diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a002658d1c..94710b7085 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@ UTILS := \
 #
 # This target sets up the dependencies to correctly build all go commands.
 # Other targets must depend on this target to correctly builds CMDS.
-all: vendor node_modules $(UTILS) subdirs $(CMDS)
+all: GO_ARGS=-tags 'assets $(GO_TAGS)'
+all: vendor node_modules $(UTILS) subdirs generate $(CMDS)
 
 # Target to build subdirs.
 # Each subdirs must support the `all` target.
@@ -109,11 +110,10 @@ vendor/github.com/kevinburke/go-bindata/go-bindata/main.go: vendor
 fmt: $(SOURCES_NO_VENDOR)
 	goimports -w $^
 
-# generate:
-	# TODO: re-enable these after we decide on a strategy for building without running `go generate`.
-	# $(GO_GENERATE) ./chronograf/dist/...
-	# $(GO_GENERATE) ./chronograf/server/...
-	# $(GO_GENERATE) ./chronograf/canned/...
+generate:
+	 $(GO_GENERATE) ./chronograf/dist/...
+	 $(GO_GENERATE) ./chronograf/server/...
+	 $(GO_GENERATE) ./chronograf/canned/...
 
 test-js: node_modules
 	cd chronograf/ui && yarn test --runInBand
diff --git a/chronograf/canned/TODO.go b/chronograf/canned/TODO.go
index 3bfcd28e29..be35a0332b 100644
--- a/chronograf/canned/TODO.go
+++ b/chronograf/canned/TODO.go
@@ -1,16 +1,18 @@
+// +build !assets
+
 package canned
 
 import "errors"
 
-// The functions defined in this file are placeholders
-// until we decide how to get the finalized Chronograf assets in platform.
-
-var errTODO = errors.New("TODO: decide how to handle chronograf assets in platform")
+// The functions defined in this file are placeholders when the binary is compiled
+// without assets.
 
+// Asset returns an error stating no assets were included in the binary.
 func Asset(string) ([]byte, error) {
-	return nil, errTODO
+	return nil, errors.New("no assets included in binary")
 }
 
+// AssetNames returns nil because there are no assets included in the binary.
 func AssetNames() []string {
 	return nil
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/chronograf/canned/bin.go b/chronograf/canned/bin.go
index 24c1d10478..14224a6613 100644
--- a/chronograf/canned/bin.go
+++ b/chronograf/canned/bin.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/influxdata/platform/chronograf"
 )
 
-//go:generate go-bindata -o bin_gen.go -ignore README|apps|.sh|go -pkg canned .
+//go:generate go-bindata -o bin_gen.go -tags assets -ignore README|apps|.sh|go -pkg canned .
 
 // BinLayoutsStore represents a layout store using data generated by go-bindata
 type BinLayoutsStore struct {
diff --git a/chronograf/dist/TODO.go b/chronograf/dist/TODO.go
index 791a96bbe5..0465bc8465 100644
--- a/chronograf/dist/TODO.go
+++ b/chronograf/dist/TODO.go
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+// +build !assets
+
 package dist
 
 import (
@@ -6,18 +8,21 @@ import (
 )
 
 // The functions defined in this file are placeholders
-// until we decide how to get the finalized Chronograf assets in platform.
+// when the binary is compiled without assets.
 
-var errTODO = errors.New("TODO: decide how to handle chronograf assets in platform")
+var errNoAssets = errors.New("no assets included in binary")
 
+// Asset returns an error stating no assets were included in the binary.
 func Asset(string) ([]byte, error) {
-	return nil, errTODO
+	return nil, errNoAssets
 }
 
+// AssetInfo returns an error stating no assets were included in the binary.
 func AssetInfo(name string) (os.FileInfo, error) {
-	return nil, errTODO
+	return nil, errNoAssets
 }
 
+// AssetDir returns nil because there are no assets included in the binary.
 func AssetDir(name string) ([]string, error) {
-	return nil, errTODO
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+	return nil, errNoAssets
+}
diff --git a/chronograf/dist/dist.go b/chronograf/dist/dist.go
index ba3d3c938f..6ee460f9a7 100644
--- a/chronograf/dist/dist.go
+++ b/chronograf/dist/dist.go
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 package dist
 
-//go:generate go-bindata -o dist_gen.go -ignore 'map|go' -pkg dist ../ui/build/...
+//go:generate go-bindata -o dist_gen.go -ignore 'map|go' -tags assets -pkg dist ../ui/build/...
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
diff --git a/chronograf/server/TODO.go b/chronograf/server/TODO.go
index b3d050d2a3..242f0f8e47 100644
--- a/chronograf/server/TODO.go
+++ b/chronograf/server/TODO.go
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
+// +build !assets
+
 package server
 
 import (
 	"errors"
 )
 
-// The functions defined in this file are placeholders
-// until we decide how to get the finalized Chronograf assets in platform.
-
-var errTODO = errors.New("You didn't generate assets for the chronograf/server folder, using placeholders")
+// The functions defined in this file are placeholders when the binary is compiled
+// without assets.
 
+// Asset returns an error stating no assets were included in the binary.
 func Asset(string) ([]byte, error) {
-	return nil, errTODO
+	return nil, errors.New("no assets included in binary")
 }
diff --git a/chronograf/server/swagger.go b/chronograf/server/swagger.go
index 2308fc7f26..cdae989be7 100644
--- a/chronograf/server/swagger.go
+++ b/chronograf/server/swagger.go
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 package server
 
-//go:generate go-bindata -o swagger_gen.go -ignore go -nocompress -pkg server .
+//go:generate go-bindata -o swagger_gen.go -tags assets -ignore go -nocompress -pkg server .
 
 import "net/http"