diff --git a/__tests__/cli.test.js b/__tests__/cli.test.js
index e8b937230..d1c7149b4 100644
--- a/__tests__/cli.test.js
+++ b/__tests__/cli.test.js
@@ -43,12 +43,20 @@ describe('cli', () => {
   })
 
   describe('build', () => {
-    it('compiles CSS file', () => {
+    it('compiles CSS file using an input css file', () => {
       return cli(['build', inputCssPath]).then(() => {
         expect(process.stdout.write.mock.calls[0][0]).toContain('.example')
       })
     })
 
+    it('compiles CSS file without an input css file', () => {
+      return cli(['build']).then(() => {
+        expect(process.stdout.write.mock.calls[0][0]).toContain('normalize.css') // base
+        expect(process.stdout.write.mock.calls[0][0]).toContain('.container') // components
+        expect(process.stdout.write.mock.calls[0][0]).toContain('.mx-auto') // utilities
+      })
+    })
+
     it('compiles CSS file using custom configuration', () => {
       return cli(['build', inputCssPath, '--config', customConfigPath]).then(() => {
         expect(process.stdout.write.mock.calls[0][0]).toContain('400px')
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/build.js b/src/cli/commands/build.js
index 6d79b48f7..cec547b7a 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/build.js
+++ b/src/cli/commands/build.js
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ function buildToFile(compileOptions, startTime) {
 
   utils.header()
   utils.log()
-  utils.log(emoji.go, 'Building...', colors.file(inputFileSimplePath))
+  utils.log(emoji.go, 'Building...', colors.file(inputFileSimplePath || 'defaults: @base, @components and @utilities.'))
 
   return compile(compileOptions).then(result => {
     utils.writeFile(compileOptions.outputFile, result.css)
@@ -112,8 +112,9 @@ export function run(cliParams, cliOptions) {
     const inputFileSimplePath = utils.getSimplePath(inputFile)
     const configFileSimplePath = utils.getSimplePath(configFile)
 
-    !inputFile && stopWithHelp('CSS file is required.')
-    !utils.exists(inputFile) && stop(colors.file(inputFileSimplePath), 'does not exist.')
+    if (inputFile) {
+      !utils.exists(inputFile) && stop(colors.file(inputFileSimplePath), 'does not exist.')
+    }
 
     configFile &&
       !utils.exists(configFile) &&
diff --git a/src/cli/compile.js b/src/cli/compile.js
index 956d5e789..7cadbc0d0 100644
--- a/src/cli/compile.js
+++ b/src/cli/compile.js
@@ -25,7 +25,12 @@ const defaultOptions = {
  */
 export default function compile(options = {}) {
   const config = { ...defaultOptions, ...options }
-  const css = utils.readFile(config.inputFile)
+
+  const css = config.inputFile ? utils.readFile(config.inputFile) : `
+    @tailwind base;
+    @tailwind components;
+    @tailwind utilities;
+  `;
 
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     postcss(config.plugins)