diff --git a/packages/core/src/node/__tests__/config.test.ts b/packages/core/src/node/__tests__/config.test.ts
index 2bceec77..7b8c0881 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/node/__tests__/config.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/node/__tests__/config.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
-import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { ROLLDOWN_DEVTOOLS_ENV } from '@vitejs/devtools-kit/constants'
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { isDevToolsEnabled, normalizeDevToolsConfig, resolveHost } from '../config'
 
+afterEach(() => vi.unstubAllEnvs())
+
 describe('resolveHost', () => {
   it.each([
     { host: undefined, expected: 'localhost' },
@@ -84,4 +87,11 @@ describe('normalizeDevToolsConfig', () => {
     expect(isDevToolsEnabled(config, 'serve')).toBe(false)
     expect(isDevToolsEnabled(config, 'build')).toBe(false)
   })
+
+  it('allows recording builds while preserving explicit disable and serve restrictions', () => {
+    vi.stubEnv(ROLLDOWN_DEVTOOLS_ENV, 'true')
+    expect(isDevToolsEnabled(normalizeDevToolsConfig({ apply: 'serve' }, undefined), 'build')).toBe(true)
+    expect(isDevToolsEnabled(normalizeDevToolsConfig({ apply: 'build' }, undefined), 'serve')).toBe(false)
+    expect(isDevToolsEnabled(normalizeDevToolsConfig({ enabled: false }, undefined), 'build')).toBe(false)
+  })
 })
diff --git a/packages/core/src/node/__tests__/integration.test.ts b/packages/core/src/node/__tests__/integration.test.ts
index cf6a79a0..ad6459fa 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/node/__tests__/integration.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/node/__tests__/integration.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import type { Plugin, ResolvedConfig } from 'vite'
-import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { ROLLDOWN_DEVTOOLS_ENV } from '@vitejs/devtools-kit/constants'
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { normalizeDevToolsConfig } from '../config'
 import { DevToolsIntegration, runDevTools } from '../plugins/integration'
 import { startDevTools } from '../start'
@@ -45,6 +46,8 @@ describe('devToolsIntegration', () => {
     vi.mocked(startDevTools).mockClear()
   })
 
+  afterEach(() => vi.unstubAllEnvs())
+
   it('returns the existing DevTools plugins for serve', async () => {
     const plugins = await DevToolsIntegration({
       ...createIntegrationOptions('serve'),
@@ -109,6 +112,17 @@ describe('devToolsIntegration', () => {
     expect(plugins).toEqual([])
   })
 
+  it.each(['serve', 'all'] as const)('loads the build integration without starting standalone when apply is %s', async (apply) => {
+    vi.stubEnv(ROLLDOWN_DEVTOOLS_ENV, 'true')
+    const plugins = await DevToolsIntegration(createIntegrationOptions('build', createDevToolsConfig(apply)))
+    expect(plugins.map(plugin => plugin.name)).toContain('vite:devtools:integration')
+    const config = createResolvedConfig('build', { client: {} as never })
+    Object.assign(config, { plugins, devtools: normalizeDevToolsConfig({ apply }, undefined) })
+
+    await runDevTools({ config })
+    expect(startDevTools).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
   it('passes the resolved config to standalone DevTools', async () => {
     const config = createResolvedConfig('build', { client: {} as never })
     const plugins = await DevToolsIntegration({
diff --git a/packages/core/src/node/config.ts b/packages/core/src/node/config.ts
index 6fbe9328..49540fd5 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/node/config.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/node/config.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import type { CreateInteractiveAuthOptions } from 'devframe/recipes/interactive-
 import type { McpSetting } from 'devframe/types'
 import type { StartOptions } from './cli-commands'
 import type { DevToolsUserOptions } from './plugin-options'
+import process from 'node:process'
+import { ROLLDOWN_DEVTOOLS_ENV } from '@vitejs/devtools-kit/constants'
 
 export type DevToolsApply = 'serve' | 'build' | 'all'
 
@@ -111,5 +113,9 @@ export function isDevToolsEnabled(
   config: ResolvedDevToolsConfig,
   command: 'serve' | 'build',
 ): boolean {
-  return config.enabled && (config.apply === 'all' || config.apply === command)
+  return config.enabled && (
+    config.apply === 'all'
+    || config.apply === command
+    || (command === 'build' && process.env[ROLLDOWN_DEVTOOLS_ENV] === 'true')
+  )
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/node/plugins/integration.ts b/packages/core/src/node/plugins/integration.ts
index 34e56969..8ed2c68e 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/node/plugins/integration.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/node/plugins/integration.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import type { Plugin, ResolvedConfig, ViteBuilder } from 'vite'
 import type { DevToolsConfig, ResolvedDevToolsConfig } from '../config'
 import process from 'node:process'
+import { ROLLDOWN_DEVTOOLS_ENV } from '@vitejs/devtools-kit/constants'
 import { isDevToolsEnabled, normalizeDevToolsConfig } from '../config'
 import { DevToolsConfigPlugin } from './config'
 import { createDevToolsPlugins, resolveDevToolsPluginOptions } from './index'
@@ -39,6 +40,10 @@ function getDevToolsEnvironments(
 export async function runDevTools(
   builder: unknown,
 ) {
+  // Skip the standalone server so the build process can exit.
+  if (process.env[ROLLDOWN_DEVTOOLS_ENV] === 'true')
+    return
+
   const config = (builder as ViteBuilder).config
   if (!config.plugins.some(plugin => plugin.name === DEVTOOLS_BUILD_INTEGRATION_NAME))
     return
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/constants.ts b/packages/kit/src/constants.ts
index 7a732b83..1aa84a0e 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/constants.ts
+++ b/packages/kit/src/constants.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ export const DEVTOOLS_WS_ROUTE = '__ws'
 export const DEVTOOLS_WS_PATH = `${DEVTOOLS_MOUNT_PATH}${DEVTOOLS_WS_ROUTE}`
 export const DEVTOOLS_DOCK_IMPORTS_VIRTUAL_ID = '/__devtools-client-imports.js'
 
+/** Environment variable for recording Rolldown build sessions in an existing DevTools instance. */
+export const ROLLDOWN_DEVTOOLS_ENV = 'VITE_DEVTOOLS_ROLLDOWN'
+
 /**
  * Dock id of the built-in Devframe Inspector (mounted from
  * `@devframes/plugin-inspect`). Shared between the node side (which pins the
diff --git a/packages/rolldown/src/node/plugin.ts b/packages/rolldown/src/node/plugin.ts
index ac7e08fc..776e482f 100644
--- a/packages/rolldown/src/node/plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/rolldown/src/node/plugin.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import type { PluginWithDevTools } from '@vitejs/devtools-kit'
 import process from 'node:process'
+import { ROLLDOWN_DEVTOOLS_ENV } from '@vitejs/devtools-kit/constants'
 import { clientPublicDir } from '../dirs'
-import { ROLLDOWN_DEVTOOLS_ENV } from './rolldown/build-runner'
 import { rpcFunctions } from './rpc/index'
 
 const ROLLDOWN_DEVTOOLS_BASE = '/__devtools-rolldown/'
diff --git a/packages/rolldown/src/node/rolldown/__tests__/build-runner.test.ts b/packages/rolldown/src/node/rolldown/__tests__/build-runner.test.ts
index 2ce52a01..740c9459 100644
--- a/packages/rolldown/src/node/rolldown/__tests__/build-runner.test.ts
+++ b/packages/rolldown/src/node/rolldown/__tests__/build-runner.test.ts
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@ import type { ViteDevToolsNodeContext } from '@vitejs/devtools-kit'
 import { mkdir, mkdtemp, rm, writeFile } from 'node:fs/promises'
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
 import { join } from 'node:path'
+import { ROLLDOWN_DEVTOOLS_ENV } from '@vitejs/devtools-kit/constants'
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
-import { getBuildCommand, ROLLDOWN_DEVTOOLS_ENV, startBuild } from '../build-runner'
+import { getBuildCommand, startBuild } from '../build-runner'
 
 const fixtures: string[] = []
 
diff --git a/packages/rolldown/src/node/rolldown/build-runner.ts b/packages/rolldown/src/node/rolldown/build-runner.ts
index fb50f728..a5029e3c 100644
--- a/packages/rolldown/src/node/rolldown/build-runner.ts
+++ b/packages/rolldown/src/node/rolldown/build-runner.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import type { DevToolsChildProcessExecuteOptions, ViteDevToolsNodeContext } from '@vitejs/devtools-kit'
 import process from 'node:process'
+import { ROLLDOWN_DEVTOOLS_ENV } from '@vitejs/devtools-kit/constants'
 import { isVitePlusInstalled } from '@vitejs/devtools-kit/node'
 import { diagnostics } from '../diagnostics'
 
@@ -9,11 +10,6 @@ import { diagnostics } from '../diagnostics'
  * reusing a fixed id would throw "Terminal session ... already registered".
  */
 const BUILD_SESSION_ID_BASE = 'vite:rolldown:build'
-/**
- * Env var the spawned build carries so the Rolldown DevTools plugin forces
- * `rolldownOptions.devtools` on for that build (see `plugin.ts`).
- */
-export const ROLLDOWN_DEVTOOLS_ENV = 'VITE_DEVTOOLS_ROLLDOWN'
 
 type BuildSession = Awaited<ReturnType<ViteDevToolsNodeContext['terminals']['startChildProcess']>>
 
diff --git a/test/__snapshots__/tsnapi/@vitejs/devtools-kit/constants.snapshot.d.ts b/test/__snapshots__/tsnapi/@vitejs/devtools-kit/constants.snapshot.d.ts
index 519f0500..8f364248 100644
--- a/test/__snapshots__/tsnapi/@vitejs/devtools-kit/constants.snapshot.d.ts
+++ b/test/__snapshots__/tsnapi/@vitejs/devtools-kit/constants.snapshot.d.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ export declare const DEVTOOLS_MOUNT_PATH_NO_TRAILING_SLASH: string;
 export declare const DEVTOOLS_TERMINALS_DOCK_ID: string;
 export declare const DEVTOOLS_WS_PATH: string;
 export declare const DEVTOOLS_WS_ROUTE: string;
+export declare const ROLLDOWN_DEVTOOLS_ENV: string;
 // #endregion
 
 // #region Other
diff --git a/test/__snapshots__/tsnapi/@vitejs/devtools-kit/constants.snapshot.js b/test/__snapshots__/tsnapi/@vitejs/devtools-kit/constants.snapshot.js
index 72f4ec27..c9338a67 100644
--- a/test/__snapshots__/tsnapi/@vitejs/devtools-kit/constants.snapshot.js
+++ b/test/__snapshots__/tsnapi/@vitejs/devtools-kit/constants.snapshot.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ export var DEVTOOLS_MOUNT_PATH_NO_TRAILING_SLASH /* const */
 export var DEVTOOLS_TERMINALS_DOCK_ID /* const */
 export var DEVTOOLS_WS_PATH /* const */
 export var DEVTOOLS_WS_ROUTE /* const */
+export var ROLLDOWN_DEVTOOLS_ENV /* const */
 // #endregion
 
 // #region Other