diff --git a/packages/desktop-gui/src/lib/ipc.js b/packages/desktop-gui/src/lib/ipc.js
index 6194e6e5076c..828a4d8f3775 100644
--- a/packages/desktop-gui/src/lib/ipc.js
+++ b/packages/desktop-gui/src/lib/ipc.js
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ register('open:finder')
 register('open:project', false)
 register('on:config:changed', false)
 register('on:spec:changed', false)
+register('on:plugins:changed', false)
 register('on:project:error', false)
 register('on:project:warning', false)
 register('ping:api:server')
diff --git a/packages/desktop-gui/src/projects/projects-api.js b/packages/desktop-gui/src/projects/projects-api.js
index b5bd22847f53..abdecf1e31ac 100644
--- a/packages/desktop-gui/src/projects/projects-api.js
+++ b/packages/desktop-gui/src/projects/projects-api.js
@@ -155,8 +155,22 @@ const openProject = (project) => {
     specsStore.setChosenSpecByRelativePath(relativeSpecPath)
   })
 
-  ipc.onConfigChanged(() => {
-    reopenProject(project)
+  ipc.onConfigChanged((filename) => {
+    // TODO decide if making this "fake" error is reasonable
+    project.setWarning({
+      isCypressErr: true,
+      type: 'CONFIGURATION_CHANGED',
+      message: `This file was changed: \`${filename}\`\nPlease restart Cypress for changes to take effect.`,
+    })
+  })
+
+  ipc.onPluginsChanged((filename) => {
+    // TODO decide if making this "fake" error is reasonable
+    project.setWarning({
+      isCypressErr: true,
+      type: 'CONFIGURATION_CHANGED',
+      message: `This file was changed: \`${filename}\`\nPlease restart Cypress for changes to take effect.`,
+    })
   })
 
   ipc.onProjectError((__, error) => {
diff --git a/packages/server/lib/gui/events.coffee b/packages/server/lib/gui/events.coffee
index 314dda806dfe..0916b005e343 100644
--- a/packages/server/lib/gui/events.coffee
+++ b/packages/server/lib/gui/events.coffee
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ handleEvent = (options, bus, event, id, type, arg) ->
     when "on:config:changed"
       onBus("config:changed")
 
+    when "on:plugins:changed"
+      onBus("plugins:changed")
+
     when "on:project:error"
       onBus("project:error")
 
@@ -183,8 +186,13 @@ handleEvent = (options, bus, event, id, type, arg) ->
 
     when "open:project"
       onSettingsChanged = ->
+        ## add filename here
         bus.emit("config:changed")
 
+      onPluginsChanged = ->
+        ## add filename here
+        bus.emit("plugins:changed")
+
       onSpecChanged = (spec) ->
         bus.emit("spec:changed", spec)
 
@@ -203,6 +211,7 @@ handleEvent = (options, bus, event, id, type, arg) ->
         onFocusTests: onFocusTests
         onSpecChanged: onSpecChanged
         onSettingsChanged: onSettingsChanged
+        onPluginsChanged: onPluginsChanged
         onError: onError
         onWarning: onWarning
       })
diff --git a/packages/server/lib/project.coffee b/packages/server/lib/project.coffee
index b062a0776bc1..5e27c7853a76 100644
--- a/packages/server/lib/project.coffee
+++ b/packages/server/lib/project.coffee
@@ -193,12 +193,7 @@ class Project extends EE
       debug("watch plugins file")
       @watchers.watchTree(cfg.pluginsFile, {
         onChange: =>
-          ## TODO: completely re-open project instead?
-          debug("plugins file changed")
-          ## re-init plugins after a change
-          @_initPlugins(cfg, options)
-          .catch (err) ->
-            options.onError(err)
+          options.onPluginsChanged()
       })
 
   watchSettings: (onSettingsChanged) ->
@@ -217,6 +212,7 @@ class Project extends EE
 
         ## call our callback function
         ## when settings change!
+        ## TODO: pass the file path to the config:change event
         onSettingsChanged.call(@)
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/server/test/unit/gui/events_spec.coffee b/packages/server/test/unit/gui/events_spec.coffee
index 097475ed5c7c..be14ad37e316 100644
--- a/packages/server/test/unit/gui/events_spec.coffee
+++ b/packages/server/test/unit/gui/events_spec.coffee
@@ -450,6 +450,17 @@ describe "lib/gui/events", ->
           open.lastCall.args[0].onSettingsChanged()
           assert.sendCalledWith(undefined)
 
+      it "sends 'plugins:changed' onPluginsChanged", ->
+        open = sinon.stub(Project.prototype, "open")
+        sinon.stub(Project.prototype, "getConfig").resolves({some: "config"})
+
+        @handleEvent("open:project", "/_test-output/path/to/project")
+        .then =>
+          @handleEvent("on:plugins:changed")
+        .then (assert) =>
+          open.lastCall.args[0].onPluginsChanged()
+          assert.sendCalledWith(undefined)
+
       it "sends 'spec:changed' onSpecChanged", ->
         open = sinon.stub(Project.prototype, "open")
         sinon.stub(Project.prototype, "getConfig").resolves({some: "config"})
diff --git a/packages/server/test/unit/project_spec.coffee b/packages/server/test/unit/project_spec.coffee
index ebcbf1d20034..3e23d96ca412 100644
--- a/packages/server/test/unit/project_spec.coffee
+++ b/packages/server/test/unit/project_spec.coffee
@@ -395,21 +395,13 @@ describe "lib/project", ->
         expect(@project.watchers.watchTree.lastCall.args[1].onChange).to.be.a("function")
 
     it "calls plugins.init when file changes", ->
-      @project.watchPluginsFile(@config).then =>
-        @project.watchers.watchTree.firstCall.args[1].onChange()
-        expect(plugins.init).to.be.calledWith(@config)
-
-    it "handles errors from calling plugins.init", (done) ->
-      error = {name: "foo", message: "foo"}
-      plugins.init.rejects(error)
-      @project.watchPluginsFile(@config, {
-        onError: (err) ->
-          expect(err).to.eql(error)
-          done()
-      })
-      .then =>
+      options = { onPluginsChanged: sinon.stub() }
+
+      @project.watchPluginsFile(@config, options).then =>
         @project.watchers.watchTree.firstCall.args[1].onChange()
-      return
+
+        ## TODO expect to be called with file path
+        expect(options.onPluginsChanged).to.be.called
 
   context "#watchSettingsAndStartWebsockets", ->
     beforeEach ->