diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index f83e28f31026..a6f711c0fe31 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
   "version": "0.1.0",
   "repository": "https://github.com/openedx/edx-platform",
   "scripts": {
-    "postinstall": "scripts/copy-node-modules.sh"
+    "postinstall": "scripts/copy-node-modules.sh",
+    "webpack": "NODE_ENV=${NODE_ENV:-production} \"$(npm bin)/webpack\" --config=${WEBPACK_CONFIG_PATH:-webpack.prod.config.js}",
+    "webpack-dev": "NODE_ENV=development \"$(npm bin)/webpack\" --config=webpack.dev.config.js"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@babel/core": "7.19.0",
diff --git a/webpack.common.config.js b/webpack.common.config.js
index bebd07cbb599..9a65796184ee 100644
--- a/webpack.common.config.js
+++ b/webpack.common.config.js
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ var defineFooter = new RegExp('(' + defineCallFooter.source + ')|('
                              + defineDirectFooter.source + ')|('
                              + defineFancyFooter.source + ')', 'm');
 
+var staticRootLms = process.env.STATIC_ROOT_LMS || "./test_root/staticfiles";
+var staticRootCms = process.env.STATIC_ROOT_CMS || (staticRootLms + "/studio");
+
 var workerConfig = function() {
     try {
         return {
@@ -39,7 +42,7 @@ var workerConfig = function() {
                 },
                 plugins: [
                     new BundleTracker({
-                        path: process.env.STATIC_ROOT_LMS,
+                        path: staticRootLms,
                         filename: 'webpack-worker-stats.json'
                     }),
                     new webpack.DefinePlugin({
@@ -131,14 +134,15 @@ module.exports = Merge.smart({
         },
 
         plugins: [
+            new webpack.ProgressPlugin(),  // report progress during compilation
             new webpack.NoEmitOnErrorsPlugin(),
             new webpack.NamedModulesPlugin(),
             new BundleTracker({
-                path: process.env.STATIC_ROOT_CMS,
+                path: staticRootCms,
                 filename: 'webpack-stats.json'
             }),
             new BundleTracker({
-                path: process.env.STATIC_ROOT_LMS,
+                path: staticRootLms,
                 filename: 'webpack-stats.json'
             }),
             new webpack.ProvidePlugin({
diff --git a/webpack.dev.config.js b/webpack.dev.config.js
index 3987e82fdf7d..90018a901002 100644
--- a/webpack.dev.config.js
+++ b/webpack.dev.config.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ module.exports = _.values(Merge.smart(commonConfig, {
             }),
             new webpack.DefinePlugin({
                 'process.env.NODE_ENV': JSON.stringify('development'),
-                'process.env.JS_ENV_EXTRA_CONFIG': process.env.JS_ENV_EXTRA_CONFIG
+                'process.env.JS_ENV_EXTRA_CONFIG': process.env.JS_ENV_EXTRA_CONFIG || "{}"
             })
         ],
         module: {
diff --git a/webpack.prod.config.js b/webpack.prod.config.js
index d71031cffc43..cff1f23699fd 100644
--- a/webpack.prod.config.js
+++ b/webpack.prod.config.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ var optimizedConfig = Merge.smart(commonConfig, {
         plugins: [
             new webpack.DefinePlugin({
                 'process.env.NODE_ENV': JSON.stringify('production'),
-                'process.env.JS_ENV_EXTRA_CONFIG': process.env.JS_ENV_EXTRA_CONFIG
+                'process.env.JS_ENV_EXTRA_CONFIG': process.env.JS_ENV_EXTRA_CONFIG || "{}"
             }),
             new webpack.LoaderOptionsPlugin({ // This may not be needed; legacy option for loaders written for webpack 1
                 minimize: true