diff --git a/NativeScript/NativeScript-Prefix.pch b/NativeScript/NativeScript-Prefix.pch
index 44f1123d..040745b3 100644
--- a/NativeScript/NativeScript-Prefix.pch
+++ b/NativeScript/NativeScript-Prefix.pch
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #ifndef NativeScript_Prefix_pch
 #define NativeScript_Prefix_pch
 
-#define NATIVESCRIPT_VERSION "8.3.0"
+#define NATIVESCRIPT_VERSION "8.3.0-alpha.0"
 
 #ifdef DEBUG
 #define SIZEOF_OFF_T 8
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 95345381..d06487d7 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "@nativescript/ios",
   "description": "NativeScript Runtime for iOS",
-  "version": "8.3.0",
+  "version": "8.3.0-alpha.0",
   "keywords": [
     "NativeScript",
     "iOS",
diff --git a/project-template/__PROJECT_NAME__.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj b/project-template/__PROJECT_NAME__.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
index 61c0f763..7dd5713d 100644
--- a/project-template/__PROJECT_NAME__.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
+++ b/project-template/__PROJECT_NAME__.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 	archiveVersion = 1;
 	classes = {
 	};
-	objectVersion = 52;
+	objectVersion = 54;
 	objects = {
 
 /* Begin PBXBuildFile section */
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@
 /* Begin PBXShellScriptBuildPhase section */
 		C97FD7AC1ADE5369004DB2A4 /* NativeScript PreBuild */ = {
 			isa = PBXShellScriptBuildPhase;
+			alwaysOutOfDate = 1;
 			buildActionMask = 2147483647;
 			files = (
 			);
@@ -228,6 +229,10 @@
 			);
 			name = "NativeScript PreBuild";
 			outputPaths = (
+				"$CONFIGURATION_BUILD_DIR/metadata-arm64.bin",
+				"$CONFIGURATION_BUILD_DIR/metadata-arm64e.bin",
+				"$CONFIGURATION_BUILD_DIR/metadata-i386.bin",
+				"$CONFIGURATION_BUILD_DIR/metadata-x86_64.bin",
 			);
 			runOnlyForDeploymentPostprocessing = 0;
 			shellPath = /bin/sh;
@@ -236,6 +241,7 @@
 		};
 		CD3EAD351B05FF060042DBFC /* NativeScript PostBuild */ = {
 			isa = PBXShellScriptBuildPhase;
+			alwaysOutOfDate = 1;
 			buildActionMask = 2147483647;
 			files = (
 			);
@@ -246,11 +252,12 @@
 			);
 			runOnlyForDeploymentPostprocessing = 0;
 			shellPath = /bin/sh;
-			shellScript = "\"$SRCROOT/internal/nativescript-post-build\"";
+			shellScript = "\"$SRCROOT/internal/nativescript-post-build\"\n";
 			showEnvVarsInLog = 0;
 		};
 		CD62955B1BB2651D00AE3A93 /* NativeScript PreLink */ = {
 			isa = PBXShellScriptBuildPhase;
+			alwaysOutOfDate = 1;
 			buildActionMask = 2147483647;
 			files = (
 			);
@@ -261,7 +268,7 @@
 			);
 			runOnlyForDeploymentPostprocessing = 0;
 			shellPath = /bin/sh;
-			shellScript = "\"$SRCROOT/internal/nativescript-pre-link\"";
+			shellScript = "\"$SRCROOT/internal/nativescript-pre-link\"\n";
 			showEnvVarsInLog = 0;
 		};
 /* End PBXShellScriptBuildPhase section */
diff --git a/project-template/internal/nativescript-pre-build b/project-template/internal/nativescript-pre-build
index 419adc9b..2216ef79 100755
--- a/project-template/internal/nativescript-pre-build
+++ b/project-template/internal/nativescript-pre-build
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-#Ignore errors while inserting environment variables (some could be readonly)
+
+# Ignore errors while inserting environment variables (some could be readonly)
 (echo "set +e"; echo "set +o posix"; export; echo "set -o posix"; echo "set -e";) > ./.build_env_vars.sh
+
+# create temporary empty metadata files for XCode LD/LDPLUSPLUS flag analysis
+for arch in $VALID_ARCHS
+do :
+    touch "$CONFIGURATION_BUILD_DIR/metadata-$arch.bin"
+done