diff --git a/phing/tasks/ci.xml b/phing/tasks/ci.xml
index 4bd08b736..22209331a 100644
--- a/phing/tasks/ci.xml
+++ b/phing/tasks/ci.xml
@@ -39,4 +39,11 @@
       <property name="drush.alias" value="${drush.aliases.ci}"/>
     </phingcall>
   </target>
+
+  <target name="ci:toggle-modules" description="Enables modules.ci.enable projects and uninstalls modules.ci.uninstall projects.">
+    <phingcall target="setup:toggle-modules">
+      <param name="enable" value="${modules.ci.enable}"/>
+      <param name="uninstall" value="${modules.ci.uninstall}"/>
+    </phingcall>
+  </target>
 </project>
diff --git a/phing/tasks/deploy.xml b/phing/tasks/deploy.xml
index ac7754986..9edbb78d4 100644
--- a/phing/tasks/deploy.xml
+++ b/phing/tasks/deploy.xml
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@
     </delete>
   </target>
 
-  <target name="deploy:update" description="Update current database to reflect the state of the Drupal file system; uses local drush alias.">
+  <target name="deploy:update" description="Update current database to reflect the state of the Drupal file system; uses local drush alias." depends="deploy:toggle-modules">
     <phingcall target="setup:update">
       <property name="drush.alias" value="self"/>
       <!-- Most sites store their version-controlled configuration in /config/default. -->
@@ -166,4 +166,10 @@
     </phingcall>
   </target>
 
+  <target name="deploy:toggle-modules" description="Enables modules.deploy.enable projects and uninstalls modules.deploy.uninstall projects.">
+    <phingcall target="setup:toggle-modules">
+      <param name="enable" value="${modules.deploy.enable}"/>
+      <param name="uninstall" value="${modules.deploy.uninstall}"/>
+    </phingcall>
+  </target>
 </project>
diff --git a/phing/tasks/local-sync.xml b/phing/tasks/local-sync.xml
index 67457be6c..7f4a852a8 100644
--- a/phing/tasks/local-sync.xml
+++ b/phing/tasks/local-sync.xml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
   <target name="local:refresh" description="Refreshes local environment from upstream testing database." depends="setup:build, local:sync, local:update"/>
 
-  <target name="local:setup" description="Install dependencies, builds docroot, installs Drupal; uses local drush alias.">
+  <target name="local:setup" description="Install dependencies, builds docroot, installs Drupal; uses local drush alias." depends="local:toggle-modules">
     <phingcall target="setup">
       <property name="drush.alias" value="${drush.aliases.local}" />
     </phingcall>
@@ -30,7 +30,14 @@
     <drush command="cache-rebuild"/>
   </target>
 
-  <target name="local:update" description="Update current database to reflect the state of the Drupal file system; uses local drush alias.">
+  <target name="local:toggle-modules" description="Enables modules.local.enable projects and uninstalls modules.local.uninstall projects.">
+    <phingcall target="setup:toggle-modules">
+      <param name="enable" value="${modules.local.enable}"/>
+      <param name="uninstall" value="${modules.local.uninstall}"/>
+    </phingcall>
+  </target>
+
+  <target name="local:update" description="Update current database to reflect the state of the Drupal file system; uses local drush alias." depends="local:toggle-modules">
     <phingcall target="setup:update">
       <property name="drush.alias" value="${drush.aliases.local}"/>
     </phingcall>
diff --git a/phing/tasks/setup.xml b/phing/tasks/setup.xml
index f66e03e80..abb056937 100644
--- a/phing/tasks/setup.xml
+++ b/phing/tasks/setup.xml
@@ -264,4 +264,14 @@
     </drush>
   </target>
 
+  <target name="setup:toggle-modules" description="Enables and uninstalls specified modules.">
+    <drush command="pm-enable" assume="yes">
+      <param>${enable}</param>
+      <option>skip</option>
+    </drush>
+    <drush command="pm-uninstall" assume="yes">
+      <param>${uninstall}</param>
+    </drush>
+  </target>
+
 </project>
diff --git a/template/composer.json b/template/composer.json
index 296071c83..39670615d 100644
--- a/template/composer.json
+++ b/template/composer.json
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
         "drupal/memcache" :                           "^8.2.0-alpha2",
         "drupal/search_api":                          "8.1.0-alpha14",
         "drupal/search_api_solr":                     "8.1.0-alpha3",
+        "drupal/seckit":                              "^8.1.0-alpha2",
         "drupal/security_review":                     "8.*",
         "drupal-composer/drupal-security-advisories": "8.0.x-dev",
         "drush/drush":                                "^9.0"
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@
         "behat/behat":                                "^3.1",
         "behat/mink":                                 "~1.7",
         "behat/mink-selenium2-driver":                "^1.3.1",
+        "drupal/devel":                               "^8.1.0-alpha1",
         "drupal/drupal-extension":                    "^3.2",
         "drupal-composer/drupal-scaffold":            "^2.1.0",
         "jarnaiz/behat-junit-formatter":              "^1.3.2",
diff --git a/template/project.yml b/template/project.yml
index 704261b68..75ef3aed7 100644
--- a/template/project.yml
+++ b/template/project.yml
@@ -69,3 +69,32 @@ target-hooks:
 
 # Define any custom Phing files that you'd like to import. E.g., ${repo.root}/blt/phing/build.xml
 import: ~
+
+# An array of modules to be enabled or uninstalled automatically in dev vs prod contexts.
+# All local:* targets assume the "dev" context, whereas "deploy:*" targets assume a prod context.
+modules:
+  ci:
+    enable: []
+    uninstall:
+      - acquia_connector
+      - shield
+  deploy:
+    enable:
+      - acquia_connector
+      - shield
+    uninstall:
+      - devel
+      - field_ui
+      - views_ui
+  local:
+    enable:
+      - dblog
+      - devel
+      - field_ui
+      - seckit
+      - views_ui
+    uninstall:
+      - acsf
+      - acquia_connector
+      - dblog
+      - shield