diff --git a/build/program.zig b/build/program.zig
index 4c2b1a4..e5ffa3a 100644
--- a/build/program.zig
+++ b/build/program.zig
@@ -180,6 +180,11 @@ pub const Program = struct {
         exe.root_module.addImport("core", core);
         exe.root_module.addOptions("BacklogOptions", self.buildSystem.options);
 
+        if (!self.opts.static_build) {
+            const platform = self.buildSystem.nwdep.module("platform");
+            exe.root_module.addImport("platform", platform);
+        }
+
         const gameModule = self.makeGameModule();
         const gameApi = self.makeGameApi();
         gameModule.root_module.addImport("backlog", gameApi);
@@ -189,7 +194,7 @@ pub const Program = struct {
             exe.root_module.addImport("backlog", gameApi);
         }
 
-        self.buildSystem.b.installArtifact(exe);
+        // self.buildSystem.b.installArtifact(exe);
         const installed = self.buildSystem.b.addInstallArtifact(exe, .{});
 
         {
@@ -204,11 +209,6 @@ pub const Program = struct {
             run_exe.dependOn(&run.step);
         }
 
-        // 2. create the actual library that the loader will try to load
-
-        // 3. set up linking, if static then we will link against the loader
-
-        // return the actual library not the loader
         return exe;
     }
 };
diff --git a/engine/core/src/extern/externModule.zig b/engine/core/src/extern/externModule.zig
index 634a2bd..5948313 100644
--- a/engine/core/src/extern/externModule.zig
+++ b/engine/core/src/extern/externModule.zig
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ pub const ModuleLoader = struct {
         }
 
         try core.fs().addFileChangedCallback(libFileName, dllChangedCallback, loaded);
+        core.engine_log("[ModuleLoader]: addFileChangedCallback '{s}'", .{libFileName});
 
         try self.loadedModules.append(self.arena.allocator(), loaded);
     }
diff --git a/engine/main2.zig b/engine/main2.zig
index e20e2f9..b1aebf9 100644
--- a/engine/main2.zig
+++ b/engine/main2.zig
@@ -97,6 +97,12 @@ pub fn startEngine(spec: *core.SpecVariantMap) bool {
         var modalloc = allocator;
         _ = modlaunch.startup_module(&modalloc, &modargs);
     } else {
+        const platform = @import("platform").module;
+        platform.watchModules();
+
+        //if (comptime @hasDecl(backlog, "platform")) {
+        //backlog.platform.watchModules();
+        // }
         core.loadModule(moduleName, true) catch return false;
     }
 
diff --git a/engine/modulelaunch.zig b/engine/modulelaunch.zig
index 0de1dc4..4ada2ea 100644
--- a/engine/modulelaunch.zig
+++ b/engine/modulelaunch.zig
@@ -25,35 +25,48 @@ pub export fn startup_module(p_allocator: *anyopaque, p_a: ?*anyopaque) bool {
 
     const spec = gamespec.getSpec() catch return false;
 
-    for (backlog.moduleList) |li| {
-        core.engine_log("mod: {s}", .{li});
-    }
-
     const args = getArgs() catch NwArgs{};
 
-    inline for (backlog.moduleList) |feature| {
-        if (@hasDecl(backlog, feature) and !std.mem.eql(u8, "core", feature)) {
-            const Struct = @field(backlog, feature);
-            if (core.isModuleEnabled(Struct.Module, spec)) {
-                var z1 = core.tracy.ZoneN(@src(), @ptrCast("Initializing Module"));
-                defer z1.End();
-                core.tracy.Message(Struct.Module.name);
-                Struct.start_module(spec, args, allocator) catch return false;
+    const moduleArgs = core.startup_getArgs(p_a.?);
 
-                if (core.MemoryTracker.MTGet()) |_| {
-                    core.MemoryTracker.MTPrintStatsDelta();
+    // firstLoad: bool,
+    // engine: *core.Engine,
+    // nameRegistry: *p2.NameRegistry,
+    // packerFS: *core.PackerFS,
+    // // luaState: *anyopaque,
+    // // luaAllocator: *anyopaque,
+    // debugDrawInterface: ?*debug.DebugDrawInterface,
+
+    if (moduleArgs.firstLoad) {
+        inline for (backlog.moduleList) |feature| {
+            if (@hasDecl(backlog, feature) and !std.mem.eql(u8, "core", feature)) {
+                const Struct = @field(backlog, feature);
+                if (core.isModuleEnabled(Struct.Module, spec)) {
+                    var z1 = core.tracy.ZoneN(@src(), @ptrCast("Initializing Module"));
+                    defer z1.End();
+                    core.engine_logs("starting module >>>> " ++ feature ++ " <<<<");
+                    core.tracy.Message(Struct.Module.name);
+                    Struct.start_module(spec, args, allocator) catch return false;
+
+                    if (core.MemoryTracker.MTGet()) |_| {
+                        core.MemoryTracker.MTPrintStatsDelta();
+                    }
+
+                    shutdownList.append(allocator, Struct.shutdown_module) catch return false;
+                    shutdownModuleNames.append(allocator, feature) catch return false;
                 }
+            }
+        }
 
-                shutdownList.append(allocator, Struct.shutdown_module) catch return false;
-                shutdownModuleNames.append(allocator, feature) catch return false;
-
-                core.engine_logs("module started >>>> " ++ feature ++ " <<<<");
+        core.setShutdownModule(shutdown_module);
+    } else {
+        inline for (backlog.moduleList) |feature| {
+            if (@hasDecl(backlog, feature)) {
+                core.engine_log("reloading module: {s}", .{feature});
             }
         }
     }
 
-    core.setShutdownModule(shutdown_module);
-
     return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/engine/platform/src/platform.zig b/engine/platform/src/platform.zig
index 5bf018b..32dc90b 100644
--- a/engine/platform/src/platform.zig
+++ b/engine/platform/src/platform.zig
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ pub fn start_module(spec: *core.SpecVariantMap, args: anytype, allocator: std.me
         return;
     }
 
-    core.getModuleLoader().watchInitializeFn = watchModules;
+    // core.getModuleLoader().watchInitializeFn = watchModules;
 
     const parameters = windowing.PlatformParams.init();
 
diff --git a/lib/packer/src/packerfs.zig b/lib/packer/src/packerfs.zig
index fc96657..e7589fe 100644
--- a/lib/packer/src/packerfs.zig
+++ b/lib/packer/src/packerfs.zig
@@ -166,14 +166,15 @@ pub const PackerFS = struct {
         const self: *@This() = @ptrCast(@alignCast(ctx));
 
         for (self.fileWatchCallbacks.items) |*watch| {
-            // std.debug.print("checking {s} {s}\n", .{ watch.path, path });
+            std.debug.print("checking {s} {s}\n", .{ watch.path, path });
             if (std.mem.eql(u8, watch.path, std.mem.span(path))) {
                 watch.call(std.mem.span(path));
             }
-            // std.debug.print("registered callback: {s}\n", .{watch.path});
+            std.debug.print("registered callback: {s}\n", .{watch.path});
         }
 
         for (self.anyWatchCallbacks.items) |*watch| {
+            // std.debug.print("anywatch callback: {s}\n", .{watch.path});
             watch.call(std.mem.span(path));
         }
     }