diff --git a/.vscode/tasks.json b/.vscode/tasks.json
index 3bcb5d5c..bfce54d4 100644
--- a/.vscode/tasks.json
+++ b/.vscode/tasks.json
@@ -29,6 +29,34 @@
 				}
 			}
 		},
+		{
+			"type": "npm",
+			"script": "watchreactd",
+			"label": "React - Build",
+			"isBackground": true,
+			"presentation": {
+				"reveal": "never",
+				"group": "buildWatchers",
+				"close": false
+			},
+			"problemMatcher": {
+				"owner": "typescript",
+				"applyTo": "closedDocuments",
+				"fileLocation": [
+					"absolute"
+				],
+				"pattern": {
+					"regexp": "Error: ([^(]+)\\((\\d+|\\d+,\\d+|\\d+,\\d+,\\d+,\\d+)\\): (.*)$",
+					"file": 1,
+					"location": 2,
+					"message": 3
+				},
+				"background": {
+					"beginsPattern": "Starting compilation",
+					"endsPattern": "Finished compilation"
+				}
+			}
+		},
 		{
 			"type": "npm",
 			"script": "watch-extensionsd",
@@ -61,7 +89,8 @@
 			"label": "VS Code - Build",
 			"dependsOn": [
 				"Core - Build",
-				"Ext - Build"
+				"Ext - Build",
+				"React - Build"
 			],
 			"group": {
 				"kind": "build",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 394a05a8..c8f0159b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
   "scripts": {
     "buildreact": "cd ./src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/ && node build.js && cd ../../../../../../../",
     "watchreact": "cd ./src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/ && node build.js --watch && cd ../../../../../../../",
+    "watchreactd": "deemon npm run watchreact",
     "test": "echo Please run any of the test scripts from the scripts folder.",
     "test-browser": "npx playwright install && node test/unit/browser/index.js",
     "test-browser-amd": "npx playwright install && node test/unit/browser/index.amd.js",
@@ -25,7 +26,7 @@
     "preinstall": "node build/npm/preinstall.js",
     "postinstall": "node build/npm/postinstall.js",
     "compile": "node ./node_modules/gulp/bin/gulp.js compile",
-    "watch": "npm-run-all -lp watch-client watch-extensions",
+    "watch": "npm-run-all -lp watchreact watch-client watch-extensions",
     "watch-amd": "npm-run-all -lp watch-client-amd watch-extensions",
     "watchd": "deemon npm run watch",
     "watch-webd": "deemon npm run watch-web",
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/build.js b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/build.js
index 436d10ce..ece3ebf6 100755
--- a/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/build.js
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/contrib/void/browser/react/build.js
@@ -80,6 +80,22 @@ const args = process.argv.slice(2);
 const isWatch = args.includes('--watch') || args.includes('-w');
 
 if (isWatch) {
+	// this just builds it if it doesn't exist instead of waiting for the watcher to trigger
+	// Check if src2/ exists; if not, do an initial scope-tailwind build
+	if (!fs.existsSync('src2')) {
+		try {
+			console.log('🔨 Running initial scope-tailwind build to create src2 folder...');
+			execSync(
+				'npx scope-tailwind ./src -o src2/ -s void-scope -c styles.css -p "void-"',
+				{ stdio: 'inherit' }
+			);
+			console.log('✅ src2/ created successfully.');
+		} catch (err) {
+			console.error('❌ Error running initial scope-tailwind build:', err);
+			process.exit(1);
+		}
+	}
+
 	// Watch mode
 	const scopeTailwindWatcher = spawn('npx', [
 		'nodemon',