--env-file-if-exists throws error when the .env file doesn't exist and when combined with --watch (now in lts)

[mkvlrn]

Version

v22.14.0
v24.13.1, v25.6.1

Platform

Linux arch 6.13.2-arch1-1 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Sat, 08 Feb 2025 18:54:55 +0000 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Linux archlinux 6.18.9-zen1-2-zen #1 ZEN SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Mon, 09 Feb 2026 17:45:06 +0000 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Subsystem

No response

What steps will reproduce the bug?

Run any script in a project where a .env file doesn't exist:

mkdir repro && cd repro && npm init -y && echo "console.log('repro');" > main.js
node --env-file-if-exists=.env --watch main.js

If the .env file exists or you don't use the --watch flag, script runs normally without throwing errors.

How often does it reproduce? Is there a required condition?

These need to be true for the problem to occur:

• use the flag --env-file-if-exists pointing to a non existing .env file, like --env-file-if-exists=.env
• use the flag --watch

What is the expected behavior? Why is that the expected behavior?

Script should run normally with the following message being printed right before it:

.env not found. Continuing without it.

What do you see instead?

An error stating .env was not found.

.env not found. Continuing without it.
node:internal/fs/watchers:247
    const error = new UVException({
                  ^

Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, watch '/home/mkvlrn/sandbox/repro/.env'
    at FSWatcher.<computed> (node:internal/fs/watchers:247:19)
    at watch (node:fs:2550:36)
    at FilesWatcher.watchPath (node:internal/watch_mode/files_watcher:109:21)
    at FilesWatcher.filterFile (node:internal/watch_mode/files_watcher:128:12)
    at start (node:internal/main/watch_mode:78:13)
    at init (node:internal/main/watch_mode:148:15)
    at node:internal/main/watch_mode:160:1 {
  errno: -2,
  syscall: 'watch',
  code: 'ENOENT',
  path: '/home/mkvlrn/sandbox/repro/.env',
  filename: '/home/mkvlrn/sandbox/repro/.env'
}

Node.js v22.14.0
.env not found. Continuing without it.
repro
node:events:496
      throw er; // Unhandled 'error' event
      ^

Error: write EPIPE
    at target._send (node:internal/child_process:877:20)
    at target.send (node:internal/child_process:751:19)
    at reportModuleToWatchMode (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:279:13)
    at Function._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1097:5)
    at TracingChannel.traceSync (node:diagnostics_channel:322:14)
    at wrapModuleLoad (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:220:24)
    at Function.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (node:internal/modules/run_main:170:5)
    at node:internal/main/run_main_module:36:49
Emitted 'error' event on process instance at:
    at node:internal/child_process:881:39
    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:85:11) {
  errno: -32,
  code: 'EPIPE',
  syscall: 'write'
}

Node.js v22.14.0

Additional information

This is almost a 100% copy of a previous issue (#56887) I had opened a couple weeks back, but that issue was found on the latest/23 version, while not present in the then current LTS v22.13.1. Now it is happening in the LTS 22.14 version. Still working fine in 22.13.1.

22.13.1

22.14

[mkvlrn]

Also happening in latest v23.9.0

(Not sure if I should update this wit this info or create a new one. This seems better.)

[029A-h]

It’s still happening in version 24.2.0.

[mkvlrn]

Updated versions in original report: still happening in both LTS (24.13.1) and current (25.6.1).

Docs state that flag is no longer experimental since 24.10.0.

[efekrskl]

Thanks for reporting this. I'm on Node version v25.6.1 and macOS 15.7.3, and this seems to work fine.

However, I was able to reproduce this inside docker containers with Linux (both LTS and latest). Definitely something is wrong. I'll try looking into it