diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/backend/buildImage.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/backend/buildImage.ts
index b6ae0dd579..6439b37ca1 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/backend/buildImage.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/backend/buildImage.ts
@@ -34,11 +34,15 @@ export default async (cmd: Command) => {
   const pkgPath = paths.resolveTarget(PKG_PATH);
   const pkg = await fs.readJson(pkgPath);
   const appConfigs = await findAppConfigs();
+  const npmrc = fs.existsSync(paths.resolveTargetRoot('.npmrc'))
+    ? ['.npmrc']
+    : [];
   const tempDistWorkspace = await createDistWorkspace([pkg.name], {
     buildDependencies: Boolean(cmd.build),
     files: [
       'package.json',
       'yarn.lock',
+      ...npmrc,
       ...appConfigs,
       { src: paths.resolveTarget('Dockerfile'), dest: 'Dockerfile' },
     ],
diff --git a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/package.json.hbs b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/package.json.hbs
index 975a5a2ed2..e3d287c75c 100644
--- a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/package.json.hbs
+++ b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/package.json.hbs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
   "scripts": {
     "start": "yarn workspace app start",
     "build": "lerna run build",
-    "build-image": "yarn workspace backend build-image",
+    "build-image": "yarn workspace backend build-image --build-arg NPM_TOKEN",
     "tsc": "tsc",
     "tsc:full": "tsc --skipLibCheck false --incremental false",
     "clean": "backstage-cli clean && lerna run clean",
diff --git a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/Dockerfile b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/Dockerfile
index 50514713d3..b0c2d4a6e5 100644
--- a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/Dockerfile
+++ b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/packages/backend/Dockerfile
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 FROM node:12-buster
+ARG NPM_TOKEN
 
 WORKDIR /usr/src/app
 
 # Copy repo skeleton first, to avoid unnecessary docker cache invalidation.
 # The skeleton contains the package.json of each package in the monorepo,
 # and along with yarn.lock and the root package.json, that's enough to run yarn install.
-ADD yarn.lock package.json skeleton.tar ./
+ADD .npmrc* yarn.lock package.json skeleton.tar ./
 
 RUN yarn install --frozen-lockfile --production --network-timeout 300000 && rm -rf "$(yarn cache dir)"