diff --git a/packages/webpack5/__tests__/configuration/__snapshots__/react.spec.ts.snap b/packages/webpack5/__tests__/configuration/__snapshots__/react.spec.ts.snap
index 410938a57..6b3878a5e 100644
--- a/packages/webpack5/__tests__/configuration/__snapshots__/react.spec.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/webpack5/__tests__/configuration/__snapshots__/react.spec.ts.snap
@@ -175,10 +175,10 @@ exports[`react configuration > android > adds ReactRefreshWebpackPlugin when HMR
         'process.env.NODE_ENV': '\\"development\\"'
       }
     ),
-    /* config.plugin('BundleAnalyzerPlugin') */
-    new BundleAnalyzerPlugin(),
     /* config.plugin('WatchStateLoggerPlugin') */
     new WatchStateLoggerPlugin(),
+    /* config.plugin('HotModuleReplacementPlugin') */
+    new HotModuleReplacementPlugin(),
     /* config.plugin('ReactRefreshWebpackPlugin') */
     new ReactRefreshWebpackPlugin(
       {
@@ -370,8 +370,6 @@ exports[`react configuration > android > base config 1`] = `
         'process.env.NODE_ENV': '\\"development\\"'
       }
     ),
-    /* config.plugin('BundleAnalyzerPlugin') */
-    new BundleAnalyzerPlugin(),
     /* config.plugin('WatchStateLoggerPlugin') */
     new WatchStateLoggerPlugin()
   ],
@@ -558,10 +556,10 @@ exports[`react configuration > ios > adds ReactRefreshWebpackPlugin when HMR ena
         'process.env.NODE_ENV': '\\"development\\"'
       }
     ),
-    /* config.plugin('BundleAnalyzerPlugin') */
-    new BundleAnalyzerPlugin(),
     /* config.plugin('WatchStateLoggerPlugin') */
     new WatchStateLoggerPlugin(),
+    /* config.plugin('HotModuleReplacementPlugin') */
+    new HotModuleReplacementPlugin(),
     /* config.plugin('ReactRefreshWebpackPlugin') */
     new ReactRefreshWebpackPlugin(
       {
@@ -756,8 +754,6 @@ exports[`react configuration > ios > base config 1`] = `
         'process.env.NODE_ENV': '\\"development\\"'
       }
     ),
-    /* config.plugin('BundleAnalyzerPlugin') */
-    new BundleAnalyzerPlugin(),
     /* config.plugin('WatchStateLoggerPlugin') */
     new WatchStateLoggerPlugin()
   ],
diff --git a/packages/webpack5/__tests__/configuration/__snapshots__/vue.spec.ts.snap b/packages/webpack5/__tests__/configuration/__snapshots__/vue.spec.ts.snap
index 652e4acb5..4c9c8f317 100644
--- a/packages/webpack5/__tests__/configuration/__snapshots__/vue.spec.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/webpack5/__tests__/configuration/__snapshots__/vue.spec.ts.snap
@@ -184,8 +184,6 @@ exports[`vue configuration for android 1`] = `
         profile: '() => {}'
       }
     ),
-    /* config.plugin('BundleAnalyzerPlugin') */
-    new BundleAnalyzerPlugin(),
     /* config.plugin('WatchStateLoggerPlugin') */
     new WatchStateLoggerPlugin()
   ],
@@ -381,8 +379,6 @@ exports[`vue configuration for ios 1`] = `
         profile: '() => {}'
       }
     ),
-    /* config.plugin('BundleAnalyzerPlugin') */
-    new BundleAnalyzerPlugin(),
     /* config.plugin('WatchStateLoggerPlugin') */
     new WatchStateLoggerPlugin()
   ],
diff --git a/packages/webpack5/src/configuration/base.ts b/packages/webpack5/src/configuration/base.ts
index b1eb97f1f..87f78d52c 100644
--- a/packages/webpack5/src/configuration/base.ts
+++ b/packages/webpack5/src/configuration/base.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import {
 } from '../helpers/project';
 
 import { CleanWebpackPlugin } from 'clean-webpack-plugin';
-import { DefinePlugin } from 'webpack';
+import { DefinePlugin, HotModuleReplacementPlugin } from 'webpack';
 import { WatchStateLoggerPlugin } from '../plugins/WatchStateLoggerPlugin';
 import TerserPlugin from 'terser-webpack-plugin';
 import { BundleAnalyzerPlugin } from 'webpack-bundle-analyzer';
@@ -188,12 +188,17 @@ export default function (config: Config, env: IWebpackEnv): Config {
 	// 	},
 	// ]);
 
-	// todo: make opt-in with a flag
-	config.plugin('BundleAnalyzerPlugin').use(BundleAnalyzerPlugin);
-
 	// add the WatchStateLogger plugin used to notify the CLI of build state
 	config.plugin('WatchStateLoggerPlugin').use(WatchStateLoggerPlugin);
 
+	config.when(env.hmr, (config) => {
+		config.plugin('HotModuleReplacementPlugin').use(HotModuleReplacementPlugin);
+	});
+
+	config.when(env.report, (config) => {
+		config.plugin('BundleAnalyzerPlugin').use(BundleAnalyzerPlugin);
+	});
+
 	return config;
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/webpack5/src/helpers/config.ts b/packages/webpack5/src/helpers/config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b194acf32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/webpack5/src/helpers/config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import { env } from '../index';
+import { error } from './log';
+
+function getCLILib() {
+	if (!env.nativescriptLibPath) {
+		throw error(`
+			Cannot find NativeScript CLI path. Make sure --env.nativescriptLibPath is passed
+		`);
+	}
+
+	return require(env.nativescriptLibPath);
+}
+
+export function getValue<T = any>(key: string): T {
+	const lib = getCLILib();
+
+	return (lib.projectConfigService as { getValue(key: string): T }).getValue(
+		key
+	);
+}
diff --git a/packages/webpack5/src/helpers/index.ts b/packages/webpack5/src/helpers/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f80ab7c8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/webpack5/src/helpers/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import { getValue } from './config';
+import { getAllDependencies, getDependencyPath } from './dependencies';
+import { determineProjectFlavor } from './flavor';
+import { error, info, warn } from './log';
+import {
+	getAbsoluteDistPath,
+	getDistPath,
+	getEntryPath,
+	getPackageJson,
+	getPlatform,
+	getProjectRootPath,
+} from './project';
+
+// intentionally populated manually
+// as this generates nicer typings
+// that show all the utils inline
+// rather than imports to types
+export default {
+	config: {
+		getValue,
+	},
+	dependencies: {
+		getAllDependencies,
+		getDependencyPath,
+	},
+	flavor: {
+		determineProjectFlavor,
+	},
+	log: {
+		info,
+		warn,
+		error,
+	},
+	project: {
+		getProjectRootPath,
+		getAbsoluteDistPath,
+		getEntryPath,
+		getDistPath,
+		getPlatform,
+		getPackageJson,
+	},
+};
diff --git a/packages/webpack5/src/index.ts b/packages/webpack5/src/index.ts
index b9c20f480..c50b54d61 100644
--- a/packages/webpack5/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/webpack5/src/index.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { configs } from './configuration';
 import { determineProjectFlavor } from './helpers/flavor';
 import { applyExternalConfigs } from './helpers/externalConfigs';
 import { error, info } from './helpers/log';
+import helpers from './helpers';
 
 export type Platform = 'android' | 'ios' | string;
 
@@ -15,6 +16,8 @@ export interface IWebpackEnv {
 	appPath?: string;
 	appResourcesPath?: string;
 
+	nativescriptLibPath?: string;
+
 	android?: boolean;
 	ios?: boolean;
 
@@ -39,6 +42,7 @@ export let env: IWebpackEnv = {};
 
 ////// PUBLIC API
 export const defaultConfigs = configs;
+export const Utils = helpers;
 
 export function init(_env: IWebpackEnv) {
 	hasInitialized = true;