diff --git a/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/index.js b/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/index.js
index 95d075a45936c..7e5fa7e712b01 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/index.js
+++ b/packages/gatsby/src/bootstrap/index.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ const telemetry = require(`gatsby-telemetry`)
 const apiRunnerNode = require(`../utils/api-runner-node`)
 import { getBrowsersList } from "../utils/browserslist"
 import { createSchemaCustomization } from "../utils/create-schema-customization"
+import { startPluginRunner } from "../redux/plugin-runner"
 const { store, emitter } = require(`../redux`)
 const loadPlugins = require(`./load-plugins`)
 const loadThemes = require(`./load-themes`)
@@ -66,7 +67,7 @@ module.exports = async (args: BootstrapArgs) => {
 
   // Start plugin runner which listens to the store
   // and invokes Gatsby API based on actions.
-  require(`../redux/plugin-runner`)
+  startPluginRunner()
 
   const directory = slash(args.directory)
 
diff --git a/packages/gatsby/src/redux/plugin-runner.js b/packages/gatsby/src/redux/plugin-runner.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 5c5313fd5063a..0000000000000
--- a/packages/gatsby/src/redux/plugin-runner.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-// Invoke plugins for certain actions.
-
-const { emitter } = require(`./index`)
-const apiRunnerNode = require(`../utils/api-runner-node`)
-
-emitter.on(`CREATE_PAGE`, action => {
-  const page = action.payload
-  apiRunnerNode(
-    `onCreatePage`,
-    { page, traceId: action.traceId, parentSpan: action.parentSpan },
-    { pluginSource: action.plugin.name, activity: action.activity }
-  )
-})
diff --git a/packages/gatsby/src/redux/plugin-runner.ts b/packages/gatsby/src/redux/plugin-runner.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..a00c762f02cfe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/gatsby/src/redux/plugin-runner.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import { Span } from "opentracing"
+import { emitter } from "./index"
+import apiRunnerNode from "../utils/api-runner-node"
+import { ActivityTracker } from "../../"
+
+type Plugin = any // TODO
+
+// This might make sense to live somewhere else
+interface ICreatePageAction {
+  graphql<TData, TVariables = any>(
+    query: string,
+    variables?: TVariables
+  ): Promise<{
+    errors?: any
+    data?: TData
+  }>
+  traceId: "initial-createPages"
+  waitForCascadingActions: boolean
+  parentSpan: Span
+  activity: ActivityTracker
+  type: `CREATE_PAGE`
+  contextModified: boolean
+  plugin: Plugin
+  payload: {
+    internalComponentName: string
+    path: string
+    matchPath: string | undefined
+    component: string
+    componentChunkName: string
+    isCreatedByStatefulCreatePages: boolean
+    context: {
+      slug: string
+      id: string
+    }
+    updatedAt: number
+    pluginCreator__NODE: string
+    pluginCreatorId: string
+    componentPath: string
+  }
+}
+
+export const startPluginRunner = (): void => {
+  emitter.on(`CREATE_PAGE`, (action: ICreatePageAction) => {
+    const page = action.payload
+    apiRunnerNode(
+      `onCreatePage`,
+      { page, traceId: action.traceId, parentSpan: action.parentSpan },
+      { pluginSource: action.plugin.name, activity: action.activity }
+    )
+  })
+}