diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/typescript/cdk.template.json b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/typescript/cdk.template.json
index ca1d40ed37e2d..8c81ca271b7d6 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/typescript/cdk.template.json
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/typescript/cdk.template.json
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 {
-  "app": "node bin/%name%.js"
+  "app": "./node_modules/.bin/ts-node bin/%name%.ts"
 }
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/typescript/package.template.json b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/typescript/package.template.json
index 14fe0f1362f82..5219b55bad307 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/typescript/package.template.json
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/typescript/package.template.json
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
   "devDependencies": {
     "@types/node": "8.10.45",
     "typescript": "^3.3.3333",
+    "ts-node": "^8.1.0",
     "aws-cdk": "^%cdk-version%"
   },
   "dependencies": {
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/typescript/cdk.template.json b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/typescript/cdk.template.json
index ca1d40ed37e2d..8c81ca271b7d6 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/typescript/cdk.template.json
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/typescript/cdk.template.json
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 {
-  "app": "node bin/%name%.js"
+  "app": "./node_modules/.bin/ts-node bin/%name%.ts"
 }
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/typescript/package.template.json b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/typescript/package.template.json
index c9a8e03200692..b2014a440b9f8 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/typescript/package.template.json
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/typescript/package.template.json
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
   "devDependencies": {
     "@types/node": "8.10.45",
     "typescript": "^3.3.3333",
+    "ts-node": "^8.1.0",
     "aws-cdk": "^%cdk-version%"
   },
   "dependencies": {