diff --git a/medcat-trainer/docker-compose-dev.yml b/medcat-trainer/docker-compose-dev.yml
index abd3509d9..f90fce63f 100644
--- a/medcat-trainer/docker-compose-dev.yml
+++ b/medcat-trainer/docker-compose-dev.yml
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ services:
       - ./envs/env
     environment:
       - MCT_VERSION=latest
+      - MCT_DEV_LIVERELOAD=1
       # OIDC Settings
       - USE_OIDC=0
       - KEYCLOAK_URL=http://keycloak.cogstack.localhost
diff --git a/medcat-trainer/webapp/scripts/run.sh b/medcat-trainer/webapp/scripts/run.sh
index 9e343148c..7aac9d002 100755
--- a/medcat-trainer/webapp/scripts/run.sh
+++ b/medcat-trainer/webapp/scripts/run.sh
@@ -45,4 +45,11 @@ fi
 # RESET any Env vars to original stat
 export RESUBMIT_ALL_ON_STARTUP=$TMP_RESUBMIT_ALL_VAR
 
-exec uv run uwsgi --http-timeout 360s --http :8000 --master --chdir /home/api/  --module core.wsgi
+# Dev live-reload: runserver restarts and re-imports on file change; uWSGI py-autoreload only restarts workers (old code in memory).
+if [ ${MCT_DEV_LIVERELOAD:-0} -eq 1 ]; then
+  echo "Starting with Django runserver (live reload)"
+  cd /home/api
+  exec uv run python manage.py runserver 0.0.0.0:8000
+else
+  exec uv run uwsgi --http-timeout 360s --http :8000 --master --chdir /home/api/  --module core.wsgi
+fi