diff --git a/src/asarUtil.ts b/src/asarUtil.ts
index c8d0a273907..18214b2cdf5 100644
--- a/src/asarUtil.ts
+++ b/src/asarUtil.ts
@@ -384,7 +384,11 @@ function writeAsarFile(filesystem: any, dest: string, toPack: Array<string>, cha
   })
 }
 
-export async function checkFileInPackage(asarFile: string, relativeFile: string) {
+export async function checkFileInArchive(asarFile: string, relativeFile: string, messagePrefix: string) {
+  function error(text: string) {
+    return new Error(`${messagePrefix} "${relativeFile}" in the "${asarFile}" ${text}`)
+  }
+
   let stat: AsarFileInfo | null
   try {
     stat = statFile(asarFile, relativeFile)
@@ -392,14 +396,14 @@ export async function checkFileInPackage(asarFile: string, relativeFile: string)
   catch (e) {
     const fileStat = await statOrNull(asarFile)
     if (fileStat == null) {
-      throw new Error(`File "${asarFile}" does not exist. Seems like a wrong configuration.`)
+      throw error(`does not exist. Seems like a wrong configuration.`)
     }
 
     try {
       listPackage(asarFile)
     }
     catch (e) {
-      throw new Error(`File "${asarFile}" is corrupted: ${e}`)
+      throw error(`is corrupted: ${e}`)
     }
 
     // asar throws error on access to undefined object (info.link)
@@ -407,10 +411,10 @@ export async function checkFileInPackage(asarFile: string, relativeFile: string)
   }
 
   if (stat == null) {
-    throw new Error(`Application entry file "${relativeFile}" in the "${asarFile}" does not exist. Seems like a wrong configuration.`)
+    throw error(`does not exist. Seems like a wrong configuration.`)
   }
   if (stat.size === 0) {
-    throw new Error(`Application entry file "${relativeFile}" in the "${asarFile}" is corrupted: size 0`)
+    throw error(`is corrupted: size 0`)
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/metadata.ts b/src/metadata.ts
index 2ce230676a9..82031422abe 100755
--- a/src/metadata.ts
+++ b/src/metadata.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import { ElectronPackagerOptions } from "./packager/dirPackager"
 
 export interface Metadata {
   readonly repository?: string | RepositoryInfo | null
+
+  dependencies?: { [key: string]: string }
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/packager.ts b/src/packager.ts
index 45a224c98da..f4005761d1f 100644
--- a/src/packager.ts
+++ b/src/packager.ts
@@ -168,7 +168,10 @@ export class Packager implements BuildInfo {
     checkNotEmpty("description", appMetadata.description)
     checkNotEmpty("version", appMetadata.version)
 
+    checkDependencies(this.devMetadata.dependencies)
     if ((<any>appMetadata) !== this.devMetadata) {
+      checkDependencies(appMetadata.dependencies)
+
       if ((<any>appMetadata).build != null) {
         throw new Error(util.format(errorMessages.buildInAppSpecified, appPackageFile, devAppPackageFile))
       }
@@ -282,4 +285,16 @@ async function checkWineVersion(checkPromise: Promise<string>) {
   if (semver.lt(wineVersion, "1.8.0")) {
     throw new Error(wineError(`wine 1.8+ is required, but your version is ${wineVersion}`))
   }
+}
+
+function checkDependencies(dependencies?: { [key: string]: string }) {
+  if (dependencies == null) {
+    return
+  }
+
+  for (let name of ["electron", "electron-prebuilt", "electron-builder"]) {
+    if (name in dependencies) {
+      throw new Error(`${name} must be in the devDependencies`)
+    }
+  }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/platformPackager.ts b/src/platformPackager.ts
index aa28d245da5..27aedd651ea 100644
--- a/src/platformPackager.ts
+++ b/src/platformPackager.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { Packager } from "./packager"
 import { AsarOptions } from "asar-electron-builder"
 import { archiveApp } from "./targets/archive"
 import { Minimatch } from "minimatch"
-import { checkFileInPackage, createAsarArchive } from "./asarUtil"
+import { checkFileInArchive, createAsarArchive } from "./asarUtil"
 import { deepAssign } from "./util/deepAssign"
 import { warn, log, task } from "./util/log"
 import { AppInfo } from "./appInfo"
@@ -362,25 +362,24 @@ export abstract class PlatformPackager<DC extends PlatformSpecificBuildOptions>
     return path.join(appOutDir, `${this.appInfo.productFilename}.app`, "Contents", "Resources")
   }
 
-  private async checkFileInPackage(resourcesDir: string, file: string, isAsar: boolean) {
+  private async checkFileInPackage(resourcesDir: string, file: string, messagePrefix: string, isAsar: boolean) {
     const relativeFile = path.relative(this.info.appDir, path.resolve(this.info.appDir, file))
     if (isAsar) {
-      await checkFileInPackage(path.join(resourcesDir, "app.asar"), relativeFile)
+      await checkFileInArchive(path.join(resourcesDir, "app.asar"), relativeFile, messagePrefix)
     }
     else {
       const outStat = await statOrNull(path.join(resourcesDir, "app", relativeFile))
       if (outStat == null) {
-        throw new Error(`Application entry file "${relativeFile}" does not exist. Seems like a wrong configuration.`)
+        throw new Error(`${messagePrefix} "${relativeFile}" does not exist. Seems like a wrong configuration.`)
       }
       else if (!outStat.isFile()) {
-        throw new Error(`Application entry file "${relativeFile}" is not a file. Seems like a wrong configuration.`)
+        throw new Error(`${messagePrefix} "${relativeFile}" is not a file. Seems like a wrong configuration.`)
       }
     }
   }
 
   private async sanityCheckPackage(appOutDir: string, isAsar: boolean): Promise<any> {
     const outStat = await statOrNull(appOutDir)
-
     if (outStat == null) {
       throw new Error(`Output directory "${appOutDir}" does not exist. Seems like a wrong configuration.`)
     }
@@ -388,8 +387,9 @@ export abstract class PlatformPackager<DC extends PlatformSpecificBuildOptions>
       throw new Error(`Output directory "${appOutDir}" is not a directory. Seems like a wrong configuration.`)
     }
 
-    const mainFile = this.appInfo.metadata.main || "index.js"
-    await this.checkFileInPackage(this.getResourcesDir(appOutDir), mainFile, isAsar)
+    const resourcesDir = this.getResourcesDir(appOutDir)
+    await this.checkFileInPackage(resourcesDir, this.appInfo.metadata.main || "index.js", "Application entry file", isAsar)
+    await this.checkFileInPackage(resourcesDir, "package.json", "Application", isAsar)
   }
 
   protected async archiveApp(format: string, appOutDir: string, outFile: string): Promise<any> {
diff --git a/src/util/util.ts b/src/util/util.ts
index a558ebce76e..ca1f6b8299b 100644
--- a/src/util/util.ts
+++ b/src/util/util.ts
@@ -204,6 +204,9 @@ export async function computeDefaultAppDirectory(projectDir: string, userAppDir:
     else if (!stat.isDirectory()) {
       throw new Error(`Application directory ${userAppDir} is not a directory`)
     }
+    else if (projectDir === absolutePath) {
+      warn(`Specified application directory "${userAppDir}" equals to project dir — superfluous or wrong configuration`)
+    }
     return absolutePath
   }
 
@@ -238,7 +241,7 @@ let tmpDirCounter = 0
 const tempDirPrefix = `${process.pid.toString(36)}-${Date.now().toString(36)}`
 
 export function getTempName(prefix?: string | n): string {
-  return `${prefix == null ? "" : prefix + "-"}${tempDirPrefix}-${(tmpDirCounter++).toString(36)}`
+  return `${prefix == null ? "" : `${prefix}-`}${tempDirPrefix}-${(tmpDirCounter++).toString(36)}`
 }
 
 export function isEmptyOrSpaces(s: string | n) {