diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 11267cddcf..8dcbcbe1b6 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ bin: prep
 # into ./bin/ as well as $GOPATH/bin
 dev: prep
 	@CGO_ENABLED=$(CGO_ENABLED) BUILD_TAGS='$(BUILD_TAGS)' VAULT_DEV_BUILD=1 sh -c "'$(CURDIR)/scripts/build.sh'"
-dev-ui: prep
+dev-ui: assetcheck prep
 	@CGO_ENABLED=$(CGO_ENABLED) BUILD_TAGS='$(BUILD_TAGS) ui' VAULT_DEV_BUILD=1 sh -c "'$(CURDIR)/scripts/build.sh'"
 dev-dynamic: prep
 	@CGO_ENABLED=1 BUILD_TAGS='$(BUILD_TAGS)' VAULT_DEV_BUILD=1 sh -c "'$(CURDIR)/scripts/build.sh'"
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ dev-dynamic: prep
 dev-mem: BUILD_TAGS+=memprofiler
 dev-mem: dev
 dev-ui-mem: BUILD_TAGS+=memprofiler
-dev-ui-mem: dev-ui
+dev-ui-mem: assetcheck dev-ui
 dev-dynamic-mem: BUILD_TAGS+=memprofiler
 dev-dynamic-mem: dev-dynamic
 
@@ -166,6 +166,10 @@ fmtcheck:
 fmt:
 	gofmt -w $(GOFMT_FILES)
 
+assetcheck:
+	@echo "==> Checking compiled UI assets..."
+	@sh -c "'$(CURDIR)/scripts/assetcheck.sh'"
+
 spellcheck:
 	@echo "==> Spell checking website..."
 	@misspell -error -source=text website/source
@@ -194,6 +198,6 @@ hana-database-plugin:
 mongodb-database-plugin:
 	@CGO_ENABLED=0 go build -o bin/mongodb-database-plugin ./plugins/database/mongodb/mongodb-database-plugin
 
-.PHONY: bin default prep test vet bootstrap fmt fmtcheck mysql-database-plugin mysql-legacy-database-plugin cassandra-database-plugin influxdb-database-plugin postgresql-database-plugin mssql-database-plugin hana-database-plugin mongodb-database-plugin static-assets ember-dist ember-dist-dev static-dist static-dist-dev
+.PHONY: bin default prep test vet bootstrap fmt fmtcheck mysql-database-plugin mysql-legacy-database-plugin cassandra-database-plugin influxdb-database-plugin postgresql-database-plugin mssql-database-plugin hana-database-plugin mongodb-database-plugin static-assets ember-dist ember-dist-dev static-dist static-dist-dev assetcheck
 
 .NOTPARALLEL: ember-dist ember-dist-dev static-assets
diff --git a/scripts/assetcheck.sh b/scripts/assetcheck.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..30d3b4cb8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/assetcheck.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+if [[ ! -e http/bindata_assetfs.go ]]
+then
+  printf "Compiled UI assets not found. They can be built with: make static-dist\n\n"
+else
+  if [[ `find http/bindata_assetfs.go -mmin +10080` ]]
+  then
+    printf "Compiled UI assets are more than one week old. They can be rebuilt with: make static-dist\n\n"
+  fi
+fi