node --watch won't restart after SyntaxError [ERR_INVALID_TYPESCRIPT_SYNTAX] and the file is subsequently modified

[gitenstuff]

Version

v24.11.1

Platform

linux

Subsystem

No response

What steps will reproduce the bug?

Run bash node --watch app.ts

• edit app.ts => if you make a change without causing a syntax error, e.g., edit a string, copy/delete lines, then --watch works as expected.
• however it the edit causes SyntaxError [ERR_INVALID_TYPESCRIPT_SYNTAX]: then app.ts will not be restarted, no matter how the file is subsequently modified, e.g., fixed the syntax error.

How often does it reproduce? Is there a required condition?

Always

What is the expected behavior? Why is that the expected behavior?

Node should restart every time the file is changed

What do you see instead?

Run node --watch app.ts

Completed running 'app.ts'. Waiting for file changes before restarting...

Now start editing. If the file you are editing gets saved (auto save 5 seconds on this machine) while you are in the middle of typing a line then output is the Syntax Error exception as expected.

Restarting 'app.ts'
node:internal/modules/run_main:107
    triggerUncaughtException(
    ^

file:///home/user/dev/rfc/app.ts:38
      throw new Error(`"${this.cmd}" not found on system path`
    }
    ^
  }

SyntaxError [ERR_INVALID_TYPESCRIPT_SYNTAX]: Expected ',', got '}'
    at parseTypeScript (node:internal/modules/typescript:72:36)
    at processTypeScriptCode (node:internal/modules/typescript:146:42)
    at stripTypeScriptModuleTypes (node:internal/modules/typescript:209:22)
    at ModuleLoader.<anonymous> (node:internal/modules/esm/translators:660:29)
    at #translate (node:internal/modules/esm/loader:541:20)
    at afterLoad (node:internal/modules/esm/loader:594:29)
    at ModuleLoader.loadAndTranslate (node:internal/modules/esm/loader:599:12)
    at #createModuleJob (node:internal/modules/esm/loader:623:36)
    at #getJobFromResolveResult (node:internal/modules/esm/loader:329:34)
    at ModuleLoader.getModuleJobForImport (node:internal/modules/esm/loader:294:41) {
  code: 'ERR_INVALID_TYPESCRIPT_SYNTAX'
}

Node.js v24.11.1
Failed running 'app.ts'. Waiting for file changes before restarting...

Meanwhile you finish typing your line and now all of the syntax is peachy clean within a few more seconds.

• app.ts is never restarted no matter what changes are made to it
• Neither manual save nor auto-save will trigger a restart.
• Mediation is ctrl-c, followed by node --watch app.ts

Additional information

No response

[marco-ippolito]

I cannot reproduce on macos

[gitenstuff]

@marco-ippolito
I'm not surprised to hear it's not reproducing. Otherwise there would be a ton of issues ...
I did additional testing: --watch works as expected when app crashes on any other unhandled exception. It only stops working when node crashes with a syntax error...

[Xstoudi]

I cannot reproduce on Linux Mint either.

[gitenstuff]

Can you please give me some guidelines regarding desktop capture video which can be posted or linked to here so y'all don't think i'ma crazy?

[juanarbol]

can't repro in Linux

const foo: number = "bar";
console.log(foo);

node --watch /tmp/watch.ts

bar
Completed running '/tmp/watch.ts'. Waiting for file changes before restarting...
Restarting '/tmp/watch.ts'
/tmp/watch.ts:3

struct {};
       ^

SyntaxError [ERR_INVALID_TYPESCRIPT_SYNTAX]: Expected ';', '}' or <eof>
    at parseTypeScript (node:internal/modules/typescript:72:36)
    at processTypeScriptCode (node:internal/modules/typescript:146:42)
    at stripTypeScriptModuleTypes (node:internal/modules/typescript:209:22)
    at Module._compile (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1713:15)
    at Object..js (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1893:10)
    at Module.load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1481:32)
    at Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1300:12)
    at TracingChannel.traceSync (node:diagnostics_channel:328:14)
    at wrapModuleLoad (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:245:24)
    at Module.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (node:internal/modules/run_main:154:5) {
  code: 'ERR_INVALID_TYPESCRIPT_SYNTAX'
}

Node.js v24.11.1
Failed running '/tmp/watch.ts'. Waiting for file changes before restarting...
Restarting '/tmp/watch.ts'
bar
Completed running '/tmp/watch.ts'. Waiting for file changes before restarting...

[juanarbol]

Can you please give me some guidelines regarding desktop capture video which can be posted or linked to here so y'all don't think i'ma crazy?

The easiest for all of us to look at the better. Use anything that works for you and us.

[robsimmons]

Here's me replicating (OSX 15.6.1 (24G90), Node.js v24.7.0)

Screen.Recording.2025-12-29.at.3.52.11.PM.mov

[robsimmons]

OH! I can only replicate when "type": "module" is set in package.json, that's probably a big clue. Replicator @gitenstuff and non-replicators @marco-ippolito and @Xstoudi, can you try out switching to type-module and see if that makes a difference in either direction?

[gitenstuff]

@robsimmons
Weird, now I can't replicate with "type"="commonjs" nor "type"="module"

$ node --version
v24.11.1

$ uname -rsi
Linux 5.14.0-611.13.1.el9_7.x86_64 x86_64

[robsimmons]

I am still able to replicate with node v24.12.0 exactly as shown in the video above. (As shown in the video, that was using v24.7.0). And I found this issue because a colleague using Windows encountered the same issue.

[Xstoudi]

Yep, can now reproduce, but only when type is module.

$ node -v
v24.12.0

$ uname -rsi
Linux 6.14.0-37-generic x86_64