diff --git a/extensions/example-extension/.gitignore b/extensions/example-extension/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a6c7c2852d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/example-extension/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+*.js
diff --git a/extensions/example-extension/example-extension.tsx b/extensions/example-extension/example-extension.tsx
index 1967ce0d60..3b08af5d01 100644
--- a/extensions/example-extension/example-extension.tsx
+++ b/extensions/example-extension/example-extension.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-import { Button, DynamicPageType, Icon, IconProps, LensExtension } from "@lens/extensions";
-import React from "react";
+import { Button, DynamicPageType, Icon, IconProps, LensExtension, React } from "@lens/extensions";
 import path from "path";
 
 export default class ExampleExtension extends LensExtension {
diff --git a/src/extensions/extension-api.ts b/src/extensions/extension-api.ts
index 5b9fce7d02..7f364898dd 100644
--- a/src/extensions/extension-api.ts
+++ b/src/extensions/extension-api.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ export * from "./lens-extension"
 export { DynamicPageType } from "./register-page";
 
 // TODO: add more common re-usable UI components + refactor interfaces (Props -> ComponentProps)
+export { default as React } from "react"
 export * from "../renderer/components/icon"
 export * from "../renderer/components/tooltip"
 export * from "../renderer/components/button"