diff --git a/appengine_war.gradle b/appengine_war.gradle
index efa32bc4d..b6f15a6f0 100644
--- a/appengine_war.gradle
+++ b/appengine_war.gradle
@@ -71,3 +71,4 @@ dependencies {
 
 rootProject.deploy.dependsOn appengineDeploy
 rootProject.stage.dependsOn appengineStage
+appengineDeploy.dependsOn rootProject.verifyDeployment
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 7653905dc..5c1d844b3 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -74,8 +74,15 @@ ext.projectRootDir = "${rootDir}"
 task deploy {
   group = 'deployment'
   description = 'Deploys all services to App Engine.'
-  if (rootProject.findProperty("environment") != 'alpha') {
-    throw new GradleException("Can only deploy to alpha.");
+}
+
+task verifyDeployment {
+  group = 'deployment'
+  description = 'Ensure that one can only deploy to alpha.'
+  doFirst {
+    if (rootProject.findProperty("environment") != 'alpha') {
+      throw new GradleException("Can only deploy to alpha.");
+    }
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 4beaebec9..250463210 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -944,7 +944,8 @@
         "ansi-regex": {
           "version": "2.1.1",
           "bundled": true,
-          "dev": true
+          "dev": true,
+          "optional": true
         },
         "aproba": {
           "version": "1.2.0",
@@ -965,12 +966,14 @@
         "balanced-match": {
           "version": "1.0.0",
           "bundled": true,
-          "dev": true
+          "dev": true,
+          "optional": true
         },
         "brace-expansion": {
           "version": "1.1.11",
           "bundled": true,
           "dev": true,
+          "optional": true,
           "requires": {
             "balanced-match": "^1.0.0",
             "concat-map": "0.0.1"
@@ -985,17 +988,20 @@
         "code-point-at": {
           "version": "1.1.0",
           "bundled": true,
-          "dev": true
+          "dev": true,
+          "optional": true
         },
         "concat-map": {
           "version": "0.0.1",
           "bundled": true,
-          "dev": true
+          "dev": true,
+          "optional": true
         },
         "console-control-strings": {
           "version": "1.1.0",
           "bundled": true,
-          "dev": true
+          "dev": true,
+          "optional": true
         },
         "core-util-is": {
           "version": "1.0.2",
@@ -1112,7 +1118,8 @@
         "inherits": {
           "version": "2.0.3",
           "bundled": true,
-          "dev": true
+          "dev": true,
+          "optional": true
         },
         "ini": {
           "version": "1.3.5",
@@ -1124,6 +1131,7 @@
           "version": "1.0.0",
           "bundled": true,
           "dev": true,
+          "optional": true,
           "requires": {
             "number-is-nan": "^1.0.0"
           }
@@ -1138,6 +1146,7 @@
           "version": "3.0.4",
           "bundled": true,
           "dev": true,
+          "optional": true,
           "requires": {
             "brace-expansion": "^1.1.7"
           }
@@ -1145,12 +1154,14 @@
         "minimist": {
           "version": "0.0.8",
           "bundled": true,
-          "dev": true
+          "dev": true,
+          "optional": true
         },
         "minipass": {
           "version": "2.3.5",
           "bundled": true,
           "dev": true,
+          "optional": true,
           "requires": {
             "safe-buffer": "^5.1.2",
             "yallist": "^3.0.0"
@@ -1169,6 +1180,7 @@
           "version": "0.5.1",
           "bundled": true,
           "dev": true,
+          "optional": true,
           "requires": {
             "minimist": "0.0.8"
           }
@@ -1249,7 +1261,8 @@
         "number-is-nan": {
           "version": "1.0.1",
           "bundled": true,
-          "dev": true
+          "dev": true,
+          "optional": true
         },
         "object-assign": {
           "version": "4.1.1",
@@ -1261,6 +1274,7 @@
           "version": "1.4.0",
           "bundled": true,
           "dev": true,
+          "optional": true,
           "requires": {
             "wrappy": "1"
           }
@@ -1346,7 +1360,8 @@
         "safe-buffer": {
           "version": "5.1.2",
           "bundled": true,
-          "dev": true
+          "dev": true,
+          "optional": true
         },
         "safer-buffer": {
           "version": "2.1.2",
@@ -1382,6 +1397,7 @@
           "version": "1.0.2",
           "bundled": true,
           "dev": true,
+          "optional": true,
           "requires": {
             "code-point-at": "^1.0.0",
             "is-fullwidth-code-point": "^1.0.0",
@@ -1401,6 +1417,7 @@
           "version": "3.0.1",
           "bundled": true,
           "dev": true,
+          "optional": true,
           "requires": {
             "ansi-regex": "^2.0.0"
           }
@@ -1444,12 +1461,14 @@
         "wrappy": {
           "version": "1.0.2",
           "bundled": true,
-          "dev": true
+          "dev": true,
+          "optional": true
         },
         "yallist": {
           "version": "3.0.3",
           "bundled": true,
-          "dev": true
+          "dev": true,
+          "optional": true
         }
       }
     },