diff --git a/config/test.js b/config/test.js
index 176a392..1c7be95 100644
--- a/config/test.js
+++ b/config/test.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 // @flow
 
+const tmp = require("tmp");
+
 const execDependencyGraph = require("../src/tools/execDependencyGraph");
 
 main();
@@ -69,7 +71,18 @@ function makeTasks(mode /*: "BASIC" | "FULL" */) {
     },
     {
       id: "backend",
-      cmd: ["npm", "run", "--silent", "backend", "--", "--dry-run"],
+      cmd: [
+        "npm",
+        "run",
+        "--silent",
+        "backend",
+        "--",
+        "--output-path",
+        tmp.dirSync({
+          unsafeCleanup: true,
+          prefix: "sourcecred-backend-dry-run-",
+        }).name,
+      ],
       deps: [],
     },
   ];
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e9eaf76..bd94753 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
     "check-pretty": "prettier --list-different '**/*.js'",
     "start": "NODE_ENV=development webpack-dev-server --config config/webpack.config.web.js",
     "build": "NODE_ENV=production webpack --config config/webpack.config.web.js",
-    "backend": "node scripts/backend.js",
+    "backend": "NODE_ENV=development webpack --config config/webpack.config.backend.js",
     "test": "node ./config/test.js",
     "unit": "BABEL_ENV=test NODE_ENV=test jest --env=jsdom",
     "sharness": "make -sC ./sharness prove PROVE_OPTS=-f TEST_OPTS='--chain-lint'",
diff --git a/scripts/backend.js b/scripts/backend.js
deleted file mode 100644
index c9b1674..0000000
--- a/scripts/backend.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,108 +0,0 @@
-// @flow
-"use strict";
-
-// Do this as the first thing so that any code reading it knows the right env.
-process.env.NODE_ENV = process.env.NODE_ENV || "development";
-process.env.BABEL_ENV = process.env.NODE_ENV;
-process.env.SOURCECRED_BACKEND = "true";
-
-require("../src/tools/entry");
-
-// Ensure environment variables are read.
-require("../config/env");
-
-const cloneDeep = require("lodash.clonedeep");
-const path = require("path");
-const chalk = require("chalk");
-const fs = require("fs-extra");
-const tmp = require("tmp");
-const webpack = require("webpack");
-const paths = require("../config/paths");
-const checkRequiredFiles = require("react-dev-utils/checkRequiredFiles");
-const formatWebpackMessages = require("react-dev-utils/formatWebpackMessages");
-const FileSizeReporter = require("react-dev-utils/FileSizeReporter");
-const printBuildError = require("react-dev-utils/printBuildError");
-
-// These sizes are pretty large. We'll warn for bundles exceeding them.
-const WARN_AFTER_BUNDLE_GZIP_SIZE = 512 * 1024;
-const WARN_AFTER_CHUNK_GZIP_SIZE = 1024 * 1024;
-
-build().then(
-  ({stats, outputPath, warnings}) => {
-    if (warnings.length) {
-      console.log(chalk.yellow("Compiled with warnings.\n"));
-      console.log(warnings.join("\n\n"));
-      console.log(
-        "\nSearch for the " +
-          chalk.underline(chalk.yellow("keywords")) +
-          " to learn more about each warning."
-      );
-      console.log(
-        "To ignore, add " +
-          chalk.cyan("// eslint-disable-next-line") +
-          " to the line before.\n"
-      );
-    } else {
-      console.log(chalk.green("Compiled successfully.\n"));
-    }
-
-    const buildFolder = path.relative(process.cwd(), outputPath);
-    console.log(`Build completed; results in '${buildFolder}'.`);
-  },
-  (err) => {
-    console.log(chalk.red("Failed to compile.\n"));
-    printBuildError(err);
-    process.exit(1);
-  }
-);
-
-// Create the backend build
-function build() {
-  console.log("Building backend applications...");
-
-  const config = cloneDeep(require("../config/webpack.config.backend"));
-  if (process.argv.some((s) => s === "--dry-run" || s === "-n")) {
-    config.output.path = tmp.dirSync({
-      unsafeCleanup: true,
-      prefix: "sourcecred-",
-    }).name;
-  }
-  const outputPath = config.output.path;
-
-  let compiler = webpack(config);
-  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-    compiler.run((err, stats) => {
-      if (err) {
-        return reject(err);
-      }
-      const messages = formatWebpackMessages(stats.toJson({}, true));
-      if (messages.errors.length) {
-        // Only keep the first error. Others are often indicative
-        // of the same problem, but confuse the reader with noise.
-        if (messages.errors.length > 1) {
-          messages.errors.length = 1;
-        }
-        return reject(new Error(messages.errors.join("\n\n")));
-      }
-      if (
-        process.env.CI &&
-        (typeof process.env.CI !== "string" ||
-          process.env.CI.toLowerCase() !== "false") &&
-        messages.warnings.length
-      ) {
-        console.log(
-          chalk.yellow(
-            "\nTreating warnings as errors because process.env.CI = true.\n" +
-              "Most CI servers set it automatically.\n"
-          )
-        );
-        return reject(new Error(messages.warnings.join("\n\n")));
-      }
-      return resolve({
-        stats,
-        outputPath,
-        warnings: messages.warnings,
-      });
-    });
-  });
-}