diff --git a/packages/cli-kit/src/public/node/themes/types.ts b/packages/cli-kit/src/public/node/themes/types.ts
index c28d06fa4e..3f416769b8 100644
--- a/packages/cli-kit/src/public/node/themes/types.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-kit/src/public/node/themes/types.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ export type ThemeFSEventPayload<T extends ThemeFSEventName = 'add'> = (ThemeFSEv
 export interface ThemeFileSystemOptions {
   filters?: {ignore?: string[]; only?: string[]}
   notify?: string
+  noDelete?: boolean
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/theme/src/cli/services/dev.ts b/packages/theme/src/cli/services/dev.ts
index 8599478d8b..2d82b465f4 100644
--- a/packages/theme/src/cli/services/dev.ts
+++ b/packages/theme/src/cli/services/dev.ts
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ export async function dev(options: DevOptions) {
   const localThemeFileSystem = mountThemeFileSystem(options.directory, {
     filters: options,
     notify: options.notify,
+    noDelete: options.noDelete,
   })
 
   const host = options.host || DEFAULT_HOST
diff --git a/packages/theme/src/cli/utilities/theme-fs.ts b/packages/theme/src/cli/utilities/theme-fs.ts
index bf125bbe6e..bd9dd3df04 100644
--- a/packages/theme/src/cli/utilities/theme-fs.ts
+++ b/packages/theme/src/cli/utilities/theme-fs.ts
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ export function mountThemeFileSystem(root: string, options?: ThemeFileSystemOpti
   }
 
   const handleFileDelete = (themeId: string, adminSession: AdminSession, fileKey: string) => {
-    if (isFileIgnored(fileKey)) return
+    if (isFileIgnored(fileKey) || options?.noDelete) return
 
     // Optimistically delete the file from the local file system.
     files.delete(fileKey)