diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 999957c39d..56a5ba1576 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -872,7 +872,7 @@ include_directories(
 )
 
 ################################################################################
-## PATHS, installation, packages
+## PATHS, installation, packages, frontend
 ################################################################################
 
 if (MSVC)
@@ -882,6 +882,7 @@ if (MSVC)
 endif()
 
 include(ArangoDBInstall)
+include(frontend/aardvark)
 if (NOT(SKIP_PACKAGING))
   include(packages/packages)
 endif()
diff --git a/README_maintainers.md b/README_maintainers.md
index dde33fd2d7..eaa3f42130 100644
--- a/README_maintainers.md
+++ b/README_maintainers.md
@@ -911,33 +911,9 @@ Then adjust the docker images in the config (`arangodb3.json`) and redeploy it u
 Front-End (WebUI)
 =========
 
-To see the changes of possible modifications in javascript files, templates
-and scss files please use grunt to generate the bundled version. 
-
-To install grunt (with all related dependencies), just go to the frontend app
-folder (/js/apps/system/_admin/aardvark/APP) and run: 
-
-`npm install`
-
-On Mac OS you also have to install grunt-cli:
-
-`(sudo) npm install -g grunt-cli`
-
-Then you can choose between three choices:
-
-1. Build all arangodb related files:
-
-  * `grunt`
-
-2. Build all arangodb related files, including libraries. This should always
-be used when we offer a new major release of arangodb.
-
-  * `grunt deploy`
-
-3. Live build arangodb related files, when a file has been changed. This task
-does not include the minifying process.
-
-  * `grunt watch`
+To build the current frontend build please use the command: `make frontend`.
+The command `make frontend_clean` will remove all available node modules and
+start a clean installation.
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 NPM dependencies
diff --git a/cmake/frontend/aardvark.cmake b/cmake/frontend/aardvark.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ec61a9cccb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/frontend/aardvark.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+
+################################################################################
+## frontend build
+################################################################################
+add_custom_target(frontend
+  COMMENT "create frontend build"
+  COMMAND npm i --prefix ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/js/apps/system/_admin/aardvark/APP
+  COMMAND npm install --prefix ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/js/apps/system/_admin/aardvark/APP grunt
+  COMMAND ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/js/apps/system/_admin/aardvark/APP/node_modules/grunt/bin/grunt --gruntfile ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/js/apps/system/_admin/aardvark/APP/GruntFile.js deploy
+  )
+
+add_custom_target(frontend_clean
+  COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E remove_directory ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/js/apps/system/_admin/aardvark/APP/node_modules
+  COMMENT "Removing frontend node modules"
+  )
+
diff --git a/js/apps/system/_admin/aardvark/APP/package.json b/js/apps/system/_admin/aardvark/APP/package.json
index 59757d4b85..602d22fc3e 100644
--- a/js/apps/system/_admin/aardvark/APP/package.json
+++ b/js/apps/system/_admin/aardvark/APP/package.json
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
     "eslint-config-standard": "^6.2.1",
     "eslint-plugin-promise": "^3.3.2",
     "eslint-plugin-standard": "^2.0.1",
-    "grunt": "*",
+    "grunt": "^1.0.1",
     "grunt-babel": "*",
     "grunt-concat-in-order": "*",
     "grunt-concurrent": "*",
@@ -26,18 +26,11 @@
     "grunt-contrib-uglify": "*",
     "grunt-contrib-watch": "*",
     "grunt-eslint": "^19.0.0",
-    "grunt-karma": "*",
     "grunt-processhtml": "*",
     "grunt-sass": "*",
     "grunt-text-replace": "*",
-    "jasmine-core": "*",
-    "karma": "*",
-    "karma-coverage": "*",
-    "karma-jasmine": "*",
-    "karma-phantomjs-launcher": "*",
     "load-grunt-tasks": "*",
     "matchdep": "*",
-    "phantomjs-prebuilt": "*",
     "sass": "*"
   },
   "repository": {
@@ -45,7 +38,6 @@
     "url": "git://github.com/arangodb/arangodb.git"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "grunt": "^1.0.1",
     "grunt-babel": "^6.0.0",
     "grunt-concat-in-order": "^0.2.6",
     "grunt-contrib-compress": "^1.3.0",
@@ -57,13 +49,8 @@
     "grunt-contrib-sass": "^1.0.0",
     "grunt-contrib-uglify": "^1.0.1",
     "grunt-contrib-watch": "^1.0.0",
-    "grunt-karma": "^2.0.0",
     "grunt-processhtml": "^0.4.0",
     "grunt-sass": "^1.2.0",
-    "karma": "^0.13.22",
-    "karma-coverage": "^1.0.0",
-    "karma-jasmine": "^1.0.2",
-    "karma-phantomjs-launcher": "^1.0.0",
     "matchdep": "^1.0.1"
   }
 }