diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 42a3621225..5756d77ef8 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -11,9 +11,10 @@
   },
   "scripts": {
     "start": "babel-node server/server.js",
+    "prestart-production": "bower cache clean && bower install && gulp build",
+    "start-production": "node pm2Start",
     "lint": "eslint --ext=.js,.jsx .",
-    "test": "mocha",
-    "postinstall": "bower cache clean && bower install && gulp build"
+    "test": "mocha"
   },
   "license": "BSD-3-Clause",
   "contributors": [
diff --git a/pm2Start.js b/pm2Start.js
index 6689e2d616..57b3bbc68e 100644
--- a/pm2Start.js
+++ b/pm2Start.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ var pm2 = require('pm2');
 pm2.connect(function() {
   pm2.start({
     name: 'server',
-    script: 'server/server.js',
+    script: 'server/production-start.js',
     'exec_mode': 'cluster',
     instances: '2',
     'max_memory_restart': '900M'
diff --git a/server/debug-entry.js b/server/debug-entry.js
index f0a88e9337..0d04431c3e 100644
--- a/server/debug-entry.js
+++ b/server/debug-entry.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
+// use this file with runners like node-debug
+// or mocha.
 require('babel/register');
 var app = require('./server');
-
 app.start();
diff --git a/server/production-start.js b/server/production-start.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..79fbab6f54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/production-start.js
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+// this ensures node understands the future
+require('babel/register');
+
+var startTime = Date.now();
+var timeoutHandler;
+// this is where server starts booting up
+var app = require('./server');
+console.log('waiting for db to connect');
+
+
+var onConnect = function() {
+  console.log('db connected in %s ms', Date.now() - startTime);
+  if (timeoutHandler) {
+    clearTimeout(timeoutHandler);
+  }
+  app.start();
+};
+
+var timeoutHandler = setTimeout(function() {
+  var message =
+    'db did not after  ' +
+    (Date.now() - startTime) +
+    ' ms connect crashing hard';
+
+  console.log(message);
+  // purposely shutdown server
+  // pm2 should restart this in production
+  throw new Error(message);
+}, 5000);
+
+app.dataSources.db.on('connected', onConnect);
diff --git a/server/server.js b/server/server.js
index 34c686ec9f..070ab1b620 100755
--- a/server/server.js
+++ b/server/server.js
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@ require('dotenv').load();
 var pmx = require('pmx');
 pmx.init();
 
-var R = require('ramda'),
-  assign = require('lodash').assign,
+var assign = require('lodash').assign,
   loopback = require('loopback'),
   boot = require('loopback-boot'),
   accepts = require('accepts'),
@@ -199,7 +198,6 @@ app.use(
   })
 );
 
-var startTime = Date.now();
 boot(app, {
   appRootDir: __dirname,
   dev: process.env.NODE_ENV
@@ -249,7 +247,7 @@ var passportOptions = {
   }
 };
 
-R.keys(passportProviders).map(function(strategy) {
+Object.keys(passportProviders).map(function(strategy) {
   var config = passportProviders[strategy];
   config.session = config.session !== false;
   passportConfigurator.configureProvider(
@@ -310,8 +308,6 @@ if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development') {
   });
 }
 
-module.exports = app;
-
 app.start = function() {
   app.listen(app.get('port'), function() {
     app.emit('started');
@@ -323,34 +319,12 @@ app.start = function() {
   });
 };
 
+module.exports = app;
+
 // start the server if `$ node server.js`
+// in production use `$npm start-production`
+// or `$node server/production` to start the server
+// and wait for DB handshake
 if (require.main === module) {
-  if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production') {
-    var timeoutHandler;
-    console.log('waiting for db to connect');
-
-    var onConnect = function() {
-      console.log('db connected in %s ms', Date.now() - startTime);
-      if (timeoutHandler) {
-        clearTimeout(timeoutHandler);
-      }
-      app.start();
-    };
-
-    var timeoutHandler = setTimeout(function() {
-      var message =
-        'db did not after  ' +
-        (Date.now() - startTime) +
-        ' ms connect crashing hard';
-
-      console.log(message);
-      // purposely shutdown server
-      // pm2 should restart this in production
-      throw new Error(message);
-    }, 5000);
-
-    app.dataSources.db.on('connected', onConnect);
-  } else {
-    app.start();
-  }
+  app.start();
 }