diff --git a/packages/grafana-toolkit/src/cli/tasks/plugin.create.ts b/packages/grafana-toolkit/src/cli/tasks/plugin.create.ts
index 0eb2647686a..2b9a400df71 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-toolkit/src/cli/tasks/plugin.create.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-toolkit/src/cli/tasks/plugin.create.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
   promptPluginType,
   removeGitFiles,
   verifyGitExists,
+  removeLockFile,
 } from './plugin/create';
 import { Task, TaskRunner } from './task';
 
@@ -40,10 +41,14 @@ const pluginCreateRunner: TaskRunner<PluginCreateOptions> = async ({ name }) =>
   // 5. Update json files (package.json, src/plugin.json)
   await prepareJsonFiles({ type: type, pluginDetails, pluginPath: destPath });
 
-  // 6. Remove cloned repository .git dir
+  // 6. Starter templates include `yarn.lock` files which will rarely (if ever) be in sync with `latest` dist-tag
+  // so best to remove it after cloning.
+  removeLockFile({ pluginPath: destPath });
+
+  // 7. Remove cloned repository .git dir
   await removeGitFiles(destPath);
 
-  // 7. Promote Grafana Tutorials :)
+  // 8. Promote Grafana Tutorials :)
   printGrafanaTutorialsDetails(type);
 };
 
diff --git a/packages/grafana-toolkit/src/cli/tasks/plugin/create.ts b/packages/grafana-toolkit/src/cli/tasks/plugin/create.ts
index 62873703fc3..f4f9143944c 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-toolkit/src/cli/tasks/plugin/create.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-toolkit/src/cli/tasks/plugin/create.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import chalk from 'chalk';
 import commandExists from 'command-exists';
-import { promises as fs, readFileSync } from 'fs';
+import { promises as fs, readFileSync, existsSync, unlinkSync } from 'fs';
 import { prompt } from 'inquirer';
 import { kebabCase } from 'lodash';
 import path from 'path';
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ export const printGrafanaTutorialsDetails = (type: PluginType) => {
   console.group();
   console.log();
   console.log(chalk.bold.yellow(`Congrats! You have just created ${PluginNames[type]}.`));
+  console.log('Please run `yarn install` to install frontend dependencies.');
   console.log();
   if (type !== 'backend-datasource-plugin') {
     console.log(`${PluginNames[type]} tutorial: ${TutorialPaths[type]}`);
@@ -188,3 +189,10 @@ export const printGrafanaTutorialsDetails = (type: PluginType) => {
   console.groupEnd();
 };
 /* eslint-enable no-console */
+
+export const removeLockFile = ({ pluginPath }: { pluginPath: string }) => {
+  const lockFilePath = path.resolve(pluginPath, 'yarn.lock');
+  if (existsSync(lockFilePath)) {
+    unlinkSync(lockFilePath);
+  }
+};