diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4a0eeab567a..e9658d8585c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -101,6 +101,9 @@ It correctly bundles React in production mode and optimizes the build for the be
 
 The build is minified and the filenames include the hashes.<br>
 Your app is ready to be deployed!
+<!--TODO: uncoment and maybe revise
+A [service worker](https://developers.google.com/web/fundamentals/getting-started/primers/service-workers) using an [offline-first caching strategy](https://developers.google.com/web/fundamentals/instant-and-offline/offline-cookbook/#cache-falling-back-to-network) is automatically generated.<br>
+Your ([progressive web](https://github.com/facebookincubator/create-react-app/blob/master/packages/react-scripts/template/README.md#making-a-progressive-web-app)) app is ready to be deployed!-->
 
 ## User Guide
 
@@ -162,6 +165,9 @@ Please refer to the [User Guide](https://github.com/facebookincubator/create-rea
 * Import CSS and image files directly from JavaScript.
 * Autoprefixed CSS, so you don’t need `-webkit` or other prefixes.
 * A `build` script to bundle JS, CSS, and images for production, with sourcemaps.
+<!--TODO: uncomment
+* An offline-first [service worker](https://developers.google.com/web/fundamentals/getting-started/primers/service-workers) and a [web app manifest](https://developers.google.com/web/fundamentals/engage-and-retain/web-app-manifest/), meeting all the [Progressive Web App](https://github.com/facebookincubator/create-react-app/blob/master/packages/react-scripts/template/README.md#making-a-progressive-web-app) criteria.
+-->
 
 **The feature set is intentionally limited**. It doesn’t support advanced features such as server rendering or CSS modules. The tool is also **non-configurable** because it is hard to provide a cohesive experience and easy updates across a set of tools when the user can tweak anything.
 
diff --git a/packages/react-scripts/config/webpack.config.prod.js b/packages/react-scripts/config/webpack.config.prod.js
index 182105c756a..b2ad37325b0 100644
--- a/packages/react-scripts/config/webpack.config.prod.js
+++ b/packages/react-scripts/config/webpack.config.prod.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ const HtmlWebpackPlugin = require('html-webpack-plugin');
 const ExtractTextPlugin = require('extract-text-webpack-plugin');
 const ManifestPlugin = require('webpack-manifest-plugin');
 const InterpolateHtmlPlugin = require('react-dev-utils/InterpolateHtmlPlugin');
+const SWPrecacheWebpackPlugin = require('sw-precache-webpack-plugin');
 const eslintFormatter = require('react-dev-utils/eslintFormatter');
 const paths = require('./paths');
 const getClientEnvironment = require('./env');
@@ -286,6 +287,19 @@ module.exports = {
     new ManifestPlugin({
       fileName: 'asset-manifest.json',
     }),
+    // Generate a service worker script that will precache, and keep up to date,
+    // the HTML & assets that are part of the Webpack build.
+    new SWPrecacheWebpackPlugin({
+      // By default, a cache-busting query parameter is appended to requests
+      // used to populate the caches, to ensure the responses are fresh.
+      // If a URL is already hashed by Webpack, then there is no concern
+      // about it being stale, and the cache-busting can be skipped.
+      dontCacheBustUrlsMatching: /\.\w{8}\./,
+      filename: 'service-worker.js',
+      minify: true,
+      navigateFallback: publicUrl + '/index.html',
+      staticFileGlobsIgnorePatterns: [/\.map$/, /asset-manifest\.json$/],
+    }),
     // Moment.js is an extremely popular library that bundles large locale files
     // by default due to how Webpack interprets its code. This is a practical
     // solution that requires the user to opt into importing specific locales.
diff --git a/packages/react-scripts/package.json b/packages/react-scripts/package.json
index eaab334d4c3..939e40d809f 100644
--- a/packages/react-scripts/package.json
+++ b/packages/react-scripts/package.json
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
     "react-dev-utils": "^1.0.0",
     "react-error-overlay": "^1.0.0",
     "style-loader": "0.17.0",
+    "sw-precache-webpack-plugin": "0.9.1",
     "url-loader": "0.5.8",
     "webpack": "2.5.1",
     "webpack-dev-server": "2.4.5",
diff --git a/packages/react-scripts/template/README.md b/packages/react-scripts/template/README.md
index b25f723c97b..50bbf7b694a 100644
--- a/packages/react-scripts/template/README.md
+++ b/packages/react-scripts/template/README.md
@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ You can find the most recent version of this guide [here](https://github.com/fac
   - [Editor Integration](#editor-integration)
 - [Developing Components in Isolation](#developing-components-in-isolation)
 - [Making a Progressive Web App](#making-a-progressive-web-app)
+<!-- todo: uncomment
+  - [Offline-First Considerations](#offline-first-considerations)
+  - [Progressive Web App Metadata](#progressive-web-app-metadata)
+-->
 - [Deployment](#deployment)
   - [Static Server](#static-server)
   - [Other Solutions](#other-solutions)
@@ -1216,6 +1220,103 @@ Learn more about React Storybook:
 
 You can turn your React app into a [Progressive Web App](https://developers.google.com/web/progressive-web-apps/) by following the steps in [this repository](https://github.com/jeffposnick/create-react-pwa).
 
+<!--
+TODO: uncomment
+By default, the production build is a fully functional, offline-first
+[Progressive Web App](https://developers.google.com/web/progressive-web-apps/).
+
+The [`sw-precache-webpack-plugin`](https://github.com/goldhand/sw-precache-webpack-plugin)
+is integrated into [`webpack.config.prod.js`](../config/webpack.config.prod.js),
+and it will take care of generating a service worker file that will automatically
+precache all of your local assets and keep them up to date as you deploy updates.
+The service worker will use a [cache-first strategy](https://developers.google.com/web/fundamentals/instant-and-offline/offline-cookbook/#cache-falling-back-to-network)
+for handling all requests for local assets, including the initial HTML, ensuring
+that you web app is reliably fast, even on a slow or unreliable network.
+
+If you would prefer not to enable service workers prior to your initial
+production deployment, then remove the call to `serviceWorkerRegistration.register()`
+from [`src/index.js`](src/index.js).
+
+If you had previously enabled service workers in your production deployment and
+have decided that you would like to disable them for all your existing users,
+you can swap out the call to `serviceWorkerRegistration.register()` in
+[`src/index.js`](src/index.js) with a call to `serviceWorkerRegistration.unregister()`.
+After the user visits a page that has `serviceWorkerRegistration.unregister()`,
+the service worker will be uninstalled.
+
+### Offline-First Considerations
+
+1. Service workers [require HTTPS](https://developers.google.com/web/fundamentals/getting-started/primers/service-workers#you_need_https),
+although to facilitate local testing, that policy
+[does not apply to `localhost`](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/34160509/options-for-testing-service-workers-via-http/34161385#34161385).
+If your production web server does not support HTTPS, then the service worker
+registration will fail, but the rest of your web app will remain functional.
+
+1. Service workers are [not currently supported](https://jakearchibald.github.io/isserviceworkerready/)
+in all web browsers. Service worker registration [won't be attempted](src/service-worker-registration.js)
+on browsers that lack support.
+
+1. The service worker is only enabled in the [production environment](#deployment),
+e.g. the output of `npm run build`. It's recommended that you do not enable an
+offline-first service worker in a development environment, as it can lead to
+frustration when previously cached assets are used and do not include the latest
+changes you've made locally.
+
+1. If you *need* to test your offline-first service worker locally, build
+the application (using `npm run build`) and run a simple http server from your
+build directory. After running the build script, `create-react-app` will give
+instructions for one way to test your production build locally using
+`pushstate-server` and the [deployment instructions](#deployment) have
+instructions for using the python `SimpleHTTPServer`. *Be sure to always use an
+incognito window to avoid complications with your browser cache.*
+
+1. If possible,configure your production environment to serve the generated
+`service-worker.js` [with HTTP caching disabled](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/38843970/service-worker-javascript-update-frequency-every-24-hours).
+If that's not possible—[GitHub Pages](#github-pages), for instance, does not
+allow you to change the default 10 minute HTTP cache lifetime—then be aware
+that if you visit your production site, and then revisit again before
+`service-worker.js` has expired from your HTTP cache, you'll continue to get
+the previously cached assets from the service worker. If you have an immediate
+need to view your updated production deployment, performing a shift-refresh
+will temporarily disable the service worker and retrieve all assets from the
+network.
+
+1. Users aren't always familiar with offline-first web apps. It can be useful to
+[let the user know](https://developers.google.com/web/fundamentals/instant-and-offline/offline-ux#inform_the_user_when_the_app_is_ready_for_offline_consumption)
+when the service worker has finished populating your caches (showing a "This web
+app works offline!" message) and also let them know when the service worker has
+fetched the latest updates that will be available the next time they load the
+page (showing a "New content is available; please refresh." message). Showing
+this messages is currently left as an exercise to the developer, but as a
+starting point, you can make use of the logic included in [`src/service-worker-registration.js`](src/service-worker-registration.js), which
+demonstrates which service worker lifecycle events to listen for to detect each
+scenario, and which as a default, just logs appropriate messages to the
+JavaScript console.
+
+1. By default, the generated service worker file will not intercept or cache any
+cross-origin traffic, like HTTP [API requests](#integrating-with-an-api-backend),
+images, or embeds loaded from a different domain. If you would like to use a
+runtime caching strategy for those requests, you can [`eject`](#npm-run-eject)
+and then configure the
+[`runtimeCaching`](https://github.com/GoogleChrome/sw-precache#runtimecaching-arrayobject)
+option in the `SWPrecacheWebpackPlugin` section of
+[`webpack.config.prod.js`](../config/webpack.config.prod.js).
+
+### Progressive Web App Metadata
+
+The default configuration includes a web app manifest located at
+[`public/manifest.json`](public/manifest.json), that you can customize with
+details specific to your web application.
+
+When a user adds a web app to their homescreen using Chrome or Firefox on
+Android, the metadata in [`manifest.json`](public/manifest.json) determines what
+icons, names, and branding colors to use when the web app is displayed.
+[The Web App Manifest guide](https://developers.google.com/web/fundamentals/engage-and-retain/web-app-manifest/)
+provides more context about what each field means, and how your customizations
+will affect your users' experience.
+
+-->
+
 ## Deployment
 
 `npm run build` creates a `build` directory with a production build of your app. Set up your favourite HTTP server so that a visitor to your site is served `index.html`, and requests to static paths like `/static/js/main.<hash>.js` are served with the contents of the `/static/js/main.<hash>.js` file.
@@ -1291,6 +1392,19 @@ It will get copied to the `build` folder when you run `npm run build`.
 
 Now requests to `/todos/42` will be handled correctly both in development and in production.
 
+<!--
+TODO: uncomment for 1.0
+
+On a production build, and in a browser that supports [service workers](https://developers.google.com/web/fundamentals/getting-started/primers/service-workers),
+the service worker will automatically handle all navigation requests, like for
+`/todos/42`, by serving the cached copy of your `index.html`. This
+service worker navigation routing can be configured or disabled by
+[`eject`ing](#npm-run-eject) and then modifying the
+[`navigateFallback`](https://github.com/GoogleChrome/sw-precache#navigatefallback-string)
+and [`navigateFallbackWhitelist`](https://github.com/GoogleChrome/sw-precache#navigatefallbackwhitelist-arrayregexp)
+options of the `SWPreachePlugin` [configuration](../config/webpack.config.prod.js).
+-->
+
 ### Building for Relative Paths
 
 By default, Create React App produces a build assuming your app is hosted at the server root.<br>
diff --git a/packages/react-scripts/template/public/index.html b/packages/react-scripts/template/public/index.html
index 7f3e83f4e43..fc8689a2a29 100644
--- a/packages/react-scripts/template/public/index.html
+++ b/packages/react-scripts/template/public/index.html
@@ -3,9 +3,15 @@
   <head>
     <meta charset="utf-8">
     <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no">
+    <meta name="theme-color" content="#000000">
+    <!--
+      manifest.json provides metadata used when your web app is added to the
+      homescreen on Android. See https://developers.google.com/web/fundamentals/engage-and-retain/web-app-manifest/
+    -->
+    <link rel="manifest" href="%PUBLIC_URL%/manifest.json">
     <link rel="shortcut icon" href="%PUBLIC_URL%/favicon.ico">
     <!--
-      Notice the use of %PUBLIC_URL% in the tag above.
+      Notice the use of %PUBLIC_URL% in the tags above.
       It will be replaced with the URL of the `public` folder during the build.
       Only files inside the `public` folder can be referenced from the HTML.
 
diff --git a/packages/react-scripts/template/public/manifest.json b/packages/react-scripts/template/public/manifest.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..be607e41771
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react-scripts/template/public/manifest.json
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{
+  "short_name": "React App",
+  "name": "Create React App Sample",
+  "icons": [
+    {
+      "src": "favicon.ico",
+      "sizes": "192x192",
+      "type": "image/png"
+    }
+  ],
+  "start_url": "./index.html",
+  "display": "standalone",
+  "theme_color": "#000000",
+  "background_color": "#ffffff"
+}
diff --git a/packages/react-scripts/template/src/index.js b/packages/react-scripts/template/src/index.js
index 5d76a18a853..e132a571726 100644
--- a/packages/react-scripts/template/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/react-scripts/template/src/index.js
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
 import App from './App';
+import registerServiceWorker from './service-worker-registration';
 import './index.css';
 
 ReactDOM.render(<App />, document.getElementById('root'));
+
+registerServiceWorker();
diff --git a/packages/react-scripts/template/src/service-worker-registration.js b/packages/react-scripts/template/src/service-worker-registration.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c3a5d878c64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react-scripts/template/src/service-worker-registration.js
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+export default function register() {
+  if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production' && 'serviceWorker' in navigator) {
+    window.addEventListener('load', () => {
+      const swUrl = `${process.env.PUBLIC_URL}/service-worker.js`;
+      navigator.serviceWorker.register(swUrl).then(registration => {
+        registration.onupdatefound = () => {
+          const installingWorker = registration.installing;
+          installingWorker.onstatechange = () => {
+            if (installingWorker.state === 'installed') {
+              if (navigator.serviceWorker.controller) {
+                // At this point, the old content will have been purged and
+                // the fresh content will have been added to the cache.
+                // It's the perfect time to display a "New content is
+                // available; please refresh." message in your web app.
+                console.log('New content is available; please refresh.');
+              } else {
+                // At this point, everything has been precached.
+                // It's the perfect time to display a
+                // "Content is cached for offline use." message.
+                console.log('Content is cached for offline use.');
+              }
+            }
+          };
+        };
+      }).catch(error => {
+        console.error('Error during service worker registration:', error);
+      });
+    });
+  }
+}
+
+export function unregister() {
+  if ('serviceWorker' in navigator) {
+    navigator.serviceWorker.ready.then(registration => {
+      registration.unregister();
+    });
+  }
+}