diff --git a/packages/bazel/src/schematics/ng-add/index.ts b/packages/bazel/src/schematics/ng-add/index.ts
index 3021c7e4c9..e71beda97a 100755
--- a/packages/bazel/src/schematics/ng-add/index.ts
+++ b/packages/bazel/src/schematics/ng-add/index.ts
@@ -55,13 +55,19 @@ function addDevDependenciesToPackageJson(options: Schema) {
     };
 
     const recorder = host.beginUpdate(packageJson);
-    const depsToInstall = Object.keys(devDependencies).filter((name) => {
-      return !findPropertyInAstObject(devDeps, name);
-    });
-    for (const packageName of depsToInstall) {
+    for (const packageName of Object.keys(devDependencies)) {
+      const existingDep = findPropertyInAstObject(deps, packageName);
+      if (existingDep) {
+        const content = packageJsonContent.toString();
+        removeKeyValueInAstObject(recorder, content, deps, packageName);
+      }
       const version = devDependencies[packageName];
       const indent = 4;
-      insertPropertyInAstObjectInOrder(recorder, devDeps, packageName, version, indent);
+      if (findPropertyInAstObject(devDeps, packageName)) {
+        replacePropertyInAstObject(recorder, devDeps, packageName, version, indent);
+      } else {
+        insertPropertyInAstObjectInOrder(recorder, devDeps, packageName, version, indent);
+      }
     }
     host.commitUpdate(recorder);
     return host;
diff --git a/packages/bazel/src/schematics/ng-add/index_spec.ts b/packages/bazel/src/schematics/ng-add/index_spec.ts
index 26db953695..b01fc7a14d 100644
--- a/packages/bazel/src/schematics/ng-add/index_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/bazel/src/schematics/ng-add/index_spec.ts
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ describe('ng-add schematic', () => {
     expect(devDeps).toContain('@bazel/karma');
   });
 
-  it('should not add an existing dev dependency', () => {
+  it('should replace an existing dev dependency', () => {
     expect(host.files).toContain('/package.json');
     const packageJson = JSON.parse(host.readContent('/package.json'));
     packageJson.devDependencies['@angular/bazel'] = '4.2.42';
@@ -110,7 +110,20 @@ describe('ng-add schematic', () => {
     // It is possible that a dep gets added twice if the package already exists.
     expect(content.match(/@angular\/bazel/g) !.length).toEqual(1);
     const json = JSON.parse(content);
-    expect(json.devDependencies['@angular/bazel']).toBe('4.2.42');
+    expect(json.devDependencies['@angular/bazel']).toBe('1.2.3');
+  });
+
+  it('should remove an existing dependency', () => {
+    expect(host.files).toContain('/package.json');
+    const packageJson = JSON.parse(host.readContent('/package.json'));
+    packageJson.dependencies['@angular/bazel'] = '4.2.42';
+    expect(Object.keys(packageJson.dependencies)).toContain('@angular/bazel');
+    host.overwrite('/package.json', JSON.stringify(packageJson));
+    host = schematicRunner.runSchematic('ng-add', defaultOptions, host);
+    const content = host.readContent('/package.json');
+    const json = JSON.parse(content);
+    expect(Object.keys(json.dependencies)).not.toContain('@angular/bazel');
+    expect(json.devDependencies['@angular/bazel']).toBe('1.2.3');
   });
 
   it('should not create Bazel workspace file', () => {
diff --git a/packages/bazel/src/schematics/utility/json-utils.ts b/packages/bazel/src/schematics/utility/json-utils.ts
index 37526b5f6e..0c42716dbd 100644
--- a/packages/bazel/src/schematics/utility/json-utils.ts
+++ b/packages/bazel/src/schematics/utility/json-utils.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ export function removeKeyValueInAstObject(
       const start = prop.start.offset;
       const end = prop.end.offset;
       let length = end - start;
-      const match = content.slice(end).match(/[,\s]+/);
+      const match = content.slice(end).match(/^[,\s]+/);
       if (match) {
         length += match.pop() !.length;
       }