diff --git a/docs/config/server-options.md b/docs/config/server-options.md
index ade62028b6754d..241cb0c1c08545 100644
--- a/docs/config/server-options.md
+++ b/docs/config/server-options.md
@@ -176,9 +176,9 @@ The error that appears in the Browser when the fallback happens can be ignored.
 
 ## server.watch
 
-- **Type:** `object`
+- **Type:** `object | false`
 
-File system watcher options to pass on to [chokidar](https://github.com/paulmillr/chokidar#api).
+File system watcher options to pass on to [chokidar](https://github.com/paulmillr/chokidar#api). Pass `false` to disable watcher completely.
 
 The Vite server watcher skips `.git/` and `node_modules/` directories by default. If you want to watch a package inside `node_modules/`, you can pass a negated glob pattern to `server.watch.ignored`. That is:
 
diff --git a/docs/guide/api-javascript.md b/docs/guide/api-javascript.md
index a9a5a2592bc8cd..7924c90b164c4b 100644
--- a/docs/guide/api-javascript.md
+++ b/docs/guide/api-javascript.md
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ interface ViteDevServer {
    * Chokidar watcher instance.
    * https://github.com/paulmillr/chokidar#api
    */
-  watcher: FSWatcher
+  watcher?: FSWatcher
   /**
    * Web socket server with `send(payload)` method.
    */
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/esbuild.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/esbuild.ts
index 591e2883453fe3..a863165897e201 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/esbuild.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/plugins/esbuild.ts
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ export function esbuildPlugin(config: ResolvedConfig): Plugin {
     configureServer(_server) {
       server = _server
       server.watcher
-        .on('add', reloadOnTsconfigChange)
+        ?.on('add', reloadOnTsconfigChange)
         .on('change', reloadOnTsconfigChange)
         .on('unlink', reloadOnTsconfigChange)
     },
@@ -515,14 +515,14 @@ async function loadTsconfigJsonForFile(
   try {
     const result = await parse(filename, await tsconfckParseOptions)
     // tsconfig could be out of root, make sure it is watched on dev
-    if (server && result.tsconfigFile !== 'no_tsconfig_file_found') {
+    if (server?.watcher && result.tsconfigFile !== 'no_tsconfig_file_found') {
       ensureWatchedFile(server.watcher, result.tsconfigFile, server.config.root)
     }
     return result.tsconfig
   } catch (e) {
     if (e instanceof TSConfckParseError) {
       // tsconfig could be out of root, make sure it is watched on dev
-      if (server && e.tsconfigFile) {
+      if (server?.watcher && e.tsconfigFile) {
         ensureWatchedFile(server.watcher, e.tsconfigFile, server.config.root)
       }
     }
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/server/index.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/server/index.ts
index d1c83bf43a7b91..3740f2a8b8e1c7 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/server/index.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/server/index.ts
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ export interface ServerOptions extends CommonServerOptions {
    * chokidar watch options
    * https://github.com/paulmillr/chokidar#api
    */
-  watch?: WatchOptions
+  watch?: WatchOptions | false
   /**
    * Create Vite dev server to be used as a middleware in an existing server
    * @default false
@@ -194,8 +194,9 @@ export interface ViteDevServer {
   /**
    * chokidar watcher instance
    * https://github.com/paulmillr/chokidar#api
+   * // TODO: Setting this as optional breaks typings without major bump. Maybe pass no-op instead?
    */
-  watcher: FSWatcher
+  watcher?: FSWatcher
   /**
    * web socket server with `send(payload)` method
    */
@@ -344,11 +345,6 @@ export async function _createServer(
   const httpsOptions = await resolveHttpsConfig(config.server.https)
   const { middlewareMode } = serverConfig
 
-  const resolvedWatchOptions = resolveChokidarOptions(config, {
-    disableGlobbing: true,
-    ...serverConfig.watch,
-  })
-
   const middlewares = connect() as Connect.Server
   const httpServer = middlewareMode
     ? null
@@ -359,11 +355,17 @@ export async function _createServer(
     setClientErrorHandler(httpServer, config.logger)
   }
 
-  const watcher = chokidar.watch(
-    // config file dependencies and env file might be outside of root
-    [root, ...config.configFileDependencies, config.envDir],
-    resolvedWatchOptions,
-  ) as FSWatcher
+  const watcher =
+    config.server.watch === false
+      ? undefined
+      : chokidar.watch(
+          // config file dependencies and env file might be outside of root
+          [root, ...config.configFileDependencies, config.envDir],
+          resolveChokidarOptions(config, {
+            disableGlobbing: true,
+            ...serverConfig.watch,
+          }),
+        )
 
   const moduleGraph: ModuleGraph = new ModuleGraph((url, ssr) =>
     container.resolveId(url, undefined, { ssr }),
@@ -456,7 +458,7 @@ export async function _createServer(
         }
       }
       await Promise.allSettled([
-        watcher.close(),
+        watcher?.close(),
         ws.close(),
         container.close(),
         getDepsOptimizer(server.config)?.close(),
@@ -548,7 +550,7 @@ export async function _createServer(
     await onHMRUpdate(file, true)
   }
 
-  watcher.on('change', async (file) => {
+  watcher?.on('change', async (file) => {
     file = normalizePath(file)
     // invalidate module graph cache on file change
     moduleGraph.onFileChange(file)
@@ -556,8 +558,8 @@ export async function _createServer(
     await onHMRUpdate(file, false)
   })
 
-  watcher.on('add', onFileAddUnlink)
-  watcher.on('unlink', onFileAddUnlink)
+  watcher?.on('add', onFileAddUnlink)
+  watcher?.on('unlink', onFileAddUnlink)
 
   ws.on('vite:invalidate', async ({ path, message }: InvalidatePayload) => {
     const mod = moduleGraph.urlToModuleMap.get(path)
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/server/middlewares/indexHtml.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/server/middlewares/indexHtml.ts
index 678c09fc7c029c..b6318d8669061a 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/server/middlewares/indexHtml.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/server/middlewares/indexHtml.ts
@@ -277,7 +277,10 @@ const devHtmlHook: IndexHtmlTransformHook = async (
 
       // ensure module in graph after successful load
       const mod = await moduleGraph.ensureEntryFromUrl(url, false)
-      ensureWatchedFile(watcher, mod.file, config.root)
+
+      if (watcher) {
+        ensureWatchedFile(watcher, mod.file, config.root)
+      }
 
       const result = await server!.pluginContainer.transform(code, mod.id!)
       let content = ''
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/server/transformRequest.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/server/transformRequest.ts
index cbc0b768f70198..ea17452bd5b0d3 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/server/transformRequest.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/server/transformRequest.ts
@@ -263,7 +263,10 @@ async function loadAndTransform(
 
   // ensure module in graph after successful load
   mod ??= await moduleGraph._ensureEntryFromUrl(url, ssr, undefined, resolved)
-  ensureWatchedFile(watcher, mod.file, root)
+
+  if (watcher) {
+    ensureWatchedFile(watcher, mod.file, root)
+  }
 
   // transform
   const transformStart = debugTransform ? performance.now() : 0
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/watch.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/watch.ts
index 64c42a7b97dddc..9fc1c8e18a3f35 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/watch.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/watch.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ export function resolveChokidarOptions(
   config: ResolvedConfig,
   options: WatchOptions | undefined,
 ): WatchOptions {
+  if (config.server.watch === false) {
+    return {}
+  }
+
   const { ignored = [], ...otherOptions } = options ?? {}
 
   const resolvedWatchOptions: WatchOptions = {
diff --git a/playground/test-utils.ts b/playground/test-utils.ts
index 39e2f56c5e6a86..e6e5b19ea89976 100644
--- a/playground/test-utils.ts
+++ b/playground/test-utils.ts
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ export const ports = {
   'css/postcss-plugins-different-dir': 5006,
   'css/dynamic-import': 5007,
   'css/lightningcss-proxy': 5008,
+  watch: 5009,
 }
 export const hmrPorts = {
   'optimize-missing-deps': 24680,
diff --git a/playground/watch/__tests__/watch.spec.ts b/playground/watch/__tests__/watch.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..5325f515edc525
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playground/watch/__tests__/watch.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+import path from 'node:path'
+import fs from 'node:fs'
+import { createServer } from 'vite'
+import { afterEach, expect, test } from 'vitest'
+import { isBuild, page, ports } from '~utils'
+
+const filename = path.resolve(__dirname, '../src/header-text.mjs')
+const port = ports.watch
+const cleanups: (() => void | Promise<void>)[] = []
+
+afterEach(async () => {
+  await Promise.all(cleanups.splice(0).map((cleanup) => cleanup()))
+})
+
+test.skipIf(isBuild)('watch mode is enabled by default', async () => {
+  const server = await createServer({
+    root: path.join(__dirname, '..'),
+    logLevel: 'silent',
+    server: {
+      port,
+      strictPort: true,
+    },
+  })
+
+  cleanups.push(() => server.close())
+  await server.listen()
+
+  const initialHeader = 'Initial header'
+  const newHeader = 'New header'
+
+  await page.goto(`http://localhost:${port}`)
+  expect(await page.textContent('h1')).toBe(initialHeader)
+
+  // Edit file and wait for content to appear on page
+  cleanups.push(() =>
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      filename,
+      `export const headerText = "${initialHeader}";`,
+      'utf8',
+    ),
+  )
+  fs.writeFileSync(
+    filename,
+    `export const headerText = "${newHeader}";`,
+    'utf8',
+  )
+
+  await page.waitForSelector('text=New header')
+})
+
+test.skipIf(isBuild)('watch mode can be disabled', async () => {
+  const server = await createServer({
+    root: path.join(__dirname, '..'),
+    logLevel: 'silent',
+    server: {
+      port,
+      strictPort: true,
+      watch: false,
+    },
+  })
+  cleanups.push(() => server.close())
+  await server.listen()
+
+  const initialHeader = 'Initial header'
+  const newHeader = 'New header'
+
+  await page.goto(`http://localhost:${port}`)
+  expect(await page.textContent('h1')).toBe(initialHeader)
+
+  cleanups.push(() =>
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      filename,
+      `export const headerText = "${initialHeader}";`,
+      'utf8',
+    ),
+  )
+  fs.writeFileSync(
+    filename,
+    `export const headerText = "${newHeader}";`,
+    'utf8',
+  )
+
+  // Initial header should still be visible after some time
+  await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 1000))
+  expect(await page.textContent('h1')).toBe(initialHeader)
+})
diff --git a/playground/watch/index.html b/playground/watch/index.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..fbc3d276fc36a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playground/watch/index.html
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+<!doctype html>
+<html lang="en">
+  <head>
+    <meta charset="UTF-8" />
+    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
+    <title>Watch</title>
+    <script src="./src/index.mjs" type="module"></script>
+  </head>
+  <body>
+    <h1>Watch</h1>
+  </body>
+</html>
diff --git a/playground/watch/package.json b/playground/watch/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..01efca2d5c193c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playground/watch/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  "name": "@vitejs/test-watch",
+  "private": true,
+  "version": "0.0.0",
+  "type": "module",
+  "scripts": {},
+  "dependencies": {},
+  "devDependencies": {}
+}
diff --git a/playground/watch/src/header-text.mjs b/playground/watch/src/header-text.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..abe38cdaa3c64e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playground/watch/src/header-text.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export const headerText = 'Initial header'
diff --git a/playground/watch/src/index.mjs b/playground/watch/src/index.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..ffc1f214fbbaf2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/playground/watch/src/index.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+import { headerText } from './header-text.mjs'
+
+document.querySelector('h1').textContent = headerText