diff --git a/docs/GettingStarted.md b/docs/GettingStarted.md
index e10bd410fe13..59c3d9ffc968 100644
--- a/docs/GettingStarted.md
+++ b/docs/GettingStarted.md
@@ -98,6 +98,14 @@ Node.js comes with npm, which lets you install the React Native command line int
 npm install -g react-native-cli
 ```
 
+Ensure your version of npm is greater than 3:
+```
+npm --version
+```
+If it is not you can update npm:
+```
+npm install npm@latest -g
+```
 > If you get a *permission error*, try using sudo: `sudo npm install -g react-native-cli`.
 
 > If you get an error like `Cannot find module 'npmlog'`, try installing npm directly: `curl -0 -L http://npmjs.org/install.sh | sudo sh`.
diff --git a/local-cli/__tests__/generators-test.js b/local-cli/__tests__/generators-test.js
index f36fa7021257..0070ec721d41 100644
--- a/local-cli/__tests__/generators-test.js
+++ b/local-cli/__tests__/generators-test.js
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ xdescribe('React Yeoman Generators', function() {
         '.flowconfig',
         '.gitignore',
         '.watchmanconfig',
+        '.babelrc',
         'index.ios.js',
         'index.android.js'
       ]);
diff --git a/local-cli/generator/index.js b/local-cli/generator/index.js
index 10295b68aabe..0bf880f04863 100644
--- a/local-cli/generator/index.js
+++ b/local-cli/generator/index.js
@@ -73,6 +73,10 @@ module.exports = yeoman.generators.NamedBase.extend({
       this.templatePath('_buckconfig'),
       this.destinationPath('.buckconfig')
     );
+    this.fs.copy(
+      this.templatePath('_babelrc'),
+      this.destinationPath('.babelrc')
+    );
   },
 
   writing: function() {
diff --git a/local-cli/generator/templates/_babelrc b/local-cli/generator/templates/_babelrc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..a9ce1369e617
--- /dev/null
+++ b/local-cli/generator/templates/_babelrc
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+  "presets": ["react-native"]
+}