diff --git a/frontend/__snapshots__/scenes-app-sidepanels--side-panel-docs--dark.png b/frontend/__snapshots__/scenes-app-sidepanels--side-panel-docs--dark.png
index 17cbc47a38452..a3e04b0c7f7dd 100644
Binary files a/frontend/__snapshots__/scenes-app-sidepanels--side-panel-docs--dark.png and b/frontend/__snapshots__/scenes-app-sidepanels--side-panel-docs--dark.png differ
diff --git a/frontend/__snapshots__/scenes-app-sidepanels--side-panel-docs--light.png b/frontend/__snapshots__/scenes-app-sidepanels--side-panel-docs--light.png
index 157ae9ad6515d..85b6a5d19efbb 100644
Binary files a/frontend/__snapshots__/scenes-app-sidepanels--side-panel-docs--light.png and b/frontend/__snapshots__/scenes-app-sidepanels--side-panel-docs--light.png differ
diff --git a/frontend/src/scenes/PreflightCheck/preflightLogic.tsx b/frontend/src/scenes/PreflightCheck/preflightLogic.tsx
index 0fd08035c75fc..f55a8b6c97c44 100644
--- a/frontend/src/scenes/PreflightCheck/preflightLogic.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/scenes/PreflightCheck/preflightLogic.tsx
@@ -273,6 +273,12 @@ export const preflightLogic = kea<preflightLogicType>([
                 return preflight?.is_debug
             },
         ],
+        disableNavigationHooks: [
+            (s) => [s.preflight],
+            (preflight): boolean | undefined => {
+                return preflight?.dev_disable_navigation_hooks
+            },
+        ],
     }),
     listeners(({ values, actions }) => ({
         handlePreflightFinished: () => {
diff --git a/frontend/src/scenes/insights/insightSceneLogic.tsx b/frontend/src/scenes/insights/insightSceneLogic.tsx
index 75e99677715a4..8ecaf9f4de564 100644
--- a/frontend/src/scenes/insights/insightSceneLogic.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/scenes/insights/insightSceneLogic.tsx
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ export const insightSceneLogic = kea<insightSceneLogicType>([
     path(['scenes', 'insights', 'insightSceneLogic']),
     connect(() => ({
         logic: [eventUsageLogic],
-        values: [teamLogic, ['currentTeam'], sceneLogic, ['activeScene'], preflightLogic, ['isDev']],
+        values: [teamLogic, ['currentTeam'], sceneLogic, ['activeScene'], preflightLogic, ['disableNavigationHooks']],
     })),
     actions({
         setInsightId: (insightId: InsightShortId) => ({ insightId }),
@@ -322,8 +322,7 @@ export const insightSceneLogic = kea<insightSceneLogicType>([
                 return false
             }
 
-            if (values.isDev) {
-                // TRICKY: We disable beforeUnload handling in dev, but ONLY for insights
+            if (values.disableNavigationHooks) {
                 return false
             }
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/types.ts b/frontend/src/types.ts
index 964667b36ec58..125cfbce0510b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/types.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/types.ts
@@ -2965,6 +2965,7 @@ export interface PreflightStatus {
     buffer_conversion_seconds?: number
     object_storage: boolean
     public_egress_ip_addresses?: string[]
+    dev_disable_navigation_hooks?: boolean
 }
 
 export enum ItemMode { // todo: consolidate this and dashboardmode
diff --git a/posthog/settings/web.py b/posthog/settings/web.py
index 0a88799f33375..01b2211b1e6e1 100644
--- a/posthog/settings/web.py
+++ b/posthog/settings/web.py
@@ -380,3 +380,6 @@ def add_recorder_js_headers(headers, path, url):
 PROXY_BASE_CNAME = get_from_env("PROXY_BASE_CNAME", "")
 
 LOGO_DEV_TOKEN = get_from_env("LOGO_DEV_TOKEN", "")
+
+# disables frontend side navigation hooks to make hot-reload work seamlessly
+DEV_DISABLE_NAVIGATION_HOOKS = get_from_env("DEV_DISABLE_NAVIGATION_HOOKS", False, type_cast=bool)
diff --git a/posthog/views.py b/posthog/views.py
index 76a823762b656..139da5bbea4f8 100644
--- a/posthog/views.py
+++ b/posthog/views.py
@@ -130,6 +130,9 @@ def preflight_check(request: HttpRequest) -> JsonResponse:
     if settings.DEBUG or settings.E2E_TESTING:
         response["is_debug"] = True
 
+    if settings.DEV_DISABLE_NAVIGATION_HOOKS:
+        response["dev_disable_navigation_hooks"] = True
+
     if request.user.is_authenticated:
         response = {
             **response,