diff --git a/packages/react-scripts/scripts/init.js b/packages/react-scripts/scripts/init.js
index bf6b1d730ab..57436f1472e 100644
--- a/packages/react-scripts/scripts/init.js
+++ b/packages/react-scripts/scripts/init.js
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ module.exports = async function(
 
   // Setup the script rules
   appPackage.scripts = {
-    start: 'react-scripts start',
+    start: 'PORT=5000 react-scripts start',
     build: 'react-scripts build',
     test: 'react-scripts test',
     eject: 'react-scripts eject',
diff --git a/packages/react-scripts/scripts/utils/frontierInit.js b/packages/react-scripts/scripts/utils/frontierInit.js
index 4a2c9b06eda..962f6564385 100644
--- a/packages/react-scripts/scripts/utils/frontierInit.js
+++ b/packages/react-scripts/scripts/utils/frontierInit.js
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ function installFrontierDependencies(appPath, answers, useYarn, ownPath) {
   const defaultModules = [
     'http-proxy-middleware@0.19.0',
     'react-router-dom@4.3.1',
+    'fs-webdev/exo'
   ];
   installModulesSync(defaultModules, useYarn);
 }
diff --git a/packages/react-scripts/template-redux/src/setupProxy.js b/packages/react-scripts/template-redux/src/setupProxy.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d45fe63c2de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react-scripts/template-redux/src/setupProxy.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+// sets local proxies using http-proxy-middleware configs
+// docs here: https://github.com/fs-webdev/exo#proxy
+const setProxies = require('exo/proxy');
+
+module.exports = (app) => {
+  setProxies(app);
+}
diff --git a/packages/react-scripts/template-typescript/src/setupProxy.js b/packages/react-scripts/template-typescript/src/setupProxy.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d45fe63c2de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react-scripts/template-typescript/src/setupProxy.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+// sets local proxies using http-proxy-middleware configs
+// docs here: https://github.com/fs-webdev/exo#proxy
+const setProxies = require('exo/proxy');
+
+module.exports = (app) => {
+  setProxies(app);
+}
diff --git a/packages/react-scripts/template/src/setupProxy.js b/packages/react-scripts/template/src/setupProxy.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d45fe63c2de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react-scripts/template/src/setupProxy.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+// sets local proxies using http-proxy-middleware configs
+// docs here: https://github.com/fs-webdev/exo#proxy
+const setProxies = require('exo/proxy');
+
+module.exports = (app) => {
+  setProxies(app);
+}