diff --git a/.changeset/serious-hats-clap.md b/.changeset/serious-hats-clap.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..466c279d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/serious-hats-clap.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@ladle/react": minor
+---
+
+Reload the page if there was a new story added or removed.
diff --git a/packages/ladle/lib/cli/vite-dev.js b/packages/ladle/lib/cli/vite-dev.js
index c4d17097..ab06857c 100644
--- a/packages/ladle/lib/cli/vite-dev.js
+++ b/packages/ladle/lib/cli/vite-dev.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import getPort from "get-port";
 import globby from "globby";
 import boxen from "boxen";
 import open from "open";
+import chokidar from "chokidar";
 import debug from "./debug.js";
 import getBaseViteConfig from "./vite-base.js";
 import { getMetaJsonObject } from "./vite-plugin/generate/get-meta-json.js";
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ const bundler = async (config, configFolder) => {
       },
     });
     const vite = await createServer(viteConfig);
+    const { moduleGraph, ws } = vite;
     app.head("*", async (_, res) => res.sendStatus(200));
     app.get("/meta.json", async (_, res) => {
       const entryData = await getEntryData(await globby([config.stories]));
@@ -64,6 +66,46 @@ const bundler = async (config, configFolder) => {
         );
       }
     });
+
+    // trigger full reload when new stories are added or removed
+    const watcher = chokidar.watch(config.stories, {
+      persistent: true,
+    });
+    let checkSum = "";
+    const getChecksum = async () => {
+      try {
+        const entryData = await getEntryData(await globby([config.stories]));
+        const jsonContent = getMetaJsonObject(entryData);
+        // loc changes should not grant a full reload
+        Object.keys(jsonContent.stories).forEach((storyId) => {
+          jsonContent.stories[storyId].locStart = 0;
+          jsonContent.stories[storyId].locEnd = 0;
+        });
+        return JSON.stringify(jsonContent);
+      } catch (e) {
+        return checkSum;
+      }
+    };
+    checkSum = await getChecksum();
+    const invalidate = async () => {
+      const newChecksum = await getChecksum();
+      if (checkSum === newChecksum) return;
+      checkSum = newChecksum;
+      const module = moduleGraph.getModuleById("\0virtual:generated-list");
+      if (module) {
+        moduleGraph.invalidateModule(module);
+        if (ws) {
+          ws.send({
+            type: "full-reload",
+            path: "*",
+          });
+        }
+      }
+    };
+    watcher
+      .on("add", invalidate)
+      .on("change", invalidate)
+      .on("unlink", invalidate);
   } catch (e) {
     console.log(e);
   }
diff --git a/packages/ladle/lib/cli/vite-plugin/generate/get-meta-json.js b/packages/ladle/lib/cli/vite-plugin/generate/get-meta-json.js
index a30b5e11..721522b5 100644
--- a/packages/ladle/lib/cli/vite-plugin/generate/get-meta-json.js
+++ b/packages/ladle/lib/cli/vite-plugin/generate/get-meta-json.js
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ const getMetaJson = (entryData) => {
       version: 1,
     },
     stories:
-      /** @type {{[key: string]: {name: string; levels: string[]; meta: any}}} */ ({}),
+      /** @type {{[key: string]: {name: string; levels: string[]; meta: any, locStart: number; locEnd: number;}}} */ ({}),
   };
   storyIds.forEach((storyId) => {
     result.stories[storyId] = {
diff --git a/packages/ladle/lib/cli/vite-plugin/get-ast.js b/packages/ladle/lib/cli/vite-plugin/get-ast.js
index c9808941..0320026a 100644
--- a/packages/ladle/lib/cli/vite-plugin/get-ast.js
+++ b/packages/ladle/lib/cli/vite-plugin/get-ast.js
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ const getAst = (code, filename) => {
       ),
     );
     console.log("");
-    process.exit(1);
+    throw e;
   }
 };
 
diff --git a/packages/ladle/package.json b/packages/ladle/package.json
index 028a6464..d49e734f 100644
--- a/packages/ladle/package.json
+++ b/packages/ladle/package.json
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
     "@vitejs/plugin-react": "^1.3.0",
     "axe-core": "^4.4.1",
     "boxen": "^5.1.2",
+    "chokidar": "^3.5.3",
     "classnames": "^2.3.1",
     "commander": "^8.3.0",
     "debug": "^4.3.4",
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 1216c9cb..eb4c25a6 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -201,6 +201,7 @@ importers:
       axe-core: ^4.4.1
       babel-jest: ^28.0.2
       boxen: ^5.1.2
+      chokidar: ^3.5.3
       classnames: ^2.3.1
       commander: ^8.3.0
       debug: ^4.3.4
@@ -237,6 +238,7 @@ importers:
       "@vitejs/plugin-react": 1.3.2
       axe-core: 4.4.1
       boxen: 5.1.2
+      chokidar: 3.5.3
       classnames: 2.3.1
       commander: 8.3.0
       debug: 4.3.4
@@ -6390,6 +6392,8 @@ packages:
       raw-body: 2.5.1
       type-is: 1.6.18
       unpipe: 1.0.0
+    transitivePeerDependencies:
+      - supports-color
     dev: false
 
   /bonjour-service/1.0.12:
@@ -7598,6 +7602,11 @@ packages:
       {
         integrity: sha512-bC7ElrdJaJnPbAP+1EotYvqZsb3ecl5wi6Bfi6BJTUcNowp6cvspg0jXznRTKDjm/E7AdgFBVeAPVMNcKGsHMA==,
       }
+    peerDependencies:
+      supports-color: "*"
+    peerDependenciesMeta:
+      supports-color:
+        optional: true
     dependencies:
       ms: 2.0.0
     dev: false
@@ -8933,6 +8942,8 @@ packages:
       type-is: 1.6.18
       utils-merge: 1.0.1
       vary: 1.1.2
+    transitivePeerDependencies:
+      - supports-color
     dev: false
 
   /extend-shallow/2.0.1:
@@ -9163,6 +9174,8 @@ packages:
       parseurl: 1.3.3
       statuses: 2.0.1
       unpipe: 1.0.0
+    transitivePeerDependencies:
+      - supports-color
     dev: false
 
   /find-babel-config/1.2.0:
@@ -15020,6 +15033,8 @@ packages:
       on-finished: 2.4.1
       range-parser: 1.2.1
       statuses: 2.0.1
+    transitivePeerDependencies:
+      - supports-color
     dev: false
 
   /serialize-javascript/6.0.0:
@@ -15071,6 +15086,8 @@ packages:
       escape-html: 1.0.3
       parseurl: 1.3.3
       send: 0.18.0
+    transitivePeerDependencies:
+      - supports-color
     dev: false
 
   /set-blocking/2.0.0: