diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/__tests__/config.spec.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/__tests__/config.spec.ts
index 6623a6fed92f6e..f4f091b1eee6a9 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/__tests__/config.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/__tests__/config.spec.ts
@@ -1098,6 +1098,32 @@ describe('mergeConfig', () => {
     expect(mergedConfig.server.hmr).toBeTruthy()
   })
 
+  test('does not warn about ignored `server.hmr.server` during preview', async () => {
+    const warnFn = vi.fn()
+    const originalWarn = console.warn
+    console.warn = warnFn
+    try {
+      await resolveConfig(
+        {
+          configFile: false,
+          server: {
+            ws: false,
+            hmr: {
+              server: http.createServer(),
+            },
+          },
+        } as InlineConfig,
+        'serve',
+        'production',
+        'production',
+        true,
+      )
+    } finally {
+      console.warn = originalWarn
+    }
+    expect(warnFn).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
   test('resolveConfig properly syncs hmr and ws', async () => {
     const config = await resolveConfig(
       {
@@ -1122,6 +1148,130 @@ describe('mergeConfig', () => {
     expect(config.server.hmr.host).toBe('new-host.com')
   })
 
+  test('warns when `server.hmr.server` is ignored due to `server.ws: false`', async () => {
+    const warn = vi.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation(() => {})
+    const trace = vi.spyOn(console, 'trace').mockImplementation(() => {})
+
+    try {
+      // a fresh module instance has a fresh "already warned" state
+      vi.resetModules()
+      const { resolveConfig } = await import('../config')
+      await resolveConfig(
+        {
+          configFile: false,
+          customLogger: createLogger('silent'),
+          server: {
+            ws: false,
+            hmr: {
+              server: http.createServer(),
+            },
+          },
+        },
+        'serve',
+      )
+
+      const reported = [...warn.mock.calls, ...trace.mock.calls]
+        .map((args) => String(args[0]))
+        .filter((message) => message.includes('`server.hmr.server` is ignored'))
+
+      expect(reported).toHaveLength(1)
+    } finally {
+      warn.mockRestore()
+      trace.mockRestore()
+    }
+  })
+
+  test('does not warn for `server.hmr` options that `server.ws: false` implies are ignored', async () => {
+    const warn = vi.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation(() => {})
+
+    try {
+      vi.resetModules()
+      const { resolveConfig } = await import('../config')
+      await resolveConfig(
+        {
+          configFile: false,
+          customLogger: createLogger('silent'),
+          server: {
+            ws: false,
+            hmr: {
+              host: 'test-host.com',
+              port: 4000,
+            },
+          },
+        },
+        'serve',
+      )
+
+      const reported = warn.mock.calls
+        .map((args) => String(args[0]))
+        .filter((message) => message.includes('is ignored'))
+
+      expect(reported).toHaveLength(0)
+    } finally {
+      warn.mockRestore()
+    }
+  })
+
+  test('does not warn when `server.hmr` has no HMR server', async () => {
+    const warn = vi.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation(() => {})
+
+    try {
+      vi.resetModules()
+      const { resolveConfig } = await import('../config')
+      await resolveConfig(
+        {
+          configFile: false,
+          customLogger: createLogger('silent'),
+          server: {
+            ws: false,
+            hmr: {
+              overlay: false,
+            },
+          },
+        },
+        'serve',
+      )
+
+      const reported = warn.mock.calls
+        .map((args) => String(args[0]))
+        .filter((message) => message.includes('is ignored'))
+
+      expect(reported).toHaveLength(0)
+    } finally {
+      warn.mockRestore()
+    }
+  })
+
+  test('does not warn for `server.hmr.server` on build', async () => {
+    const warn = vi.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation(() => {})
+
+    try {
+      vi.resetModules()
+      const { resolveConfig } = await import('../config')
+      await resolveConfig(
+        {
+          configFile: false,
+          customLogger: createLogger('silent'),
+          server: {
+            ws: false,
+            hmr: {
+              server: http.createServer(),
+            },
+          },
+        },
+        'build',
+      )
+
+      const reported = warn.mock.calls
+        .map((args) => String(args[0]))
+        .filter((message) => message.includes('is ignored'))
+
+      expect(reported).toHaveLength(0)
+    } finally {
+      warn.mockRestore()
+    }
+  })
+
   describe('later plugin can read `rollupOptions` set via `rolldownOptions` in earlier plugin', () => {
     test('top-level config', async () => {
       expect.assertions(2)
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/config.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/config.ts
index 41f72966f9d666..fbd468edf547ca 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/config.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/config.ts
@@ -1920,7 +1920,13 @@ export async function resolveConfig(
       : ''
 
   const input = normalizeInput(config.input)
-  const server = await resolveServerOptions(resolvedRoot, config.server, logger)
+  const server = await resolveServerOptions(
+    resolvedRoot,
+    config.server,
+    logger,
+    command,
+    isPreview,
+  )
 
   const builder = resolveBuilderOptions(config.builder)
 
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/server/index.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/server/index.ts
index 2779716cbc5899..53c31eb00ce955 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/server/index.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/server/index.ts
@@ -1258,6 +1258,8 @@ export async function resolveServerOptions(
   root: string,
   raw: ServerOptions | undefined,
   logger: Logger,
+  command: 'build' | 'serve' = 'serve',
+  isPreview = false,
 ): Promise<ResolvedServerOptions> {
   const _server = mergeWithDefaults(
     {
@@ -1268,7 +1270,7 @@ export async function resolveServerOptions(
     raw ?? {},
   )
 
-  setupHmrWsOptionCompat(_server)
+  setupHmrWsOptionCompat(_server, command, isPreview)
 
   const workspaceRoot = searchForWorkspaceRoot(root)
   const server: ResolvedServerOptions = {
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/utils.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/utils.ts
index c587349591a473..72eea777ceb36b 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/utils.ts
@@ -1424,10 +1424,46 @@ const hmrWsOptionsDeprecationCall = /* @__PURE__ */ (() => {
   }
 })()
 
+const hmrServerIgnoredCall = /* @__PURE__ */ (() => {
+  let logged = false
+  return () => {
+    if (logged) return
+    logged = true
+    const method = process.env.VITE_DEPRECATION_TRACE ? 'trace' : 'warn'
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+    console[method](
+      '`server.ws` is `false`, so `server.hmr.server` is ignored. ' +
+        '`server.hmr.server` is the transport used for HMR, which `server.ws: false` turns off. ' +
+        'Remove `server.ws: false`, or use `server.ws.server` instead.',
+    )
+  }
+})()
+
 export function setupHmrWsOptionCompat(
   serverConfig: Pick<ServerOptions, 'hmr' | 'ws'>,
+  command?: 'build' | 'serve',
+  isPreview = false,
 ): void {
-  if (serverConfig.hmr === false || serverConfig.ws === false) {
+  if (serverConfig.hmr === false) {
+    return
+  }
+  if (serverConfig.ws === false) {
+    // `server.ws: false` turns the WebSocket server off entirely, so the deprecated
+    // `server.hmr.*` options that are otherwise synced onto `server.ws` cannot be
+    // honoured here. Only `server.hmr.server` is worth reporting: it is the HMR
+    // transport, not a socket parameter, so losing it is not implied by `server.ws: false`
+    // the way losing e.g. `server.hmr.port` is.
+    // The warning is only meaningful when a dev server is started, so it is skipped for
+    // `vite build`, for `vite preview` (which serves static files and has no HMR), and
+    // for bare `mergeConfig` (which passes no `command`).
+    if (
+      command === 'serve' &&
+      !isPreview &&
+      isObject(serverConfig.hmr) &&
+      serverConfig.hmr.server !== undefined
+    ) {
+      hmrServerIgnoredCall()
+    }
     return
   }
   if (serverConfig.hmr === true) {