diff --git a/build/compiler.js b/build/compiler.js
index 4d162dba..4dd56b18 100644
--- a/build/compiler.js
+++ b/build/compiler.js
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ type CompilerType = {
 type CompilerOpts = {
   dir?: string,
   env: "production" | "development",
+  hmr?: boolean,
   watch?: boolean,
   forceLegacyBuild?: boolean,
   logger?: any,
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ function Compiler(
   {
     dir = '.',
     env,
+    hmr = true,
     forceLegacyBuild,
     preserveNames,
     watch = false,
@@ -132,6 +134,8 @@ function Compiler(
 
   const sharedOpts = {
     dir: root,
+    dev: env === 'development',
+    hmr,
     watch,
     state,
     fusionConfig,
@@ -139,10 +143,9 @@ function Compiler(
     preserveNames,
   };
 
-  const dev = env === 'development';
   const compiler = webpack([
-    getWebpackConfig({id: 'client-modern', dev, ...sharedOpts}),
-    getWebpackConfig({id: 'server', dev, ...sharedOpts}),
+    getWebpackConfig({id: 'client-modern', ...sharedOpts}),
+    getWebpackConfig({id: 'server', ...sharedOpts}),
   ]);
 
   const statsLogger = getStatsLogger({dir, logger, env});
diff --git a/build/get-webpack-config.js b/build/get-webpack-config.js
index f732a62a..a675d81a 100644
--- a/build/get-webpack-config.js
+++ b/build/get-webpack-config.js
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ export type WebpackConfigOpts = {|
   id: $Keys<typeof COMPILATIONS>,
   dir: string,
   dev: boolean,
+  hmr: boolean,
   watch: boolean,
   preserveNames: boolean,
   state: {
@@ -96,7 +97,16 @@ export type WebpackConfigOpts = {|
 module.exports = getWebpackConfig;
 
 function getWebpackConfig(opts /*: WebpackConfigOpts */) {
-  const {id, dev, dir, watch, state, fusionConfig, legacyPkgConfig = {}} = opts;
+  const {
+    id,
+    dev,
+    dir,
+    hmr,
+    watch,
+    state,
+    fusionConfig,
+    legacyPkgConfig = {},
+  } = opts;
   const main = 'src/main.js';
 
   if (!fs.existsSync(path.join(dir, main))) {
@@ -193,11 +203,13 @@ function getWebpackConfig(opts /*: WebpackConfigOpts */) {
         runtime === 'server' &&
           path.join(__dirname, '../entries/server-public-path.js'),
         dev &&
+          hmr &&
           watch &&
           runtime !== 'server' &&
           `${require.resolve('webpack-hot-middleware/client')}?name=client`,
         // TODO(#46): use 'webpack/hot/signal' instead
         dev &&
+          hmr &&
           watch &&
           runtime === 'server' &&
           `${require.resolve('webpack/hot/poll')}?1000`,
@@ -460,7 +472,7 @@ function getWebpackConfig(opts /*: WebpackConfigOpts */) {
              */
             void 0
       ),
-      dev && watch && new webpack.HotModuleReplacementPlugin(),
+      dev && hmr && watch && new webpack.HotModuleReplacementPlugin(),
       !dev && runtime === 'client' && new webpack.HashedModuleIdsPlugin(),
       runtime === 'client' &&
         // case-insensitive paths can cause problems
diff --git a/commands/dev.js b/commands/dev.js
index c2cef236..569ec297 100644
--- a/commands/dev.js
+++ b/commands/dev.js
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ exports.run = async function(
   const compiler = new Compiler({
     env: 'development',
     dir,
+    hmr,
     forceLegacyBuild,
     watch: true,
     logger,