diff --git a/esbuild/esbuild.js b/esbuild/esbuild.js
index 215d1d9185..a7568721b2 100644
--- a/esbuild/esbuild.js
+++ b/esbuild/esbuild.js
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ let argv = yargs
 		type: "string",
 		description: "Run build for specific apps"
 	})
+	.option("skip_frappe", {
+		type: "boolean",
+		description: "Skip building frappe assets"
+	})
 	.option("watch", {
 		type: "boolean",
 		description: "Run in watch mode and rebuild on file changes"
@@ -44,7 +48,9 @@ let argv = yargs
 	)
 	.version(false).argv;
 
-const APPS = !argv.apps ? app_list : argv.apps.split(",");
+const APPS = (!argv.apps ? app_list : argv.apps.split(",")).filter(
+	app => !(argv.skip_frappe && app == "frappe")
+);
 const WATCH_MODE = Boolean(argv.watch);
 const PRODUCTION = Boolean(argv.production);
 const TOTAL_BUILD_TIME = `${chalk.black.bgGreen(" DONE ")} Total Build Time`;
@@ -294,13 +300,13 @@ function write_meta_file(metafile) {
 				assets_json = Object.assign({}, assets_json, out);
 
 				client.set("assets_json", JSON.stringify(assets_json), err => {
-				if (err) {
-					log_warn("Could not update assets_json in redis_cache");
-				}
-				client.unref();
+					if (err) {
+						log_warn("Could not update assets_json in redis_cache");
+					}
+					client.unref();
+				});
 			});
 		});
-		});
 }
 
 async function notify_redis({ error, success }) {
diff --git a/frappe/build.py b/frappe/build.py
index baedb633b6..471207596b 100644
--- a/frappe/build.py
+++ b/frappe/build.py
@@ -203,44 +203,36 @@ def setup():
 	app_paths = [os.path.dirname(pymodule.__file__) for pymodule in pymodules]
 
 
-def get_node_pacman():
-	exec_ = find_executable("yarn")
-	if exec_:
-		return exec_
-	raise ValueError("Yarn not found")
-
-
-def bundle(no_compress, app=None, make_copy=False, restore=False, verbose=False, skip_frappe=False):
+def bundle(mode, apps=None, make_copy=False, restore=False, verbose=False, skip_frappe=False):
 	"""concat / minify js files"""
 	setup()
 	make_asset_dirs(make_copy=make_copy, restore=restore)
 
-	pacman = get_node_pacman()
-	mode = "build" if no_compress else "production"
-	command = "{pacman} run {mode}".format(pacman=pacman, mode=mode)
+	mode = "production" if mode == "production" else "build"
+	command = "yarn run {mode}".format(mode=mode)
 
-	if app:
-		command += " --app {app}".format(app=app)
+	if apps:
+		command += " --apps {apps}".format(apps=apps)
 
 	if skip_frappe:
 		command += " --skip_frappe"
 
-	frappe_app_path = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(app_paths[0], ".."))
 	check_yarn()
+	frappe_app_path = frappe.get_app_path("frappe", "..")
 	frappe.commands.popen(command, cwd=frappe_app_path, env=get_node_env())
 
 
-def watch(no_compress):
+def watch(apps=None):
 	"""watch and rebuild if necessary"""
 	setup()
 
-	pacman = get_node_pacman()
+	command = "yarn run watch"
+	if apps:
+		command += " --apps {apps}".format(apps=apps)
 
-	frappe_app_path = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(app_paths[0], ".."))
 	check_yarn()
 	frappe_app_path = frappe.get_app_path("frappe", "..")
-	frappe.commands.popen("{pacman} run watch".format(pacman=pacman),
-		cwd=frappe_app_path, env=get_node_env())
+	frappe.commands.popen(command, cwd=frappe_app_path, env=get_node_env())
 
 
 def check_yarn():
diff --git a/frappe/commands/utils.py b/frappe/commands/utils.py
index a203c8c6d9..65557f62d3 100644
--- a/frappe/commands/utils.py
+++ b/frappe/commands/utils.py
@@ -15,34 +15,45 @@ from frappe.utils import get_bench_path, update_progress_bar, cint
 
 
 @click.command('build')
-@click.option('--app', help='Build assets for app')
+@click.option('--app', help='Build assets for specific app')
+@click.option('--apps', help='Build assets for specific apps')
 @click.option('--make-copy', is_flag=True, default=False, help='Copy the files instead of symlinking')
 @click.option('--restore', is_flag=True, default=False, help='Copy the files instead of symlinking with force')
-@click.option('--verbose', is_flag=True, default=False, help='Verbose')
+@click.option('--production', is_flag=True, default=False, help='Build assets in production mode')
 @click.option('--force', is_flag=True, default=False, help='Force build assets instead of downloading available')
-def build(app=None, make_copy=False, restore=False, verbose=False, force=False):
-	"Minify + concatenate JS and CSS files, build translations"
-	import frappe.build
+@click.option('--verbose', is_flag=True, default=False, help='Verbose')
+def build(app=None, apps=None, make_copy=False, restore=False, production=False, verbose=False, force=False):
+	"Compile JS and CSS source files"
+	from frappe.build import bundle, download_frappe_assets
+
 	frappe.init('')
-	# don't minify in developer_mode for faster builds
-	no_compress = frappe.local.conf.developer_mode or False
+
+	if not apps and app:
+		apps = app
 
 	# dont try downloading assets if force used, app specified or running via CI
-	if not (force or app or os.environ.get('CI')):
+	if not (force or apps or os.environ.get('CI')):
 		# skip building frappe if assets exist remotely
-		skip_frappe = frappe.build.download_frappe_assets(verbose=verbose)
+		skip_frappe = download_frappe_assets(verbose=verbose)
 	else:
 		skip_frappe = False
 
-	frappe.build.bundle(no_compress, app=app, make_copy=make_copy, restore=restore, verbose=verbose, skip_frappe=skip_frappe)
+	# don't minify in developer_mode for faster builds
+	development = frappe.local.conf.developer_mode or frappe.local.dev_server
+	mode = "development" if development else "production"
+	if production:
+		mode = "production"
+
+	bundle(mode, apps=apps, make_copy=make_copy, restore=restore, verbose=verbose, skip_frappe=skip_frappe)
 
 
 @click.command('watch')
-def watch():
-	"Watch and concatenate JS and CSS files as and when they change"
-	import frappe.build
+@click.option('--apps', help='Watch assets for specific apps')
+def watch(apps=None):
+	"Watch and compile JS and CSS files as and when they change"
+	from frappe.build import watch
 	frappe.init('')
-	frappe.build.watch(True)
+	watch(apps)
 
 
 @click.command('clear-cache')