diff --git a/data/manifest.json b/data/manifest.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..62479320
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/manifest.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+  "//": "This file will be overwritten by Webpack, but Hugo will fail to wait for that to happen if it doesn't exist at first."
+}
diff --git a/gulpfile.js b/gulpfile.js
index 2aeb1fc7..68afeb7d 100644
--- a/gulpfile.js
+++ b/gulpfile.js
@@ -76,15 +76,13 @@ function clean() {
     "builds/",
     "_vendor/",
     "static/assets/",
-    "data/manifest.json",
-    "api/**/*.js*",
   ]);
 }
 
 // run a locally installed (i.e. ./node_modules/.bin/foo) binary, similar to a package.json script
-function npx(bin, options) {
+function npx(bin, args) {
   // WARNING: MAJOR HACKS AHEAD:
-  const cmd = `${bin} ${options ? options.join(" ") : ""}`.trim();
+  const cmd = `${bin} ${args ? args.join(" ") : ""}`.trim();
   return execa(cmd, {
     preferLocal: true,
     shell: true,
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 456c5c1e..fcee3ec7 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
     "@types/numeral": "^2.0.1",
     "@types/pluralize": "^0.0.29",
     "@types/twemoji": "^12.1.1",
-    "@types/xml2js": "^0.4.8",
+    "@types/xml2js": "^0.4.9",
     "@typescript-eslint/eslint-plugin": "^4.28.1",
     "@typescript-eslint/parser": "^4.28.1",
     "@vercel/node": "^1.11.1",
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 44f8a024..68781e30 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -1268,7 +1268,7 @@
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@types/unist/-/unist-2.0.4.tgz#453e27c6930d66380b4c121e7d5e361c5c2d921b"
   integrity sha512-zfyYsDTK1HTGYXU3fTiM76+om93HcFtsZd2M0bO/CL4DiETV7mSa/pIVN/6+G3esOqEMdg2An5cHHbK5t+9w+A==
 
-"@types/xml2js@^0.4.8":
+"@types/xml2js@^0.4.9":
   version "0.4.9"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@types/xml2js/-/xml2js-0.4.9.tgz#a38267d8c2fe121c96922b12ee3bd89a58a6e20e"
   integrity sha512-CHiCKIihl1pychwR2RNX5mAYmJDACgFVCMT5OArMaO3erzwXVcBqPcusr+Vl8yeeXukxZqtF8mZioqX+mpjjdw==