diff --git a/.sse/README.md b/.sse/README.md
index a41790c3c5..4276f748a5 100644
--- a/.sse/README.md
+++ b/.sse/README.md
@@ -19,19 +19,22 @@ https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Server-sent_events/Using_server
 
 1. If `serverconfig.debugmode == true`, then
 	a. set `serverconfig.sse` to `abs/path/proteinpaint/.sse`.
-	This is done in `server/src/serverconfig.js`.
+	This is done in `server/src/serverconfig.js`, except when manually disabled (opt-out)
+	using serverconfig.sse: false.
 
 	b. set optional routes that include `server/src/test/routes/sse.js`.
 
-2. In `server/src/test/routes/sse.js`, the `app.get('/sse')` route handler is set up.
+2. `client/dev.sh` will create `proteinpaint/.sse/messages` dir to enable sse routes and notification setup.
+
+3. In `server/src/test/routes/sse.js`, the `app.get('/sse')` route handler is set up.
 Within the handler, `fs.watch()` is used to detect file changes in `serverconfig.sse/messages`.
 
-3. On detecting `messages/${file}` changes, a notification is triggered in the route handler.
+4. On detecting `messages/${file}` changes, a notification is triggered in the route handler.
 
-4. In `client/src/nofify.js`, an event subcription/listener to the `/sse` route is created.
+5. In `client/src/nofify.js`, an event subcription/listener to the `/sse` route is created.
 This creates notification divs to render messages as they are streamed by the server.
 
-5. Some message may trigger browser refresh (must prevent accidental infinite reload loop).
+6. Some message may trigger browser refresh (must prevent accidental infinite reload loop).
 
 ### Creating a new message by filename
 
diff --git a/release.txt b/release.txt
index 8b13789179..7a6e8c8ed9 100644
--- a/release.txt
+++ b/release.txt
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
-
+Features:
+- enable hot module replacement in dev
diff --git a/server/src/serverconfig.js b/server/src/serverconfig.js
index 49d5cc3399..bc813f1b9a 100644
--- a/server/src/serverconfig.js
+++ b/server/src/serverconfig.js
@@ -121,7 +121,8 @@ if (serverconfig.debugmode && !serverconfig.binpath.includes('sjcrh/')) {
 	const routeSetters = []
 	const defaultDir = path.join(serverconfig.binpath, 'src/test/routes')
 	// will add testing routes as needed and if found, such as in dev environment
-	const testRouteSetters = ['gdc.js', 'specs.js', 'readme.js', 'sse.js']
+	const testRouteSetters = ['gdc.js', 'specs.js', 'readme.js']
+	if (serverconfig.sse !== false) testRouteSetters.push('sse.js')
 
 	if (serverconfig.routeSetters) {
 		for (const f of serverconfig.routeSetters) {
@@ -147,9 +148,6 @@ if (serverconfig.debugmode && !serverconfig.binpath.includes('sjcrh/')) {
 	// since the serverconfig.binpath prefix may
 	// have been applied to locate optional routeSetter files
 	serverconfig.routeSetters = routeSetters
-	// server-sent events dir, can manually set sseDir to false
-	// to prevent the default SSE setup in dev
-	if (serverconfig.sseDir !== false) serverconfig.sseDir = path.join(serverconfig.binpath, '../.sse')
 }
 
 if (serverconfig.allow_env_overrides) {
diff --git a/server/src/test/routes/sse.js b/server/src/test/routes/sse.js
index 85aaf43ed0..ab76b3a1ab 100644
--- a/server/src/test/routes/sse.js
+++ b/server/src/test/routes/sse.js
@@ -8,15 +8,18 @@ import serverconfig from '../../serverconfig.js'
 import notifier from 'node-notifier'
 
 const __dirname = import.meta.dirname
-
 notifier.notify({ title: 'PP server', message: 'restarted' })
-// notifier.notify({ title: 'server stopped', message: msg })
+
+const sse = serverconfig.sse !== false && path.join(serverconfig.binpath, '.sse')
 
 export default function setRoutes(app, basepath) {
 	// when validating server ds and routes init, no need to watch file
 	// that would cause the validation to hang, should exit with no error
-	if (process.argv.includes('validate')) return
-	if (!serverconfig.sseDir) return
+	if (process.argv.includes('validate') || !serverconfig.debugmode) return
+	// dev or test script will create .sse/messages as needed in non-prod environments,
+	// sse routes, notification is disabled if this msgDir is not present
+	const msgDir = path.join(serverconfig.binpath, '../.sse/messages')
+	if (!fs.existsSync(msgDir)) return
 
 	// will track only one active sse connection per origin
 	// - key: req.header('host')
@@ -56,7 +59,6 @@ export default function setRoutes(app, basepath) {
 	// - key: message filename or source, value: message text
 	// - notify() will clear this store once all connections have been notified
 	const messages = new Map()
-	const msgDir = path.join(serverconfig.sseDir, 'messages')
 
 	// initiliaze message detection
 	setTimeout(async () => {
@@ -88,8 +90,7 @@ export default function setRoutes(app, basepath) {
 			res.write(`event: message\n`)
 			res.write(text)
 		}
-		// delay clearing messages to allow re-connections to receive recent messages;
-		// cannot directly use messages.clear as callback, use a wrapper function to clear
+		// delay clearing messages to allow re-connections to receive recent messages
 		setTimeout(clearMessages, 3000)
 	}
 
@@ -126,10 +127,6 @@ export default function setRoutes(app, basepath) {
 		messages.clear()
 	}
 
-	function logErr(e) {
-		if (e) console.log(e)
-	}
-
 	// deprecated since messages cannot be posted when the server is rebundling/restarting
 	// app.post('/notifications', async (req, res) => {
 	// 	for (const res of connections) {
@@ -140,3 +137,7 @@ export default function setRoutes(app, basepath) {
 	// 	}
 	// })
 }
+
+function logErr(e) {
+	if (e) console.log(e)
+}