diff --git a/v2/cmd/wails/internal/commands/dev/dev.go b/v2/cmd/wails/internal/commands/dev/dev.go
index 4204f20a5..2ae004d3d 100644
--- a/v2/cmd/wails/internal/commands/dev/dev.go
+++ b/v2/cmd/wails/internal/commands/dev/dev.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package dev
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net"
@@ -168,8 +169,6 @@ func AddSubcommand(app *clir.Cli, w io.Writer) error {
 		buildOptions.Logger = logger
 		buildOptions.UserTags = internal.ParseUserTags(flags.tags)
 
-		var debugBinaryProcess *process.Process = nil
-
 		// Setup signal handler
 		quitChannel := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
 		signal.Notify(quitChannel, os.Interrupt, os.Kill, syscall.SIGTERM)
@@ -177,19 +176,23 @@ func AddSubcommand(app *clir.Cli, w io.Writer) error {
 
 		// Do initial build
 		logger.Println("Building application for development...")
-		newProcess, appBinary, err := restartApp(buildOptions, debugBinaryProcess, flags, exitCodeChannel)
+		debugBinaryProcess, appBinary, err := restartApp(buildOptions, nil, flags, exitCodeChannel)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		if newProcess != nil {
-			debugBinaryProcess = newProcess
-		}
+		defer func() {
+			if err := killProcessAndCleanupBinary(debugBinaryProcess, appBinary); err != nil {
+				LogDarkYellow("Unable to kill process and cleanup binary: %s", err)
+			}
+		}()
 
 		// frontend:dev:watcher command.
 		if command := projectConfig.DevWatcherCommand; command != "" {
-			var devCommandWaitGroup sync.WaitGroup
-			closer := runFrontendDevWatcherCommand(cwd, command, &devCommandWaitGroup)
-			defer closer(&devCommandWaitGroup)
+			closer, err := runFrontendDevWatcherCommand(cwd, command)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			defer closer()
 		}
 
 		// open browser
@@ -221,22 +224,17 @@ func AddSubcommand(app *clir.Cli, w io.Writer) error {
 		LogGreen("Using reload debounce setting of %d milliseconds", flags.debounceMS)
 
 		// Watch for changes and trigger restartApp()
-		doWatcherLoop(buildOptions, debugBinaryProcess, flags, watcher, exitCodeChannel, quitChannel, devServerURL)
+		debugBinaryProcess = doWatcherLoop(buildOptions, debugBinaryProcess, flags, watcher, exitCodeChannel, quitChannel, devServerURL)
 
-		// Kill the current program if running
-		if debugBinaryProcess != nil {
-			err := debugBinaryProcess.Kill()
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-		}
-
-		// Remove dev binary
-		err = os.Remove(appBinary)
-		if err != nil {
+		// Kill the current program if running and remove dev binary
+		if err := killProcessAndCleanupBinary(debugBinaryProcess, appBinary); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 
+		// Reset the process and the binary so the defer knows about it and is a nop.
+		debugBinaryProcess = nil
+		appBinary = ""
+
 		LogGreen("Development mode exited")
 
 		return nil
@@ -244,6 +242,22 @@ func AddSubcommand(app *clir.Cli, w io.Writer) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func killProcessAndCleanupBinary(process *process.Process, binary string) error {
+	if process != nil && process.Running {
+		if err := process.Kill(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	if binary != "" {
+		err := os.Remove(binary)
+		if err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func syncGoModVersion(cwd string) error {
 	gomodFilename := filepath.Join(cwd, "go.mod")
 	gomodData, err := os.ReadFile(gomodFilename)
@@ -388,35 +402,39 @@ func loadAndMergeProjectConfig(cwd string, flags *devFlags) (*project.Project, e
 }
 
 // runFrontendDevWatcherCommand will run the `frontend:dev:watcher` command if it was given, ex- `npm run dev`
-func runFrontendDevWatcherCommand(cwd string, devCommand string, wg *sync.WaitGroup) func(group *sync.WaitGroup) {
-	LogGreen("Running frontend dev watcher command: '%s'", devCommand)
+func runFrontendDevWatcherCommand(cwd string, devCommand string) (func(), error) {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	dir := filepath.Join(cwd, "frontend")
 	cmdSlice := strings.Split(devCommand, " ")
-	wg.Add(1)
 	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, cmdSlice[0], cmdSlice[1:]...)
 	cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
 	cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
 	cmd.Dir = dir
-
 	setParentGID(cmd)
-	go func(ctx context.Context, devCommand string, cwd string, wg *sync.WaitGroup) {
-		err := cmd.Run()
-		if err != nil {
+	if err := cmd.Start(); err != nil {
+		cancel()
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Unable to start frontend DevWatcher: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	LogGreen("Running frontend DevWatcher command: '%s'", devCommand)
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+	wg.Add(1)
+	go func() {
+		if err := cmd.Wait(); err != nil {
 			if err.Error() != "exit status 1" {
-				LogRed("Error from '%s': %s", devCommand, err.Error())
+				LogRed("Error from DevWatcher '%s': %s", devCommand, err.Error())
 			}
 		}
-		LogGreen("Dev command exited!")
+		LogGreen("DevWatcher command exited!")
 		wg.Done()
-	}(ctx, devCommand, cwd, wg)
+	}()
 
-	return func(wg *sync.WaitGroup) {
+	return func() {
 		killProc(cmd, devCommand)
-		LogGreen("Dev command killed!")
+		LogGreen("DevWatcher command killed!")
 		cancel()
 		wg.Wait()
-	}
+	}, nil
 }
 
 // initialiseWatcher creates the project directory watcher that will trigger recompile
@@ -463,8 +481,13 @@ func restartApp(buildOptions *build.Options, debugBinaryProcess *process.Process
 	appBinary, err := build.Build(buildOptions)
 	println()
 	if err != nil {
-		LogRed("Build error - continuing to run current version")
-		LogDarkYellow(err.Error())
+		LogRed("Build error - " + err.Error())
+
+		msg := "Continuing to run current version"
+		if debugBinaryProcess == nil {
+			msg = "No version running, build will be retriggered as soon as changes have been detected"
+		}
+		LogDarkYellow(msg)
 		return nil, "", nil
 	}
 
@@ -510,12 +533,8 @@ func restartApp(buildOptions *build.Options, debugBinaryProcess *process.Process
 }
 
 // doWatcherLoop is the main watch loop that runs while dev is active
-func doWatcherLoop(buildOptions *build.Options, debugBinaryProcess *process.Process, flags devFlags, watcher *fsnotify.Watcher, exitCodeChannel chan int, quitChannel chan os.Signal, devServerURL *url.URL) {
+func doWatcherLoop(buildOptions *build.Options, debugBinaryProcess *process.Process, flags devFlags, watcher *fsnotify.Watcher, exitCodeChannel chan int, quitChannel chan os.Signal, devServerURL *url.URL) *process.Process {
 	// Main Loop
-	var (
-		err              error
-		newBinaryProcess *process.Process
-	)
 	var extensionsThatTriggerARebuild = sliceToMap(strings.Split(flags.extensions, ","))
 	var dirsThatTriggerAReload []string
 	for _, dir := range strings.Split(flags.reloadDirs, ",") {
@@ -601,7 +620,7 @@ func doWatcherLoop(buildOptions *build.Options, debugBinaryProcess *process.Proc
 				rebuild = false
 				LogGreen("[Rebuild triggered] files updated")
 				// Try and build the app
-				newBinaryProcess, _, err = restartApp(buildOptions, debugBinaryProcess, flags, exitCodeChannel)
+				newBinaryProcess, _, err := restartApp(buildOptions, debugBinaryProcess, flags, exitCodeChannel)
 				if err != nil {
 					LogRed("Error during build: %s", err.Error())
 					continue
@@ -647,7 +666,7 @@ func doWatcherLoop(buildOptions *build.Options, debugBinaryProcess *process.Proc
 			}
 			if reload {
 				reload = false
-				_, err = http.Get(reloadURL)
+				_, err := http.Get(reloadURL)
 				if err != nil {
 					LogRed("Error during refresh: %s", err.Error())
 				}
@@ -657,6 +676,7 @@ func doWatcherLoop(buildOptions *build.Options, debugBinaryProcess *process.Proc
 			quit = true
 		}
 	}
+	return debugBinaryProcess
 }
 
 func joinPath(url *url.URL, subPath string) string {
diff --git a/v2/cmd/wails/internal/commands/dev/dev_other.go b/v2/cmd/wails/internal/commands/dev/dev_other.go
index 15267ceb2..c93aecfe4 100644
--- a/v2/cmd/wails/internal/commands/dev/dev_other.go
+++ b/v2/cmd/wails/internal/commands/dev/dev_other.go
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ package dev
 import (
 	"os/exec"
 	"syscall"
+
+	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 )
 
 func setParentGID(cmd *exec.Cmd) {
@@ -15,6 +17,10 @@ func setParentGID(cmd *exec.Cmd) {
 }
 
 func killProc(cmd *exec.Cmd, devCommand string) {
+	if cmd == nil || cmd.Process == nil {
+		return
+	}
+
 	// Experiencing the same issue on macOS BigSur
 	// I'm using Vite, but I would imagine this could be an issue with Node (npm) in general
 	// Also, after several edit/rebuild cycles any abnormal shutdown (crash or CTRL-C) may still leave Node running
@@ -22,7 +28,7 @@ func killProc(cmd *exec.Cmd, devCommand string) {
 	// Not tested on *nix
 	pgid, err := syscall.Getpgid(cmd.Process.Pid)
 	if err == nil {
-		err := syscall.Kill(-pgid, 15) // note the minus sign
+		err := syscall.Kill(-pgid, unix.SIGTERM) // note the minus sign
 		if err != nil {
 			LogRed("Error from '%s' when attempting to kill the process: %s", devCommand, err.Error())
 		}