diff --git a/server/middleware/webpack-dev.js b/server/boot/dev/webpack-dev.js
similarity index 65%
rename from server/middleware/webpack-dev.js
rename to server/boot/dev/webpack-dev.js
index b3b9df1..d6c8e38 100644
--- a/server/middleware/webpack-dev.js
+++ b/server/boot/dev/webpack-dev.js
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 const webpackMiddleware = require('webpack-dev-middleware');
-const webpack = require('./helpers/webpack');
+const webpack = require('../../helpers/webpack');
 
 const isProduction = (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production');
 
-module.exports = (params) => {
-  if (isProduction || params.enabled !== true) return (req, res, next) => next();
+module.exports = (app) => {
+  if (isProduction) return;
 
   const middleware = webpackMiddleware(webpack.compiler, {
     publicPath: webpack.config.output.publicPath,
@@ -19,5 +19,5 @@ module.exports = (params) => {
     },
   });
 
-  return (req, res, next) => middleware(req, res, next);
+  app.use(middleware);
 };
diff --git a/server/boot/dev/webpack-hmr.js b/server/boot/dev/webpack-hmr.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e389c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/boot/dev/webpack-hmr.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+const webpackHotMiddleware = require('webpack-hot-middleware');
+const webpack = require('../../helpers/webpack');
+
+const isProduction = (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production');
+
+module.exports = (app) => {
+  if (isProduction) return;
+
+  const middleware = webpackHotMiddleware(webpack.compiler);
+
+  app.use(middleware);
+};
diff --git a/server/middleware/helpers/webpack.js b/server/helpers/webpack.js
similarity index 69%
rename from server/middleware/helpers/webpack.js
rename to server/helpers/webpack.js
index 8c69198..681d7af 100644
--- a/server/middleware/helpers/webpack.js
+++ b/server/helpers/webpack.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 const webpack = require('webpack');
-const config = require('../../config/webpack.dev');
+const config = require('../config/webpack.dev');
 
 const compiler = webpack(config);
 
diff --git a/server/middleware.development.json b/server/middleware.development.json
index d898ff3..071c11a 100644
--- a/server/middleware.development.json
+++ b/server/middleware.development.json
@@ -1,12 +1,4 @@
 {
-  "routes:before": {
-    "./middleware/webpack-dev": {
-      "params": { "enabled": true }
-    },
-    "./middleware/webpack-hmr": {
-      "params": { "enabled": true }
-    }
-  },
   "final:after": {
     "strong-error-handler": {
       "params": {
diff --git a/server/middleware.json b/server/middleware.json
index e3d7a20..3f2a66e 100644
--- a/server/middleware.json
+++ b/server/middleware.json
@@ -30,10 +30,6 @@
   "session": {},
   "auth": {},
   "parse": {},
-  "routes:before": {
-    "./middleware/webpack-dev": {},
-    "./middleware/webpack-hmr": {}
-  },
   "routes": {
     "loopback#rest": {
       "paths": [
diff --git a/server/middleware/webpack-hmr.js b/server/middleware/webpack-hmr.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 29e158e..0000000
--- a/server/middleware/webpack-hmr.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-const webpackHotMiddleware = require('webpack-hot-middleware');
-const webpack = require('./helpers/webpack');
-
-const isProduction = (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production');
-
-module.exports = (params) => {
-  if (isProduction || params.enabled !== true) return (req, res, next) => next();
-
-  const middleware = webpackHotMiddleware(webpack.compiler);
-
-  return (req, res, next) => middleware(req, res, next);
-};
diff --git a/server/server.js b/server/server.js
index 27d3745..2e7dc2e 100644
--- a/server/server.js
+++ b/server/server.js
@@ -3,6 +3,13 @@ const loopback = require('loopback');
 const boot = require('loopback-boot');
 
 const app = module.exports = loopback();
+const isProduction = (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production');
+
+const bootConfig = {
+  appRootDir: __dirname,
+};
+
+if (!isProduction) bootConfig.bootDirs = ['boot/dev'];
 
 // start the webserver
 app.start = () => app.listen(() => {
@@ -19,7 +26,7 @@ app.start = () => app.listen(() => {
 
 // Bootstrap the application, configure models, datasources and middleware.
 // Sub-apps like REST API are mounted via boot scripts.
-boot(app, __dirname, (err) => {
+boot(app, bootConfig, (err) => {
   if (err) throw err;
 
   // start the server if `$ node server.js`