diff --git a/packages/create-app/package.json b/packages/create-app/package.json
index de1f495abe..bb65d3b4ca 100644
--- a/packages/create-app/package.json
+++ b/packages/create-app/package.json
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
     "clean": "backstage-cli package clean",
     "prepack": "node scripts/prepack.js",
     "postpack": "node scripts/postpack.js",
-    "start": "nodemon --"
+    "start": "yarn nodemon --"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@backstage/cli-common": "workspace:^",
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
     "@types/node": "^16.11.26",
     "@types/recursive-readdir": "^2.2.0",
     "mock-fs": "^5.1.1",
+    "nodemon": "^2.0.2",
     "ts-node": "^10.0.0"
   },
   "nodemonConfig": {
diff --git a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/yarn.lock b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/yarn.lock
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5ad7fe233d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/yarn.lock
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+# intentionally left empty
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 84738367eb..1632a3a59e 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -3542,6 +3542,7 @@ __metadata:
     handlebars: ^4.7.3
     inquirer: ^8.2.0
     mock-fs: ^5.1.1
+    nodemon: ^2.0.2
     ora: ^5.3.0
     recursive-readdir: ^2.2.2
     ts-node: ^10.0.0