diff --git a/local-cli/core/default.config.js b/local-cli/core/default.config.js
index 1c4d01a6901cf6..c3fb67a4eb8462 100644
--- a/local-cli/core/default.config.js
+++ b/local-cli/core/default.config.js
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ const windows = require('./windows');
 const wrapCommands = require('./wrapCommands');
 const findPlugins = require('./findPlugins');
 
+const findSymlinksPaths = require('../util/findSymlinksPaths');
+const NODE_MODULES = path.resolve(__dirname, '..', '..', '..');
+
 import type {ConfigT} from './index';
 
 const getRNPMConfig = (folder) =>
@@ -32,6 +35,9 @@ const attachPackage = (command, pkg) => Array.isArray(command)
   ? command.map(cmd => attachPackage(cmd, pkg))
   : { ...command, pkg };
 
+const addSymlinkToRoots = (roots) =>
+  roots.concat(findSymlinksPaths(NODE_MODULES, roots));
+
 /**
  * Default configuration for the CLI.
  *
@@ -97,18 +103,21 @@ const config: ConfigT = {
   getProjectRoots() {
     const root = process.env.REACT_NATIVE_APP_ROOT;
     if (root) {
-      return [path.resolve(root)];
+      return addSymlinkToRoots([path.resolve(root)]);
     }
+
+    var roots;
     if (__dirname.match(/node_modules[\/\\]react-native[\/\\]local-cli[\/\\]core$/)) {
       // Packager is running from node_modules.
       // This is the default case for all projects created using 'react-native init'.
-      return [path.resolve(__dirname, '../../../..')];
+      roots = [path.resolve(__dirname, '../../../..')];
     } else if (__dirname.match(/Pods[\/\\]React[\/\\]packager$/)) {
       // React Native was installed using CocoaPods.
-      return [path.resolve(__dirname, '../../../..')];
+      roots = [path.resolve(__dirname, '../../../..')];
     } else {
-      return [path.resolve(__dirname, '../..')];
+      roots = [path.resolve(__dirname, '../..')];
     }
+    return addSymlinkToRoots(roots);
   },
 };
 
diff --git a/local-cli/server/server.js b/local-cli/server/server.js
index 72e9a017b96e92..879c5995f407ad 100644
--- a/local-cli/server/server.js
+++ b/local-cli/server/server.js
@@ -9,20 +9,15 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const chalk = require('chalk');
-const findSymlinksPaths = require('./findSymlinksPaths');
 const formatBanner = require('./formatBanner');
 const path = require('path');
 const runServer = require('./runServer');
-const NODE_MODULES = path.resolve(__dirname, '..', '..', '..');
 
 /**
  * Starts the React Native Packager Server.
  */
 function server(argv, config, args) {
-  const roots = args.projectRoots.concat(args.root);
-  args.projectRoots = roots.concat(
-    findSymlinksPaths(NODE_MODULES, roots)
-  );
+  args.projectRoots.concat(args.root);
 
   console.log(formatBanner(
     'Running packager on port ' + args.port + '.\n\n' +
diff --git a/local-cli/server/findSymlinksPaths.js b/local-cli/util/findSymlinksPaths.js
similarity index 100%
rename from local-cli/server/findSymlinksPaths.js
rename to local-cli/util/findSymlinksPaths.js