diff --git a/.babelrc b/.babelrc
index b3a3588e0e..26ca3a9558 100644
--- a/.babelrc
+++ b/.babelrc
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 {
-  "extends": "@polkadot/dev/config/babel"
+  "extends": "@polkadot/dev/config/babel",
+  "presets": ["react"]
 }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 320aa349ee..6afbbec313 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
     "packages/*"
   ],
   "scripts": {
-    "build": "cd packages/portal && react-scripts build",
+    "build": "polkadot-dev-build-babel && yarn run build:portal",
+    "build:portal": "cd packages/portal && react-scripts build",
     "check": "eslint packages && flow check",
     "start": "cd packages/portal && react-scripts start",
     "test": "echo 'to tests executed'"
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@polkadot/dev": "^0.17.11",
+    "babel-preset-react": "^6.24.1",
     "lerna": "^2.5.1",
     "react-scripts": "2.0.0-next.66cc7a90"
   },
diff --git a/packages/app-explorer/package.json b/packages/app-explorer/package.json
index 2d12de53e4..85b4354a04 100644
--- a/packages/app-explorer/package.json
+++ b/packages/app-explorer/package.json
@@ -5,12 +5,10 @@
   "repository": "https://github.com/polkadot-js/portal.git",
   "author": "Jaco Greeff <jacogr@gmail.com>",
   "license": "ISC",
-  "private": true,
   "scripts": {
-    "build": "react-scripts build",
+    "build": "polkadot-dev-build-babel",
     "check": "stylelint 'src/**/*.css' && eslint src && flow check",
-    "start": "react-scripts start",
-    "test": "react-scripts test --env=jsdom --coverage"
+    "test": "jest --coverage"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@polkadot/primitives": "^0.10.3",
diff --git a/packages/app-extrinsics/package.json b/packages/app-extrinsics/package.json
index e126c1c6b7..08b0d354db 100644
--- a/packages/app-extrinsics/package.json
+++ b/packages/app-extrinsics/package.json
@@ -5,12 +5,10 @@
   "repository": "https://github.com/polkadot-js/portal.git",
   "author": "Jaco Greeff <jacogr@gmail.com>",
   "license": "ISC",
-  "private": true,
   "scripts": {
-    "build": "react-scripts build",
+    "build": "polkadot-dev-build-babel",
     "check": "stylelint 'src/**/*.css' && eslint src && flow check",
-    "start": "react-scripts start",
-    "test": "react-scripts test --env=jsdom --coverage"
+    "test": "jest --coverage"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@polkadot/rx-react": "^0.4.6",
diff --git a/packages/portal/package.json b/packages/portal/package.json
index 7d9f319a3e..11da941307 100644
--- a/packages/portal/package.json
+++ b/packages/portal/package.json
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
   "repository": "https://github.com/polkadot-js/portal.git",
   "author": "Jaco Greeff <jacogr@gmail.com>",
   "license": "ISC",
-  "private": false,
   "scripts": {
     "build": "react-scripts build",
     "check": "stylelint 'src/**/*.css' && eslint src && flow check",
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index e0412a2b52..bf234a7108 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -1318,6 +1318,14 @@ babel-helper-builder-binary-assignment-operator-visitor@^6.24.1:
     babel-runtime "^6.22.0"
     babel-types "^6.24.1"
 
+babel-helper-builder-react-jsx@^6.24.1:
+  version "6.26.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/babel-helper-builder-react-jsx/-/babel-helper-builder-react-jsx-6.26.0.tgz#39ff8313b75c8b65dceff1f31d383e0ff2a408a0"
+  dependencies:
+    babel-runtime "^6.26.0"
+    babel-types "^6.26.0"
+    esutils "^2.0.2"
+
 babel-helper-call-delegate@^6.24.1:
   version "6.24.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/babel-helper-call-delegate/-/babel-helper-call-delegate-6.24.1.tgz#ece6aacddc76e41c3461f88bfc575bd0daa2df8d"
@@ -1484,6 +1492,10 @@ babel-plugin-syntax-flow@^6.18.0:
   version "6.18.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/babel-plugin-syntax-flow/-/babel-plugin-syntax-flow-6.18.0.tgz#4c3ab20a2af26aa20cd25995c398c4eb70310c8d"
 
+babel-plugin-syntax-jsx@^6.3.13, babel-plugin-syntax-jsx@^6.8.0:
+  version "6.18.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/babel-plugin-syntax-jsx/-/babel-plugin-syntax-jsx-6.18.0.tgz#0af32a9a6e13ca7a3fd5069e62d7b0f58d0d8946"
+
 babel-plugin-syntax-object-rest-spread@^6.13.0, babel-plugin-syntax-object-rest-spread@^6.8.0:
   version "6.13.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/babel-plugin-syntax-object-rest-spread/-/babel-plugin-syntax-object-rest-spread-6.13.0.tgz#fd6536f2bce13836ffa3a5458c4903a597bb3bf5"
@@ -1705,6 +1717,34 @@ babel-plugin-transform-object-rest-spread@^6.26.0:
     babel-plugin-syntax-object-rest-spread "^6.8.0"
     babel-runtime "^6.26.0"
 
+babel-plugin-transform-react-display-name@^6.23.0:
+  version "6.25.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/babel-plugin-transform-react-display-name/-/babel-plugin-transform-react-display-name-6.25.0.tgz#67e2bf1f1e9c93ab08db96792e05392bf2cc28d1"
+  dependencies:
+    babel-runtime "^6.22.0"
+
+babel-plugin-transform-react-jsx-self@^6.22.0:
+  version "6.22.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/babel-plugin-transform-react-jsx-self/-/babel-plugin-transform-react-jsx-self-6.22.0.tgz#df6d80a9da2612a121e6ddd7558bcbecf06e636e"
+  dependencies:
+    babel-plugin-syntax-jsx "^6.8.0"
+    babel-runtime "^6.22.0"
+
+babel-plugin-transform-react-jsx-source@^6.22.0:
+  version "6.22.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/babel-plugin-transform-react-jsx-source/-/babel-plugin-transform-react-jsx-source-6.22.0.tgz#66ac12153f5cd2d17b3c19268f4bf0197f44ecd6"
+  dependencies:
+    babel-plugin-syntax-jsx "^6.8.0"
+    babel-runtime "^6.22.0"
+
+babel-plugin-transform-react-jsx@^6.24.1:
+  version "6.24.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/babel-plugin-transform-react-jsx/-/babel-plugin-transform-react-jsx-6.24.1.tgz#840a028e7df460dfc3a2d29f0c0d91f6376e66a3"
+  dependencies:
+    babel-helper-builder-react-jsx "^6.24.1"
+    babel-plugin-syntax-jsx "^6.8.0"
+    babel-runtime "^6.22.0"
+
 babel-plugin-transform-react-remove-prop-types@0.4.12:
   version "0.4.12"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/babel-plugin-transform-react-remove-prop-types/-/babel-plugin-transform-react-remove-prop-types-0.4.12.tgz#a382c27c42d6580748c80caf8c3d5091edbb60b8"
@@ -1771,6 +1811,12 @@ babel-preset-env@^1.6.1:
     invariant "^2.2.2"
     semver "^5.3.0"
 
+babel-preset-flow@^6.23.0:
+  version "6.23.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/babel-preset-flow/-/babel-preset-flow-6.23.0.tgz#e71218887085ae9a24b5be4169affb599816c49d"
+  dependencies:
+    babel-plugin-transform-flow-strip-types "^6.22.0"
+
 babel-preset-jest@^22.1.0, babel-preset-jest@^22.4.3:
   version "22.4.3"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/babel-preset-jest/-/babel-preset-jest-22.4.3.tgz#e92eef9813b7026ab4ca675799f37419b5a44156"
@@ -1799,6 +1845,17 @@ babel-preset-react-app@4.0.0-next.66cc7a90:
     babel-plugin-transform-dynamic-import "2.0.0"
     babel-plugin-transform-react-remove-prop-types "0.4.12"
 
+babel-preset-react@^6.24.1:
+  version "6.24.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/babel-preset-react/-/babel-preset-react-6.24.1.tgz#ba69dfaea45fc3ec639b6a4ecea6e17702c91380"
+  dependencies:
+    babel-plugin-syntax-jsx "^6.3.13"
+    babel-plugin-transform-react-display-name "^6.23.0"
+    babel-plugin-transform-react-jsx "^6.24.1"
+    babel-plugin-transform-react-jsx-self "^6.22.0"
+    babel-plugin-transform-react-jsx-source "^6.22.0"
+    babel-preset-flow "^6.23.0"
+
 babel-register@^6.26.0:
   version "6.26.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/babel-register/-/babel-register-6.26.0.tgz#6ed021173e2fcb486d7acb45c6009a856f647071"