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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"DiscussionForumPosting","headline":"--env-file-if-exists throws error when the .env file doesn't exist and when combined with --watch (now in lts)","articleBody":"### Version\n\n~~v22.14.0~~\nv24.13.1, v25.6.1\n\n### Platform\n\n~~Linux arch 6.13.2-arch1-1 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Sat, 08 Feb 2025 18:54:55 +0000 x86_64 GNU/Linux~~\n```text\nLinux archlinux 6.18.9-zen1-2-zen #1 ZEN SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Mon, 09 Feb 2026 17:45:06 +0000 x86_64 GNU/Linux\n```\n\n### Subsystem\n\n_No response_\n\n### What steps will reproduce the bug?\n\nRun any script in a project where a .env file _**doesn't exist**_:\n\n```bash\nmkdir repro \u0026\u0026 cd repro \u0026\u0026 npm init -y \u0026\u0026 echo \"console.log('repro');\" \u003e main.js\nnode --env-file-if-exists=.env --watch main.js\n```\n\nIf the .env file exists or you don't use the `--watch` flag, script runs normally without throwing errors.\n\n### How often does it reproduce? Is there a required condition?\n\nThese need to be true for the problem to occur:\n\n- use the flag `--env-file-if-exists` pointing to a non existing .env file, like `--env-file-if-exists=.env`\n- use the flag `--watch`\n\n### What is the expected behavior? Why is that the expected behavior?\n\nScript should run normally with the following message being printed right before it:\n\n\u003e .env not found. Continuing without it.\n\n\n### What do you see instead?\n\nAn error stating .env was not found.\n\n```bash\n.env not found. Continuing without it.\nnode:internal/fs/watchers:247\n    const error = new UVException({\n                  ^\n\nError: ENOENT: no such file or directory, watch '/home/mkvlrn/sandbox/repro/.env'\n    at FSWatcher.\u003ccomputed\u003e (node:internal/fs/watchers:247:19)\n    at watch (node:fs:2550:36)\n    at FilesWatcher.watchPath (node:internal/watch_mode/files_watcher:109:21)\n    at FilesWatcher.filterFile (node:internal/watch_mode/files_watcher:128:12)\n    at start (node:internal/main/watch_mode:78:13)\n    at init (node:internal/main/watch_mode:148:15)\n    at node:internal/main/watch_mode:160:1 {\n  errno: -2,\n  syscall: 'watch',\n  code: 'ENOENT',\n  path: '/home/mkvlrn/sandbox/repro/.env',\n  filename: '/home/mkvlrn/sandbox/repro/.env'\n}\n\nNode.js v22.14.0\n.env not found. Continuing without it.\nrepro\nnode:events:496\n      throw er; // Unhandled 'error' event\n      ^\n\nError: write EPIPE\n    at target._send (node:internal/child_process:877:20)\n    at target.send (node:internal/child_process:751:19)\n    at reportModuleToWatchMode (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:279:13)\n    at Function._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1097:5)\n    at TracingChannel.traceSync (node:diagnostics_channel:322:14)\n    at wrapModuleLoad (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:220:24)\n    at Function.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (node:internal/modules/run_main:170:5)\n    at node:internal/main/run_main_module:36:49\nEmitted 'error' event on process instance at:\n    at node:internal/child_process:881:39\n    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:85:11) {\n  errno: -32,\n  code: 'EPIPE',\n  syscall: 'write'\n}\n\nNode.js v22.14.0\n```\n\n### Additional information\n\nThis 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`.\n\n_22.13.1_\n![Image](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/50da0f84-f0da-4498-a2c4-d6ecf4dd71ca)\n\n_22.14_\n![Image](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/0ac1799c-0264-4b8a-b342-2afa78c49bff)","author":{"url":"https://github.com/mkvlrn","@type":"Person","name":"mkvlrn"},"datePublished":"2025-02-13T22:13:48.000Z","interactionStatistic":{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":"https://schema.org/CommentAction","userInteractionCount":4},"url":"https://github.com/57040/node/issues/57040"}