diff --git a/templates/common/root/_Gruntfile.js b/templates/common/root/_Gruntfile.js
index 7786cd09d..ec35a8d28 100644
--- a/templates/common/root/_Gruntfile.js
+++ b/templates/common/root/_Gruntfile.js
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ module.exports = function (grunt) {
   // Time how long tasks take. Can help when optimizing build times
   require('time-grunt')(grunt);
 
+  // Needed to serve static files
+  var serveStatic = require('serve-static');
+
   // Automatically load required Grunt tasks
   require('jit-grunt')(grunt, {
     useminPrepare: 'grunt-usemin',
@@ -101,16 +104,16 @@ module.exports = function (grunt) {
           open: true,
           middleware: function (connect) {
             return [
-              connect.static('.tmp'),
+              serveStatic('.tmp'),
               connect().use(
                 '/bower_components',
-                connect.static('./bower_components')
+                serveStatic('./bower_components')
               ),
               connect().use(
                 '/app/styles',
-                connect.static('./app/styles')
+                serveStatic('./app/styles')
               ),
-              connect.static(appConfig.app)
+              serveStatic(appConfig.app)
             ];
           }
         }
@@ -120,13 +123,13 @@ module.exports = function (grunt) {
           port: 9001,
           middleware: function (connect) {
             return [
-              connect.static('.tmp'),
-              connect.static('test'),
+              serveStatic('.tmp'),
+              serveStatic('test'),
               connect().use(
                 '/bower_components',
-                connect.static('./bower_components')
+                serveStatic('./bower_components')
               ),
-              connect.static(appConfig.app)
+              serveStatic(appConfig.app)
             ];
           }
         }
diff --git a/templates/common/root/_package.json b/templates/common/root/_package.json
index 781e08be0..acafa2bdd 100644
--- a/templates/common/root/_package.json
+++ b/templates/common/root/_package.json
@@ -29,35 +29,36 @@
     "gulp-coffeelint": "^0.5.0",
     "gulp-coffee": "^2.3.1",<% } %><% } else { %>
     "autoprefixer-core": "^5.2.1",
-    "grunt": "^0.4.5",
-    "grunt-angular-templates": "^0.5.7",
-    "grunt-concurrent": "^1.0.0",
-    "grunt-contrib-clean": "^0.6.0",<% if (coffee) { %>
-    "grunt-contrib-coffee": "^0.12.0",<% } %><% if (compass) { %>
-    "grunt-contrib-compass": "^1.0.0",<% } %>
-    "grunt-contrib-concat": "^0.5.0",
-    "grunt-contrib-connect": "^0.9.0",
-    "grunt-contrib-copy": "^0.7.0",
+    "grunt": "^1.0.1",
+    "grunt-angular-templates": "^1.1.0",
+    "grunt-concurrent": "^2.3.1",
+    "grunt-contrib-clean": "^1.0.0",<% if (coffee) { %>
+    "grunt-contrib-coffee": "^1.0.0",<% } %><% if (compass) { %>
+    "grunt-contrib-compass": "^1.1.1",<% } %>
+    "grunt-contrib-concat": "^1.0.1",
+    "grunt-contrib-connect": "^1.0.2",
+    "grunt-contrib-copy": "^1.0.0",
     "grunt-contrib-cssmin": "^1.0.2",
-    "grunt-contrib-htmlmin": "^0.4.0",
-    "grunt-contrib-imagemin": "^1.0.0",
-    "grunt-contrib-jshint": "^0.11.0",
-    "grunt-contrib-uglify": "^0.7.0",
-    "grunt-contrib-watch": "^0.6.1",
-    "grunt-filerev": "^2.1.2",
+    "grunt-contrib-htmlmin": "^2.0.0",
+    "grunt-contrib-imagemin": "^1.0.1",
+    "grunt-contrib-jshint": "^1.1.0",
+    "grunt-contrib-uglify": "^2.0.0",
+    "grunt-contrib-watch": "^1.0.0",
+    "grunt-filerev": "^2.3.1",
     "grunt-google-cdn": "^0.4.3",<% if (!coffee) { %>
-    "grunt-jscs": "^1.8.0",<% } %>
-    "grunt-newer": "^1.1.0",
-    "grunt-ng-annotate": "^0.9.2",
-    "grunt-postcss": "^0.5.5",
-    "grunt-svgmin": "^2.0.0",<% if (typescript) { %>
+    "grunt-jscs": "^3.0.1",<% } %>
+    "grunt-newer": "^1.2.0",
+    "grunt-ng-annotate": "^3.0.0",
+    "grunt-postcss": "^0.8.0",
+    "grunt-svgmin": "^4.0.0",<% if (typescript) { %>
     "grunt-tsd": "^0.1.0",
     "grunt-typescript": "^0.8.0",<% } %>
-    "grunt-usemin": "^3.0.0",
-    "grunt-wiredep": "^2.0.0",
-    "jit-grunt": "^0.9.1",
-    "time-grunt": "^1.0.0"<% } %>,
-    "jshint-stylish": "^1.0.0"
+    "grunt-usemin": "^3.1.1",
+    "grunt-wiredep": "^3.0.1",
+    "jit-grunt": "^0.10.0",
+    "time-grunt": "^1.4.0"<% } %>,
+    "jshint-stylish": "^1",
+    "serve-static":"1.11.1"
   },
   "engines": {
     "node": ">=0.10.0"