diff --git a/e2e/node/src/node-esbuild.test.ts b/e2e/node/src/node-esbuild.test.ts
index da62589510..4eeaf5e534 100644
--- a/e2e/node/src/node-esbuild.test.ts
+++ b/e2e/node/src/node-esbuild.test.ts
@@ -3,8 +3,11 @@ import {
   checkFilesExist,
   cleanupProject,
   newProject,
+  promisifiedTreeKill,
+  readFile,
   runCLI,
   runCLIAsync,
+  runCommandUntil,
   tmpProjPath,
   uniq,
   updateFile,
@@ -24,12 +27,21 @@ describe('Node Applications + esbuild', () => {
     checkFilesDoNotExist(`apps/${app}/webpack.config.js`);
 
     updateFile(`apps/${app}/src/main.ts`, `console.log('Hello World!');`);
-    await runCLIAsync(`build ${app}`);
 
+    const p = await runCommandUntil(`serve ${app} --watch=false`, (output) => {
+      process.stdout.write(output);
+      return output.includes(`Hello World!`);
+    });
     checkFilesExist(`dist/apps/${app}/main.js`);
-    const result = execSync(`node dist/apps/${app}/main.js`, {
-      cwd: tmpProjPath(),
-    }).toString();
-    expect(result).toMatch(/Hello World!/);
+
+    // Check that updating the file won't trigger a rebuild since --watch=false.
+    updateFile(`apps/${app}/src/main.ts`, `console.log('Bye1');`);
+    await new Promise((res) => setTimeout(res, 2000));
+
+    expect(readFile(`dist/apps/${app}/apps/${app}/src/main.js`)).not.toContain(
+      `Bye!`
+    );
+
+    await promisifiedTreeKill(p.pid, 'SIGKILL');
   }, 300_000);
 });
diff --git a/packages/js/src/executors/node/node.impl.ts b/packages/js/src/executors/node/node.impl.ts
index 04322dc996..562d498b6f 100644
--- a/packages/js/src/executors/node/node.impl.ts
+++ b/packages/js/src/executors/node/node.impl.ts
@@ -213,46 +213,48 @@ export async function* nodeExecutor(
       tasks.push(task);
     };
 
-    const stopWatch = await daemonClient.registerFileWatcher(
-      {
-        watchProjects: [context.projectName],
-        includeDependentProjects: true,
-      },
-      async (err, data) => {
-        if (err === 'closed') {
-          logger.error(`Watch error: Daemon closed the connection`);
-          process.exit(1);
-        } else if (err) {
-          logger.error(`Watch error: ${err?.message ?? 'Unknown'}`);
-        } else {
-          logger.info(`NX File change detected. Restarting...`);
-          await addToQueue();
-          await debouncedProcessQueue();
+    if (options.watch) {
+      const stopWatch = await daemonClient.registerFileWatcher(
+        {
+          watchProjects: [context.projectName],
+          includeDependentProjects: true,
+        },
+        async (err, data) => {
+          if (err === 'closed') {
+            logger.error(`Watch error: Daemon closed the connection`);
+            process.exit(1);
+          } else if (err) {
+            logger.error(`Watch error: ${err?.message ?? 'Unknown'}`);
+          } else {
+            logger.info(`NX File change detected. Restarting...`);
+            await addToQueue();
+            await debouncedProcessQueue();
+          }
         }
-      }
-    );
+      );
 
-    const stopAllTasks = (signal: NodeJS.Signals = 'SIGTERM') => {
-      for (const task of tasks) {
-        task.stop(signal);
-      }
-    };
+      const stopAllTasks = (signal: NodeJS.Signals = 'SIGTERM') => {
+        for (const task of tasks) {
+          task.stop(signal);
+        }
+      };
 
-    process.on('SIGTERM', async () => {
-      stopWatch();
-      stopAllTasks('SIGTERM');
-      process.exit(128 + 15);
-    });
-    process.on('SIGINT', async () => {
-      stopWatch();
-      stopAllTasks('SIGINT');
-      process.exit(128 + 2);
-    });
-    process.on('SIGHUP', async () => {
-      stopWatch();
-      stopAllTasks('SIGHUP');
-      process.exit(128 + 1);
-    });
+      process.on('SIGTERM', async () => {
+        stopWatch();
+        stopAllTasks('SIGTERM');
+        process.exit(128 + 15);
+      });
+      process.on('SIGINT', async () => {
+        stopWatch();
+        stopAllTasks('SIGINT');
+        process.exit(128 + 2);
+      });
+      process.on('SIGHUP', async () => {
+        stopWatch();
+        stopAllTasks('SIGHUP');
+        process.exit(128 + 1);
+      });
+    }
 
     await addToQueue();
     await processQueue();