diff --git a/packages/nuxi/src/commands/dev.ts b/packages/nuxi/src/commands/dev.ts
index c54566f75..7a9f4d9a4 100644
--- a/packages/nuxi/src/commands/dev.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxi/src/commands/dev.ts
@@ -161,8 +161,10 @@ const command = defineCommand({
     // ... then fall back to pre-warmed fork if a hard restart is required
     const fork = startSubprocess(cwd, ctx.args, ctx.rawArgs, listenOptions)
     onRestart(async (devServer) => {
-      await devServer.close()
-      const subprocess = await fork
+      const [subprocess] = await Promise.all([
+        fork,
+        devServer.close().catch(() => {}),
+      ])
       await subprocess.initialize(devProxy, useSocket)
     })
 
diff --git a/packages/nuxi/src/dev/index.ts b/packages/nuxi/src/dev/index.ts
index 04d318def..84967ff40 100644
--- a/packages/nuxi/src/dev/index.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxi/src/dev/index.ts
@@ -23,10 +23,13 @@ interface InitializeOptions {
 class IPC {
   enabled = !!process.send && !process.title?.includes('vitest') && process.env.__NUXT__FORK
   constructor() {
-    process.once('unhandledRejection', (reason) => {
-      this.send({ type: 'nuxt:internal:dev:rejection', message: reason instanceof Error ? reason.toString() : 'Unhandled Rejection' })
-      process.exit()
-    })
+    // only kill process if it is a fork
+    if (this.enabled) {
+      process.once('unhandledRejection', (reason) => {
+        this.send({ type: 'nuxt:internal:dev:rejection', message: reason instanceof Error ? reason.toString() : 'Unhandled Rejection' })
+        process.exit()
+      })
+    }
     process.on('message', (message: NuxtParentIPCMessage) => {
       if (message.type === 'nuxt:internal:dev:context') {
         initialize(message.context, {}, message.socket ? undefined : true)
@@ -150,7 +153,16 @@ export async function initialize(devContext: NuxtDevContext, ctx: InitializeOpti
       }
     },
     onRestart: (callback: (devServer: NuxtDevServer) => void) => {
-      devServer.once('restart', () => callback(devServer))
+      let restarted = false
+      function restart() {
+        if (!restarted) {
+          restarted = true
+          callback(devServer)
+        }
+      }
+      devServer.once('restart', restart)
+      process.once('uncaughtException', restart)
+      process.once('unhandledRejection', restart)
     },
   }
 }