Dev server keeps stale import URL for importers after a file rename ("Does the file exist?")

[Addin]

Describe the bug

When a module file is renamed while the dev server is running, its importers keep the old resolved URL for the deleted file. Any request to that stale URL fails with:

Pre-transform error: Failed to load url /src/dep.ts (resolved id: /app/src/dep.ts) in /app/src/main.ts. Does the file exist?

In an app this breaks the module graph (a React app never mounts and the page stays blank). A full page reload does not recover it; restarting the dev server does. Touching/editing the importer also recovers it, which suggests the importer's cached transform keeps the old resolution until it is invalidated again.

Reproduction

Minimal project:

.
├── index.html          <div id="app"></div><script type="module" src="/src/main.ts"></script>
└── src
    ├── main.ts         import { value } from "./dep"; console.log(value);
    └── dep.ts          export const value = 1;

1. Start the dev server and request the importer:

   curl -s http://localhost:5173/src/main.ts
   # => import { value } from "/src/dep.ts";
   

2. Rename the dependency (same module, new extension):

   mv src/dep.ts src/dep.tsx
   

3. Request the importer again:

   curl -s http://localhost:5173/src/main.ts
   # => import { value } from "/src/dep.ts?t=1789840891492";   <-- stale, the file no longer exists
   

4. Request the stale URL:

   curl -s http://localhost:5173/src/dep.ts
   # dev server logs: Pre-transform error: Failed to load url /src/dep.ts ... Does the file exist?
   

5. Re-invalidate the importer and it resolves correctly again:

   touch src/main.ts
   curl -s http://localhost:5173/src/main.ts
   # => import { value } from "/src/dep.tsx";
   

I also hit this in a real app by switching git branches where a file was renamed (.ts ↔ .tsx): the page went blank, opening a new tab did not help, and only a dev-server restart recovered it.

Expected behavior

Renaming a module should invalidate its importers so they resolve to the new path (and the usual page reload/HMR kicks in), without having to restart the dev server.

System Info

System:
  OS: Linux
  Node: v26.9.0 (also observed in a node:26 container)
  Package Manager: pnpm 11.9.0
  Browser: Edge (Chromium)

Binaries:
  vite: 8.1.3 and 8.3.0

Used Package Manager

pnpm

Logs

8:02:31 PM [vite] (client) page reload src/dep.ts
8:02:34 PM [vite] (client) Pre-transform error: Failed to load url /src/dep.ts (resolved id: /tmp/vite-rename-repro/src/dep.ts) in /tmp/vite-rename-repro/src/main.ts. Does the file exist?

Additional context

• Reproduced with the default watcher and with server.watch.usePolling: true.
• Reproduced with vite 8.1.3 (pinned in our project) and 8.3.0 (latest at the time of writing).
• The dev server does notice the deletion (page reload src/dep.ts is logged), but the re-served importer still imports the deleted path (with a ?t= cache-busting query). Requesting that URL produces the pre-transform error above.
• Related but different: Imports outside of the root break on file rename #16399 (closed) is about imports outside the root and required manually fixing the import; here nothing is edited and the import specifier (./dep) is unchanged.

[mystmn]

I'll look at this issue

[mystmn]

I've investigated this issue and submitted a pull request with a fix: #23533.

Root Cause

When a module file (such as dep.ts) is unlinked/deleted, Vite was soft-invalidating its importers during HMR because importer.staticImportedUrls?.has(mod.url) evaluated to true. Soft-invalidation reuses the importer's cached transform result and only replaces import URL timestamp queries (/src/dep.ts?t=...). Because /src/dep.ts no longer exists on disk, any subsequent request to that URL triggers Pre-transform error: Failed to load url /src/dep.ts ... Does the file exist?.

Fix

In #23533:

1. EnvironmentModuleNode tracks isDeleted.
2. When a module is deleted, its importers are prevented from being soft-invalidated (!mod.isDeleted), ensuring they are hard-invalidated.
3. During re-transform of the importer, Vite's resolver re-resolves the import specifier (e.g. ./dep -> /src/dep.tsx).
4. Deleted modules are disqualified from self-accepting or being accepted via acceptedHmrDeps, propagating HMR to importers and triggering a clean page reload.