vuepress/core/lib/webpack/createBaseConfig.js b/packages/@vuepress/core/lib/webpack/createBaseConfig.js
index 71a158073a..c6b5a90cc1 100644
--- a/packages/@vuepress/core/lib/webpack/createBaseConfig.js
+++ b/packages/@vuepress/core/lib/webpack/createBaseConfig.js
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ module.exports = function createBaseConfig ({
     .output
       .path(outDir)
       .filename(isProd ? 'assets/js/[name].[chunkhash:8].js' : 'assets/js/[name].js')
-      .publicPath(isProd ? publicPath : '/')
+      .publicPath(publicPath)
 
   if (env.isDebug) {
     config.devtool('source-map')