diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 14f98b716f..aca1762bea 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
     "setup": "node ./hosting/scripts/setup.js && yarn && yarn bootstrap && yarn build && yarn dev",
     "bootstrap": "lerna link && lerna bootstrap && ./scripts/link-dependencies.sh",
     "build": "lerna run build",
-    "build:watch": "lerna run build:watch --ignore @budibase/backend-core --stream --parallel",
+    "build:watch": "lerna run build:watch --stream --parallel",
     "release": "lerna publish patch --yes --force-publish && yarn release:pro",
     "release:develop": "lerna publish prerelease --yes --force-publish --dist-tag develop && yarn release:pro:develop",
     "release:pro": "bash scripts/pro/release.sh",
diff --git a/packages/backend-core/package.json b/packages/backend-core/package.json
index da038d4818..3f8b0bef81 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/package.json
+++ b/packages/backend-core/package.json
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
   "license": "GPL-3.0",
   "scripts": {
     "build": "rimraf dist/ && tsc -p tsconfig.build.json",
-    "build:watch": "rimraf dist/ && tsc -p tsconfig.build.json --watch --preserveWatchOutput",
     "test": "jest",
     "test:watch": "jest --watchAll"
   },
diff --git a/packages/backend-core/tsconfig.json b/packages/backend-core/tsconfig.json
index 373b8440f7..3cc4e7b2b8 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/tsconfig.json
+++ b/packages/backend-core/tsconfig.json
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
     "resolveJsonModule": true,
     "incremental": true,
     "types": [ "node", "jest"],
+    "composite": true
   },
   "include": [
     "**/*.js",
diff --git a/packages/server/package.json b/packages/server/package.json
index fdaecef212..36ea8391ee 100644
--- a/packages/server/package.json
+++ b/packages/server/package.json
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
   },
   "scripts": {
     "build": "rimraf dist/ && tsc -p tsconfig.build.json && mv dist/src/* dist/ && rimraf dist/src/ && yarn postbuild",
-    "build:watch": "rimraf dist/ && tsc -p tsconfig.build.json --watch --preserveWatchOutput",
+    "build:watch": "rimraf dist/ && tsc --build tsconfig.build.json --watch --preserveWatchOutput",
     "debug": "yarn build && node --expose-gc --inspect=9222 dist/index.js",
     "postbuild": "copyfiles -u 1 src/**/*.svelte dist/ && copyfiles -u 1 src/**/*.hbs dist/ && copyfiles -u 1 src/**/*.json dist/",
     "test": "jest --coverage --maxWorkers=2",
diff --git a/packages/server/tsconfig.build.json b/packages/server/tsconfig.build.json
index 9c67698e91..836a726805 100644
--- a/packages/server/tsconfig.build.json
+++ b/packages/server/tsconfig.build.json
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 {
   // Used for building with tsc
   "extends": "./tsconfig.json",
+  "references": [
+    { "path": "../backend-core/tsconfig.build.json" }
+  ],
   "exclude": [
     "node_modules",
     "**/*.json",
diff --git a/packages/server/tsconfig.json b/packages/server/tsconfig.json
index d0fed6e824..4412d07b1d 100644
--- a/packages/server/tsconfig.json
+++ b/packages/server/tsconfig.json
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
     "./src/**/*",
     "./src/module.d.ts"
   ],
+  "references": [
+    { "path": "../backend-core/tsconfig.build.json" }
+  ],
   "exclude": [
     "node_modules",
     "**/*.json",
diff --git a/packages/worker/package.json b/packages/worker/package.json
index 9fe6c82325..30d11ae11d 100644
--- a/packages/worker/package.json
+++ b/packages/worker/package.json
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
   ],
   "scripts": {
     "build": "rimraf dist/ && tsc",
-    "build:watch": "rimraf dist/ && tsc --watch --preserveWatchOutput",
+    "build:watch": "rimraf dist/ && tsc --build --watch --preserveWatchOutput",
     "postbuild": "copyfiles -u 1 src/**/*.hbs dist/",
     "run:docker": "node dist/index.js",
     "build:docker": "docker build . -t worker-service --label version=$BUDIBASE_RELEASE_VERSION",
diff --git a/packages/worker/tsconfig.json b/packages/worker/tsconfig.json
index a66169ce54..080766172a 100644
--- a/packages/worker/tsconfig.json
+++ b/packages/worker/tsconfig.json
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@
     "incremental": true,
     "types": [ "node", "jest"],
   },
+  "references": [
+    { "path": "../backend-core/tsconfig.build.json" }
+  ],
   "include": [
     "./src/**/*"
   ],