diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index de5824072..9d8860edc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -83,19 +83,24 @@ We also recommend using [blockcolors.app](https://blockcolors.app/) to get a rep
 
 Read the descriptions of the following scripts and run them when it is recommended to:
 
-1. `yarn start`: this does two important things:
+1. `yarn start export`: run the AJ model export script
 
-   1. keeps your local repository's content synced with your `.minecraft` directory -- datapack/resourcepack changes will reflect in-game
-   2. watches `.ajmodel` files and runs our auto-exporter on them -- this reads all `.ajmodel` files in your local repo and runs Animated Java's `Export Project` function on them.
+   1. add `ELECTRON_ENABLE_LOGGING=1` to your `.env` file to enable log-passthrough from Blockbench's renderer process to the main process. **Run this if your `watch.models` script (from `yarn start watch.experimental`) runs into an error while exporting AJ models.**
+
+   We recommend running `yarn start export` at least once, and every time changes to `.ajmodel` files occur from new incoming commits.
+
+2. `yarn start`: this keeps your local repository's content synced with your `.minecraft` directory -- datapack/resourcepack changes will reflect in-game
+
+   1. if you run `yarn start watch.experimental`, it also watches `.ajmodel` files and runs our auto-exporter on them -- this reads all `.ajmodel` files in your local repo and runs Animated Java's `Export Project` function on them.
       1. we specifically _do not_ commit AJ's exported files to the repo since they are _very large_
       2. the `watch.models` script _will not_ work if you already have Blockbench open, so don't expect it to do anything while that's the case
+      3. its a little janky and experimental still, so \*\*we recommend manually running `yarn start export` if you run into issues relating to Animated Java export files (missing models, animations, attacks not playing properly)
 
    We recommend keeping `yarn start` running at all times while working on the project.
 
-2. `yarn sync`: zips your Minecraft world and copies it to the repo as (`world.zip`). This is how we handle version-control for the actual Minecraft world. This is especially important to run and commit if you make any _physical changes_ to the world like breaking/placing blocks.
-3. `yarn lint`: runs Prettier, ESLint, and our custom linting rules on our files. Run this prior to pushing commits to save on our workflow hours.
-4. `yarn start export`: manually run the AJ model export script
-   1. add `ELECTRON_ENABLE_LOGGING=1` to your `.env` file to enable log-passthrough from Blockbench's renderer process to the main process. **Run this if your `watch.models` script (from `yarn start`) runs into an error while exporting AJ models.**
+3. `yarn sync`: zips your Minecraft world and copies it to the repo as (`world.zip`). This is how we handle version-control for the actual Minecraft world. This is especially important to run and commit if you make any _physical changes_ to the world like breaking/placing blocks.
+
+4. `yarn lint`: runs Prettier, ESLint, and our custom linting rules on our files. Run this prior to pushing commits to save on our workflow hours.
 
 #### Adding a new model/animation
 
diff --git a/package-scripts.js b/package-scripts.js
index 0682ea821..d6e111882 100644
--- a/package-scripts.js
+++ b/package-scripts.js
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ const worldName = process.env.WORLD_NAME;
 
 const minecraftWorldPath = `${minecraftPath}/saves/${worldName}`;
 
+// we have to resolve this path so we can use it with Blockbench
 const ajexportScriptPath = resolve('./package-scripts/modules/ajexport.js');
+const watchScriptPath = './package-scripts/watch.js';
 
 const allAnimatedJavaExportFiles = [
   'datapacks/animated_java/data',
@@ -40,7 +42,10 @@ const allAnimatedJavaExportFiles = [
 module.exports = {
   scripts: {
     default: 'nps watch',
-    watch: 'node ./package-scripts/watch',
+    watch: {
+      default: `node ${watchScriptPath}`,
+      experimental: `node ${watchScriptPath} --experimental`,
+    },
     sync: {
       default: 'nps sync.world',
       world: series(
diff --git a/package-scripts/watch.js b/package-scripts/watch.js
index e3239a5af..104ff5ad2 100644
--- a/package-scripts/watch.js
+++ b/package-scripts/watch.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ const findProcess = require('find-process');
 const { copy, remove, readFile, writeFile } = require('fs-extra');
 const { glob } = require('glob');
 const { difference, findKey, uniq } = require('lodash');
+const minimist = require('minimist');
 const { spawn } = require('node:child_process');
 const { resolve, parse } = require('path');
 
@@ -427,12 +428,16 @@ const deleteStaleExportFiles = async () => {
 };
 
 const main = async () => {
+  const argv = minimist(process.argv.slice(2));
+
   await deleteStaleExportFiles();
 
   const SHOW_VERBOSE = false;
   watchDatapacks(SHOW_VERBOSE);
   watchResourcepack(SHOW_VERBOSE);
-  watchModels();
+  if (argv.experimental) {
+    watchModels();
+  }
 };
 
 main();