diff --git a/bridgetown-core/lib/bridgetown-core/rack/roda.rb b/bridgetown-core/lib/bridgetown-core/rack/roda.rb
index 973186d57..4c29ef44f 100644
--- a/bridgetown-core/lib/bridgetown-core/rack/roda.rb
+++ b/bridgetown-core/lib/bridgetown-core/rack/roda.rb
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ class Roda < ::Roda
       plugin :json
       plugin :json_parser
       plugin :cookies
+      plugin :streaming
       plugin :public, root: Bridgetown::Current.preloaded_configuration.destination
       plugin :not_found do
         output_folder = Bridgetown::Current.preloaded_configuration.destination
diff --git a/bridgetown-core/lib/bridgetown-core/rack/routes.rb b/bridgetown-core/lib/bridgetown-core/rack/routes.rb
index 28c09a3fb..a2bd83460 100644
--- a/bridgetown-core/lib/bridgetown-core/rack/routes.rb
+++ b/bridgetown-core/lib/bridgetown-core/rack/routes.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@
 
 module Bridgetown
   module Rack
+    @interrupted = false
+
+    class << self
+      attr_accessor :interrupted
+    end
+
     class Routes
       class << self
         attr_accessor :tracked_subclasses, :router_block
@@ -37,7 +43,7 @@ def merge(roda_app)
         def start!(roda_app)
           if Bridgetown.env.development? &&
               !Bridgetown::Current.preloaded_configuration.skip_live_reload
-            setup_live_reload roda_app.request
+            setup_live_reload roda_app
           end
 
           Bridgetown::Rack::Routes.tracked_subclasses&.each_value do |klass|
@@ -51,15 +57,31 @@ def start!(roda_app)
           nil
         end
 
-        def setup_live_reload(request)
-          request.get "_bridgetown/live_reload" do
-            {
-              last_mod: File.stat(
-                File.join(Bridgetown::Current.preloaded_configuration.destination, "index.html")
-              ).mtime.to_i,
-            }
-          rescue StandardError => e
-            { last_mod: 0, error: e.message }
+        def setup_live_reload(app) # rubocop:disable Metrics/AbcSize
+          sleep_interval = 0.2
+          file_to_check = File.join(app.class.opts[:bridgetown_preloaded_config].destination,
+                                    "index.html")
+
+          app.request.get "_bridgetown/live_reload" do
+            app.response["Content-Type"] = "text/event-stream"
+
+            @_mod = File.exist?(file_to_check) ? File.stat(file_to_check).mtime.to_i : 0
+            app.stream async: true do |out|
+              # 5 second intervals so Puma's threads aren't all exausted
+              (5 / sleep_interval).to_i.times do
+                break if Bridgetown::Rack.interrupted
+
+                new_mod = File.exist?(file_to_check) ? File.stat(file_to_check).mtime.to_i : 0
+                if @_mod < new_mod
+                  out << "data: reloaded!\n\n"
+                  break
+                else
+                  out << "data: #{new_mod}\n\n"
+                end
+
+                sleep sleep_interval
+              end
+            end
           end
         end
       end
@@ -86,3 +108,15 @@ def respond_to_missing?(method_name, include_private = false)
     end
   end
 end
+
+if Bridgetown.env.development? &&
+    !Bridgetown::Current.preloaded_configuration.skip_live_reload
+  Puma::Launcher.class_eval do
+    alias_method :_old_stop, :stop
+    def stop
+      Bridgetown::Rack.interrupted = true
+
+      _old_stop
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/bridgetown-core/lib/bridgetown-core/utils.rb b/bridgetown-core/lib/bridgetown-core/utils.rb
index f988b188b..06adf0a09 100644
--- a/bridgetown-core/lib/bridgetown-core/utils.rb
+++ b/bridgetown-core/lib/bridgetown-core/utils.rb
@@ -401,30 +401,34 @@ def live_reload_js(site) # rubocop:disable Metrics/MethodLength
       return "" unless Bridgetown.env.development? && !site.config.skip_live_reload
 
       code = <<~JAVASCRIPT
-        let first_mod = 0
-        let connection_errors = 0
-        const checkForReload = () => {
-          fetch("/_bridgetown/live_reload").then(response => {
-            if (response.ok) {
-              response.json().then(data => {
-                const last_mod = data.last_mod
-                if (first_mod === 0) {
-                  first_mod = last_mod
-                } else if (last_mod > first_mod) {
-                  location.reload()
-                }
-                setTimeout(() => checkForReload(), 700)
-              })
+        let lastmod = 0
+        function startReloadConnection() {
+          const evtSource = new EventSource("/_bridgetown/live_reload")
+          evtSource.onmessage = event => {
+            if (event.data == "reloaded!") {
+              location.reload()
             } else {
-              if (connection_errors < 20) setTimeout(() => checkForReload(), 6000)
-              connection_errors++
+              const newmod = Number(event.data)
+              if (lastmod > 0 && newmod > 0 && lastmod < newmod) {
+                location.reload()
+              } else {
+                lastmod = newmod
+              }
             }
-          }).catch((err) => {
-            if (connection_errors < 20) setTimeout(() => checkForReload(), 6000)
-            connection_errors++
-          })
+          }
+          evtSource.onerror = event => {
+            if (evtSource.readyState === 2) {
+              // reconnect with new object
+              evtSource.close()
+              console.warn("Live reload: attempting to reconnect in 3 seconds...")
+
+              setTimeout(() => startReloadConnection(), 3000)
+            }
+          }
         }
-        checkForReload()
+        setTimeout(() => {
+          startReloadConnection()
+        }, 500)
       JAVASCRIPT
 
       %(<script type="module">#{code}</script>).html_safe