diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/vite-html-renderer.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/vite-html-renderer.test.ts
index 2b7d50679c1..f958ce79b8b 100644
--- a/server/src/__tests__/vite-html-renderer.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/vite-html-renderer.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import fs from "node:fs";
 import os from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
-import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import { createCachedViteHtmlRenderer, type ViteWatcherHost } from "../vite-html-renderer.js";
 
 function createWatcher() {
@@ -50,10 +50,12 @@ describe("createCachedViteHtmlRenderer", () => {
     const renderer = createCachedViteHtmlRenderer({ vite, uiRoot: tempDir });
 
     await expect(renderer.render("/")).resolves.toContain("/@vite/client");
+    await expect(renderer.render("/")).resolves.toContain('"/@react-refresh"');
     const first = await renderer.render("/");
     const second = await renderer.render("/issues");
     expect(first).toBe(second);
     expect(first.match(/\/@vite\/client/g)?.length).toBe(1);
+    expect(first).toContain("window.$RefreshReg$");
 
     fs.writeFileSync(
       indexPath,
@@ -67,12 +69,12 @@ describe("createCachedViteHtmlRenderer", () => {
     renderer.dispose();
   });
 
-  it("does not duplicate the vite client tag when it already exists", async () => {
+  it("does not duplicate the vite client tag or react refresh preamble when already present", async () => {
     const tempDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "paperclip-vite-html-"));
     tempDirs.push(tempDir);
     fs.writeFileSync(
       path.join(tempDir, "index.html"),
-      '<html><body><script type="module" src="/@vite/client"></script></body></html>',
+      '<html><head><script type="module">import { injectIntoGlobalHook } from "/@react-refresh";injectIntoGlobalHook(window);window.$RefreshReg$ = () => {};window.$RefreshSig$ = () => (type) => type;</script></head><body><script type="module" src="/@vite/client"></script><script type="module" src="/src/main.tsx"></script></body></html>',
       "utf8",
     );
 
@@ -84,5 +86,6 @@ describe("createCachedViteHtmlRenderer", () => {
 
     const html = await renderer.render("/");
     expect(html.match(/\/@vite\/client/g)?.length).toBe(1);
+    expect(html.match(/\/@react-refresh/g)?.length).toBe(1);
   });
 });
diff --git a/server/src/vite-html-renderer.ts b/server/src/vite-html-renderer.ts
index 3a768c23ed3..4834591acf6 100644
--- a/server/src/vite-html-renderer.ts
+++ b/server/src/vite-html-renderer.ts
@@ -18,13 +18,25 @@ export interface CachedViteHtmlRenderer {
 const WATCHER_EVENTS: ViteWatcherEvent[] = ["add", "change", "unlink"];
 const MAIN_ENTRY_TAG = '<script type="module" src="/src/main.tsx"></script>';
 const VITE_CLIENT_TAG = '<script type="module" src="/@vite/client"></script>';
+const REACT_REFRESH_PREAMBLE = `<script type="module">
+import { injectIntoGlobalHook } from "/@react-refresh";
+injectIntoGlobalHook(window);
+window.$RefreshReg$ = () => {};
+window.$RefreshSig$ = () => (type) => type;
+</script>`;
 
-function injectViteClient(html: string): string {
-  if (html.includes(VITE_CLIENT_TAG)) return html;
-  if (html.includes(MAIN_ENTRY_TAG)) {
-    return html.replace(MAIN_ENTRY_TAG, `${VITE_CLIENT_TAG}\n    ${MAIN_ENTRY_TAG}`);
+function injectViteDevPreamble(html: string): string {
+  let injectedHtml = html;
+  if (!injectedHtml.includes('"/@react-refresh"') && !injectedHtml.includes("'/@react-refresh'")) {
+    injectedHtml = injectedHtml.includes("</head>")
+      ? injectedHtml.replace("</head>", `    ${REACT_REFRESH_PREAMBLE}\n  </head>`)
+      : `${REACT_REFRESH_PREAMBLE}\n${injectedHtml}`;
   }
-  return html.replace("</body>", `    ${VITE_CLIENT_TAG}\n  </body>`);
+  if (injectedHtml.includes(VITE_CLIENT_TAG)) return injectedHtml;
+  if (injectedHtml.includes(MAIN_ENTRY_TAG)) {
+    return injectedHtml.replace(MAIN_ENTRY_TAG, `${VITE_CLIENT_TAG}\n    ${MAIN_ENTRY_TAG}`);
+  }
+  return injectedHtml.replace("</body>", `    ${VITE_CLIENT_TAG}\n  </body>`);
 }
 
 export function createCachedViteHtmlRenderer(opts: {
@@ -40,7 +52,7 @@ export function createCachedViteHtmlRenderer(opts: {
   function loadHtml(): string {
     if (cachedHtml === null) {
       const rawTemplate = fs.readFileSync(templatePath, "utf-8");
-      cachedHtml = brandHtml(injectViteClient(rawTemplate));
+      cachedHtml = injectViteDevPreamble(brandHtml(rawTemplate));
     }
     return cachedHtml;
   }