diff --git a/lib/tools/node-modules/node-modules-dest-copy.ts b/lib/tools/node-modules/node-modules-dest-copy.ts
index 897c2eebb5..7cca3e24af 100644
--- a/lib/tools/node-modules/node-modules-dest-copy.ts
+++ b/lib/tools/node-modules/node-modules-dest-copy.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ export interface ILocalDependencyData extends IDependencyData {
 export class TnsModulesCopy {
 	constructor(
 		private outputRoot: string,
+		private $options: IOptions,
 		private $fs: IFileSystem
 	) {
 	}
@@ -26,12 +27,13 @@ export class TnsModulesCopy {
 
 				// Remove .ts files
 				let allFiles = this.$fs.enumerateFilesInDirectorySync(tnsCoreModulesResourcePath);
-				let deleteFilesFutures = allFiles.filter(file => minimatch(file, "**/*.ts", { nocase: true })).map(file => this.$fs.deleteFile(file));
+				let matchPattern = this.$options.release ? "**/*.ts" : "**/*.d.ts";
+				let deleteFilesFutures = allFiles.filter(file => minimatch(file, matchPattern, { nocase: true })).map(file => this.$fs.deleteFile(file));
 				Future.wait(deleteFilesFutures);
 
 				shelljs.rm("-rf", path.join(tnsCoreModulesResourcePath, "node_modules"));
 
-				// TODO: The following two lines are necessary to temporarily work around hardcoded 
+				// TODO: The following two lines are necessary to temporarily work around hardcoded
 				// path dependencies in iOS livesync logic. Should be addressed ASAP
 				shelljs.cp("-Rf", path.join(tnsCoreModulesResourcePath, "*"), this.outputRoot);
 				shelljs.rm("-rf", tnsCoreModulesResourcePath);