diff --git a/template/build/dev-server.js b/template/build/dev-server.js
index e3c7b55708..1c58a3abb0 100644
--- a/template/build/dev-server.js
+++ b/template/build/dev-server.js
@@ -35,12 +35,14 @@ var hotMiddleware = require('webpack-hot-middleware')(compiler, {
   heartbeat: 2000
 })
 // force page reload when html-webpack-plugin template changes
-compiler.plugin('compilation', function (compilation) {
-  compilation.plugin('html-webpack-plugin-after-emit', function (data, cb) {
-    hotMiddleware.publish({ action: 'reload' })
-    cb()
-  })
-})
+// currently disabled until this is resolved:
+// https://github.com/jantimon/html-webpack-plugin/issues/680
+// compiler.plugin('compilation', function (compilation) {
+//   compilation.plugin('html-webpack-plugin-after-emit', function (data, cb) {
+//     hotMiddleware.publish({ action: 'reload' })
+//     cb()
+//   })
+// })
 
 // proxy api requests
 Object.keys(proxyTable).forEach(function (context) {
diff --git a/template/package.json b/template/package.json
index 7840f38186..cadcae51f5 100644
--- a/template/package.json
+++ b/template/package.json
@@ -51,12 +51,12 @@
     {{/lint}}
     "eventsource-polyfill": "^0.9.6",
     "express": "^4.14.1",
-    "extract-text-webpack-plugin": "^2.0.0",
+    "extract-text-webpack-plugin": "^3.0.0",
     "file-loader": "^0.11.1",
-    "friendly-errors-webpack-plugin": "^1.1.3",
-    "html-webpack-plugin": "^2.28.0",
+    "friendly-errors-webpack-plugin": "^1.6.1",
+    "html-webpack-plugin": "^2.30.1",
     "http-proxy-middleware": "^0.17.3",
-    "webpack-bundle-analyzer": "^2.2.1",
+    "webpack-bundle-analyzer": "^2.9.0",
     {{#unit}}
     "cross-env": "^5.0.1",
     "karma": "^1.4.1",
@@ -92,9 +92,9 @@
     "vue-loader": "^13.0.4",
     "vue-style-loader": "^3.0.1",
     "vue-template-compiler": "^2.4.2",
-    "webpack": "^2.6.1",
-    "webpack-dev-middleware": "^1.10.0",
-    "webpack-hot-middleware": "^2.18.0",
+    "webpack": "^3.5.5",
+    "webpack-dev-middleware": "^1.12.0",
+    "webpack-hot-middleware": "^2.18.2",
     "webpack-merge": "^4.1.0"
   },
   "engines": {