diff --git a/integration/cli-test.ts b/integration/cli-test.ts
index 6d0d2c5e10..0352460a2a 100644
--- a/integration/cli-test.ts
+++ b/integration/cli-test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
+import { spawn, spawnSync, type ChildProcess } from "node:child_process";
 import {
   copyFileSync,
   existsSync,
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
 
 import { expect, test } from "@playwright/test";
 import dedent from "dedent";
+import getPort from "get-port";
 import semver from "semver";
 
 import { build, createProject, reactRouterConfig } from "./helpers/vite";
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ const __dirname = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
 const rootDirectory = path.resolve(__dirname, "..");
 const nodeBin = process.argv[0];
 const reactRouterBin = "node_modules/@react-router/dev/dist/cli/index.js";
+const reactRouterPackageBinPath = "node_modules/@react-router/dev/bin.cjs";
 const reactRouterPackageBin = path.join(
   rootDirectory,
   "packages/react-router-dev/bin.cjs",
@@ -30,6 +32,121 @@ const reactRouterPackageBin = path.join(
 const run = (command: string[], options: Parameters<typeof spawnSync>[2]) =>
   spawnSync(nodeBin, [reactRouterBin, ...command], options);
 
+function bufferize(stream: NodeJS.ReadableStream | null): () => string {
+  let buffer = "";
+  stream?.on("data", (data) => (buffer += data.toString()));
+  return () => buffer;
+}
+
+function delay(ms: number) {
+  return new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
+}
+
+function restartCount(output: string) {
+  return (
+    output.match(/\[restart\] Relaunching with NODE_OPTIONS:/g)?.length ?? 0
+  );
+}
+
+function getLogs(stdout: string, stderr: string) {
+  return [
+    `stdout:\n${stdout || "<empty>"}`,
+    `stderr:\n${stderr || "<empty>"}`,
+  ].join("\n\n");
+}
+
+async function waitForDevServer(args: {
+  port: number;
+  proc: ChildProcess;
+  stdout: () => string;
+  stderr: () => string;
+}) {
+  let timeout = process.platform === "win32" ? 20_000 : 10_000;
+  let start = Date.now();
+  let lastError: unknown;
+
+  while (Date.now() - start < timeout) {
+    let stdout = args.stdout();
+    let stderr = args.stderr();
+
+    if (restartCount(stdout) > 1) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `Expected react-router dev to restart once, but it restarted ${restartCount(
+          stdout,
+        )} times.\n\n${getLogs(stdout, stderr)}`,
+      );
+    }
+
+    if (args.proc.exitCode !== null || args.proc.signalCode !== null) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `react-router dev exited before the server started.\n\n${getLogs(
+          stdout,
+          stderr,
+        )}`,
+      );
+    }
+
+    try {
+      let response = await fetch(`http://127.0.0.1:${args.port}/`, {
+        signal: AbortSignal.timeout(1_000),
+      });
+      let html = await response.text();
+      if (response.ok && html.includes("Welcome to React Router")) {
+        return;
+      }
+      lastError = new Error(`Unexpected response ${response.status}: ${html}`);
+    } catch (error) {
+      lastError = error;
+    }
+
+    await delay(100);
+  }
+
+  throw new Error(
+    [
+      `Timed out waiting for react-router dev to start: ${String(lastError)}`,
+      getLogs(args.stdout(), args.stderr()),
+    ].join("\n\n"),
+  );
+}
+
+function waitForExit(proc: ChildProcess, timeout: number) {
+  return new Promise<{ code: number | null; signal: NodeJS.Signals | null }>(
+    (resolve, reject) => {
+      if (proc.exitCode !== null || proc.signalCode !== null) {
+        resolve({ code: proc.exitCode, signal: proc.signalCode });
+        return;
+      }
+
+      let timer = setTimeout(() => {
+        reject(new Error("Timed out waiting for react-router dev to exit"));
+      }, timeout);
+
+      proc.once("exit", (code, signal) => {
+        clearTimeout(timer);
+        resolve({ code, signal });
+      });
+    },
+  );
+}
+
+function killProcessGroup(proc: ChildProcess) {
+  if (proc.exitCode !== null || proc.signalCode !== null) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  if (proc.pid && process.platform !== "win32") {
+    try {
+      process.kill(-proc.pid, "SIGKILL");
+      return;
+    } catch {
+      // Fall back to killing just the parent process below.
+    }
+  }
+
+  proc.kill("SIGKILL");
+}
+
 const getBinNodeEnv = (command: string[]) => {
   let cwd = mkdtempSync(path.join(tmpdir(), "react-router-bin-"));
   let env = { ...process.env };
@@ -162,6 +279,60 @@ test.describe("cli", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  test("dev restarts with the development condition and starts the server", async ({
+    browserName: _browserName,
+  }, { project }) => {
+    test.skip(
+      project.name !== "chromium",
+      "CLI smoke test only needs one browser project",
+    );
+
+    let cwd = await createProject();
+    let port = await getPort();
+    let proc = spawn(
+      nodeBin,
+      [
+        reactRouterPackageBinPath,
+        "dev",
+        "--host",
+        "127.0.0.1",
+        "--port",
+        String(port),
+        "--strictPort",
+      ],
+      {
+        cwd,
+        detached: process.platform !== "win32",
+        env: {
+          ...process.env,
+          FORCE_COLOR: undefined,
+          NO_COLOR: "1",
+          NODE_OPTIONS: "--no-warnings=ExperimentalWarning",
+        },
+        stdio: "pipe",
+      },
+    );
+    let stdout = bufferize(proc.stdout);
+    let stderr = bufferize(proc.stderr);
+
+    try {
+      await waitForDevServer({ port, proc, stdout, stderr });
+      expect(restartCount(stdout())).toBe(1);
+
+      proc.kill("SIGTERM");
+      await expect(waitForExit(proc, 5_000)).resolves.toBeDefined();
+    } catch (error) {
+      throw new Error(
+        [
+          error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error),
+          getLogs(stdout(), stderr()),
+        ].join("\n\n"),
+      );
+    } finally {
+      killProcessGroup(proc);
+    }
+  });
+
   test("routes", async () => {
     const cwd = await createProject();
     let { stdout, stderr, status } = run(["routes"], { cwd });
diff --git a/packages/react-router-dev/.changes/minor.development-conditions.md b/packages/react-router-dev/.changes/minor.development-conditions.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..635e6ecf71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react-router-dev/.changes/minor.development-conditions.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+- Restart `react-router dev` with `--conditions=development` when not enabled
+-
diff --git a/packages/react-router-dev/cli/commands.ts b/packages/react-router-dev/cli/commands.ts
index e83556b168..4a86cbcc65 100644
--- a/packages/react-router-dev/cli/commands.ts
+++ b/packages/react-router-dev/cli/commands.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import colors from "picocolors";
 // Workaround for "ERR_REQUIRE_CYCLE_MODULE" in Node 22.10.0+
 import "react-router";
 
+import developmentConditionEnabled from "#development-condition-enabled";
 import type { ViteDevOptions } from "../vite/dev";
 import type { ViteBuildOptions } from "../vite/build";
 import { hasNodeDependency, loadConfig } from "../config/config";
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ import * as profiler from "../vite/profiler";
 import * as Typegen from "../typegen";
 import { preloadVite, getVite } from "../vite/vite";
 import { hasReactRouterRscPlugin } from "../vite/has-rsc-plugin";
+import { restartWithMergedOptions } from "../restart-with-conditions";
 
 const nodeRequire = createRequire(import.meta.url);
 
@@ -62,14 +64,18 @@ export async function build(
 }
 
 export async function dev(root?: string, options: ViteDevOptions = {}) {
-  let { dev } = await import("../vite/dev");
-  if (options.profile) {
-    await profiler.start();
-  }
-  exitHook(() => profiler.stop(console.info));
+  if (developmentConditionEnabled) {
+    let { dev } = await import("../vite/dev");
+    if (options.profile) {
+      await profiler.start();
+    }
+    exitHook(() => profiler.stop(console.info));
 
-  root = resolveRootDirectory(root, options);
-  await dev(root, options);
+    root = resolveRootDirectory(root, options);
+    await dev(root, options);
+  } else {
+    restartWithMergedOptions("--conditions=development");
+  }
 
   // keep `react-router dev` alive by waiting indefinitely
   await new Promise(() => {});
diff --git a/packages/react-router-dev/development-condition-enabled/false.d.mts b/packages/react-router-dev/development-condition-enabled/false.d.mts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..01949d6f13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react-router-dev/development-condition-enabled/false.d.mts
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+declare const developmentConditionEnabled: boolean;
+export default developmentConditionEnabled;
diff --git a/packages/react-router-dev/development-condition-enabled/false.mjs b/packages/react-router-dev/development-condition-enabled/false.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fbcdabec25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react-router-dev/development-condition-enabled/false.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+const developmentConditionEnabled = false;
+export default developmentConditionEnabled;
diff --git a/packages/react-router-dev/development-condition-enabled/true.d.mts b/packages/react-router-dev/development-condition-enabled/true.d.mts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..01949d6f13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react-router-dev/development-condition-enabled/true.d.mts
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+declare const developmentConditionEnabled: boolean;
+export default developmentConditionEnabled;
diff --git a/packages/react-router-dev/development-condition-enabled/true.mjs b/packages/react-router-dev/development-condition-enabled/true.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8756ece7b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react-router-dev/development-condition-enabled/true.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+const developmentConditionEnabled = true;
+export default developmentConditionEnabled;
diff --git a/packages/react-router-dev/package.json b/packages/react-router-dev/package.json
index b3e986e566..68460fe48f 100644
--- a/packages/react-router-dev/package.json
+++ b/packages/react-router-dev/package.json
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@
     "./package.json": "./package.json"
   },
   "imports": {
+    "#development-condition-enabled": {
+      "development": "./development-condition-enabled/true.mjs",
+      "default": "./development-condition-enabled/false.mjs"
+    },
     "#module-sync-enabled": {
       "module-sync": "./module-sync-enabled/true.mjs",
       "default": "./module-sync-enabled/false.cjs"
@@ -70,6 +74,7 @@
         "../../pnpm-workspace.yaml",
         "cli/**",
         "config/**",
+        "development-condition-enabled/**",
         "module-sync-enabled/**",
         "typegen/**",
         "vite/**",
@@ -165,6 +170,7 @@
   },
   "files": [
     "dist/",
+    "development-condition-enabled/",
     "module-sync-enabled/",
     "bin.cjs",
     "rsc-types.d.ts",
diff --git a/packages/react-router-dev/restart-with-conditions.ts b/packages/react-router-dev/restart-with-conditions.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6df9014312
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react-router-dev/restart-with-conditions.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+import { spawn, type ChildProcess } from "node:child_process";
+import process from "node:process";
+
+/**
+ * Restarts the current Node process, appending new flags to the
+ * existing NODE_OPTIONS. SIGINT/SIGTERM are always forwarded to the child.
+ */
+export function restartWithMergedOptions(nodeOptions: string): void {
+  if (process.env.REACT_ROUTER_DEV_RESTARTED === "true") {
+    throw new Error(
+      "restartWithMergedOptions() was called, but the process has already been restarted. This is likely a bug in @react-router/dev.",
+    );
+  }
+  const mergedOptions = [process.env.NODE_OPTIONS, nodeOptions]
+    .filter(Boolean)
+    .join(" ")
+    .trim();
+
+  console.log(`[restart] Relaunching with NODE_OPTIONS: ${mergedOptions}`);
+
+  const [cmd, ...args] = process.argv;
+
+  const child: ChildProcess = spawn(cmd, args, {
+    env: {
+      ...process.env,
+      NODE_OPTIONS: mergedOptions,
+      REACT_ROUTER_DEV_RESTARTED: "true",
+    },
+    stdio: "inherit",
+  });
+
+  const signals: NodeJS.Signals[] = ["SIGINT", "SIGTERM"];
+  let signalHandlers = signals.map((sig) => {
+    let handler = () => {
+      child.kill(sig);
+    };
+    process.on(sig, handler);
+    return [sig, handler] as const;
+  });
+
+  child.on("exit", (code, signal) => {
+    for (let [sig, handler] of signalHandlers) {
+      process.off(sig, handler);
+    }
+
+    if (signal) {
+      process.kill(process.pid, signal);
+    } else {
+      process.exit(code ?? 0);
+    }
+  });
+
+  child.on("error", (err) => {
+    console.error("[restart] Failed to spawn child process:", err);
+    process.exit(1);
+  });
+}
diff --git a/packages/react-router-dev/tsdown.config.ts b/packages/react-router-dev/tsdown.config.ts
index 8232ce4de4..d0dfc52ba9 100644
--- a/packages/react-router-dev/tsdown.config.ts
+++ b/packages/react-router-dev/tsdown.config.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import pkg from "./package.json" with { type: "json" };
 const entry = ["cli/index.ts", "config.ts", "routes.ts", "vite.ts"];
 
 const neverBundle = [
+  "#development-condition-enabled",
   "./static/refresh-utils.mjs",
   "./static/rsc-refresh-utils.mjs",
   /\.json$/,