diff --git a/packages/cli/index.js b/packages/cli/index.js
index 9ddf04d74..84458a1d5 100755
--- a/packages/cli/index.js
+++ b/packages/cli/index.js
@@ -10,7 +10,14 @@ process.env.BABEL_ENV = "development";
 // this babel register is mainly so you can have a webpack config file in es6
 // without a .babel extension
 require("babel-register")({
-  presets: [require.resolve("@phenomic/babel-preset")],
+  presets: [
+    // used to allow import/export
+    // see https://github.com/phenomic/phenomic/issues/1170
+    require.resolve("babel-preset-env"),
+    // used to allow react/flow in Html.js for plugin react
+    // @todo: consider moving babel-register in this plugin for this file only?
+    require.resolve("babel-preset-react")
+  ],
   sourceMap: "inline"
 });
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/package.json b/packages/cli/package.json
index a18f26c10..6fea0d838 100644
--- a/packages/cli/package.json
+++ b/packages/cli/package.json
@@ -15,9 +15,10 @@
   },
   "files": ["index.js", "lib"],
   "dependencies": {
-    "@phenomic/babel-preset": "^1.0.0-alpha.10",
     "@phenomic/core": "^1.0.0-alpha.10",
     "babel-register": "^6.24.0",
+    "babel-preset-env": "^1.6.0",
+    "babel-preset-react": "^6.24.0",
     "chalk": "^1.1.3",
     "debug": "^2.6.0",
     "semver": "^5.3.0",