diff --git a/app/plugins/functions.py b/app/plugins/functions.py
index d3937d32..d7313200 100644
--- a/app/plugins/functions.py
+++ b/app/plugins/functions.py
@@ -94,9 +94,13 @@ def build_plugins():
                     "Cannot generate webpack.config.js for {}, a path is missing: {}".format(plugin, ' '.join(build_paths)))
 
         # Check for webpack.config.js (if we need to build it)
-        if plugin.path_exists("public/webpack.config.js") and not plugin.path_exists("public/build"):
-            logger.info("Running webpack for {}".format(plugin.get_name()))
-            subprocess.call(['webpack-cli'], cwd=plugin.get_path("public"))
+        if plugin.path_exists("public/webpack.config.js"):
+            if settings.DEV:
+                logger.info("Running webpack with watcher for {}".format(plugin.get_name()))
+                subprocess.Popen(['webpack-cli', '--watch'], cwd=plugin.get_path("public"))
+            elif not plugin.path_exists("public/build"):
+                logger.info("Running webpack for {}".format(plugin.get_name()))
+                subprocess.call(['webpack-cli'], cwd=plugin.get_path("public"))
 
 
 def register_plugins():
diff --git a/webodm.sh b/webodm.sh
index 8ac4fa23..dbb15258 100755
--- a/webodm.sh
+++ b/webodm.sh
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ case $key in
     ;;
     --dev)
     export WO_DEBUG=YES
+    export WO_DEV=YES
     dev_mode=true
     shift # past argument
     ;;
diff --git a/webodm/settings.py b/webodm/settings.py
index 855d513b..4bef0b3b 100644
--- a/webodm/settings.py
+++ b/webodm/settings.py
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ WORKER_RUNNING = sys.argv[2:3] == ["worker"]
 
 # SECURITY WARNING: don't run with debug turned on a public facing server!
 DEBUG = os.environ.get('WO_DEBUG', 'YES') == 'YES' or TESTING
+DEV = os.environ.get('WO_DEV', 'YES') == 'YES'
 SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE = CSRF_COOKIE_SECURE = os.environ.get('WO_SSL', 'NO') == 'YES'
 INTERNAL_IPS = ['127.0.0.1']