diff --git a/server.ts b/server.ts
index a3d7ad3dd0..ca79215206 100644
--- a/server.ts
+++ b/server.ts
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ app.engine('html', (_, options, callback) =>
 /*
  * Register the view engines for html and ejs
  */
-app.set('view engine', 'ejs');
 app.set('view engine', 'html');
 
 /*
@@ -131,55 +130,28 @@ app.get('*.*', cacheControl, express.static(DIST_FOLDER, { index: false }));
  * The callback function to serve server side angular
  */
 function ngApp(req, res) {
-  // Object to be set to window.dspace when CSR is used
-  // this allows us to pass the info in the original request
-  // to the dspace7-angular instance running in the client's browser
-  const dspace = {
-    originalRequest: {
-      headers: req.headers,
-      body: req.body,
-      method: req.method,
-      params: req.params,
-      reportProgress: req.reportProgress,
-      withCredentials: req.withCredentials,
-      responseType: req.responseType,
-      urlWithParams: req.urlWithParams
-    }
-  };
-
-  // callback function for the case when SSR throws an error.
-  function onHandleError(parentZoneDelegate, currentZone, targetZone, error) {
-    if (!res._headerSent) {
-      console.warn('Error in SSR, serving for direct CSR. Error details : ', error);
-      res.sendFile('index.csr.ejs', {
-        root: DIST_FOLDER,
-        scripts: `<script>window.dspace = ${JSON.stringify(dspace)}</script>`
-      });
-    }
-  }
-
   if (environment.universal.preboot) {
     // If preboot is enabled, create a new zone for SSR, and
     // register the error handler for when it throws an error
-    Zone.current.fork({ name: 'CSR fallback', onHandleError }).run(() => {
-      res.render(DIST_FOLDER + '/index.html', {
+    res.render(DIST_FOLDER + '/index.html', {
         req,
         res,
+        preboot: environment.universal.preboot,
         async: environment.universal.async,
         time: environment.universal.time,
         baseUrl: environment.ui.nameSpace,
         originUrl: environment.ui.baseUrl,
         requestUrl: req.originalUrl
-      });
-    });
+      }, (err) => {
+        console.warn('Error in SSR, serving for direct CSR. Error details : ', err);
+        res.sendFile(DIST_FOLDER + '/index.html');
+      }
+    );
   } else {
     // If preboot is disabled, just serve the client side ejs template and pass it the required
     // variables
     console.log('Universal off, serving for direct CSR');
-    res.render('index-csr.ejs', {
-      root: DIST_FOLDER,
-      scripts: `<script>window.dspace = ${JSON.stringify(dspace)}</script>`
-    });
+    res.sendFile(DIST_FOLDER + '/index.html');
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/config/universal-config.interface.ts b/src/config/universal-config.interface.ts
index d3bbf9d17c..c088dcd657 100644
--- a/src/config/universal-config.interface.ts
+++ b/src/config/universal-config.interface.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { Config } from './config.interface';
 
 export interface UniversalConfig extends Config {
+  preboot: boolean;
   async: boolean;
   time: boolean;
 }
diff --git a/src/environments/environment.common.ts b/src/environments/environment.common.ts
index c665e6d3db..32ae2f54b0 100644
--- a/src/environments/environment.common.ts
+++ b/src/environments/environment.common.ts
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ export const environment: GlobalConfig = {
   },
   // Angular Universal settings
   universal: {
+    preboot: true,
     async: true,
     time: false
   },
diff --git a/src/environments/mock-environment.ts b/src/environments/mock-environment.ts
index f2253e307f..6e4d60e268 100644
--- a/src/environments/mock-environment.ts
+++ b/src/environments/mock-environment.ts
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ export const environment: Partial<GlobalConfig> = {
   },
   // Angular Universal settings
   universal: {
+    preboot: true,
     async: true,
     time: false
   },
diff --git a/src/main.browser.ts b/src/main.browser.ts
index 70f13be6cc..5149014d88 100644
--- a/src/main.browser.ts
+++ b/src/main.browser.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ function addGoogleAnalytics() {
 }
 
 // support async tag or hmr
-if (environment.production === false) {
+if (hasValue(environment.universal) && environment.universal.preboot === false) {
   bootloader(main);
 } else {
   document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => bootloader(main));