diff --git a/client.d.ts b/client.d.ts
index e6afb9f3b..719410e64 100644
--- a/client.d.ts
+++ b/client.d.ts
@@ -1,32 +1,49 @@
 declare module 'vue-router/auto-routes' {
-  import type { RouteRecordRaw, Router } from 'vue-router'
+  import type { RouteRecordRaw, Router, RouterOptions } from 'vue-router'
 
   /**
    * Array of routes generated by unplugin-vue-router
    */
   export const routes: RouteRecordRaw[]
 
+  type HandleHotUpdateCallback = (newRoutes: RouteRecordRaw[]) => void
+
   /**
-   * Setups hot module replacement for routes.
-   * @param router - The router instance
-   * @param hotUpdateCallback - Callback to be called after replacing the routes and before the navigation
-   * @example
+   * Creates a router instance.
+   * @param options - The router options
+   * @param hotUpdateCallback - Callback to be called after replacing the routes and before the navigation.
+   *  (If `import.meta.hot` is not supported, it will only be executed once during initialization.)
+   * @example Common usage
    * ```ts
    * import { createRouter, createWebHistory } from 'vue-router'
-   * import { routes, handleHotUpdate } from 'vue-router/auto-routes'
+   * import { routes, createRouter } from 'vue-router/auto-routes'
+   *
    * const router = createRouter({
    *   history: createWebHistory(),
    *   routes,
    * })
-   * if (import.meta.hot) {
-   * handleHotUpdate(router)
-   * }
+   * ```
+   *
+   * @example Hot module replacement
+   * ```ts
+   * import { createRouter, createWebHistory } from 'vue-router'
+   * import { routes, createRouter } from 'vue-router/auto-routes'
+   *
+   * const router = createRouter(
+   *   {
+   *     history: createWebHistory(),
+   *     routes,
+   *   },
+   *   (newRoutes) => {
+   *     console.log('🔥 HMR with', newRoutes)
+   *   }
+   * )
    * ```
    */
-  export function handleHotUpdate(
-    router: Router,
-    hotUpdateCallback?: (newRoutes: RouteRecordRaw[]) => void
-  ): void
+  export function createRouter(
+    options: RouterOptions,
+    hotUpdateCallback?: HandleHotUpdateCallback
+  ): Router
 }
 
 declare module 'vue-router' {
diff --git a/docs/guide/hmr.md b/docs/guide/hmr.md
index c85a60608..fbd729174 100644
--- a/docs/guide/hmr.md
+++ b/docs/guide/hmr.md
@@ -2,38 +2,25 @@
 
 When using `definePage()` and `<route>` blocks, it's possible to enable Hot Module Replacement (HMR) for your routes **and avoid the need of reloading the page or the server** when you make changes to your routes.
 
-Enabling HMR is **strongly recommended** and currently **only works with Vite**.
-
-```ts [src/router.ts]
-import { createRouter, createWebHistory } from 'vue-router'
-import {
-  routes,
-  handleHotUpdate, // [!code ++]
-} from 'vue-router/auto-routes'
-
-export const router = createRouter({
-  history: createWebHistory(),
-  routes,
-})
-
-// This will update routes at runtime without reloading the page
-if (import.meta.hot) { // [!code ++]
-  handleHotUpdate(router) // [!code ++]
-} // [!code ++]
-```
+Enabling HMR is **strongly recommended** and currently **only works with Vite**. But you don't need to do anything, because this step has been done for you internally.
 
 ## Runtime routes
 
 If you add routes at runtime, you will have to add them within a callback to ensure they are added during development.
 
 ```ts{16-23} [src/router.ts]
-import { createRouter, createWebHistory } from 'vue-router'
-import { routes, handleHotUpdate } from 'vue-router/auto-routes'
-
-export const router = createRouter({
-  history: createWebHistory(),
-  routes,
-})
+import { createWebHistory } from 'vue-router'
+import { routes, createRouter } from 'vue-router/auto-routes'
+
+export const router = createRouter(
+  {
+    history: createWebHistory(),
+    routes,
+  },
+  () => {
+    addRedirects()
+  }
+)
 
 function addRedirects() {
   router.addRoute({
@@ -41,15 +28,6 @@ function addRedirects() {
     redirect: '/about?from=/new-about',
   })
 }
-
-if (import.meta.hot) {
-  handleHotUpdate(router, (newRoutes) => {
-    addRedirects()
-  })
-} else {
-  // production
-  addRedirects()
-}
 ```
 
 
diff --git a/docs/introduction.md b/docs/introduction.md
index 71e4147e2..c37d1d34d 100644
--- a/docs/introduction.md
+++ b/docs/introduction.md
@@ -188,8 +188,9 @@ Given the following route configuration:
 ::: code-group
 
 ```ts [src/router.ts]
-import { createRouter, createWebHistory } from 'vue-router'
-import { routes, handleHotUpdate } from 'vue-router/auto-routes' // [!code ++]
+import { createRouter, createWebHistory } from 'vue-router' // [!code --]
+import { createWebHistory } from 'vue-router/auto-routes' // [!code ++]
+import { routes, createRouter } from 'vue-router/auto-routes' // [!code ++]
 
 export const router = createRouter({
   history: createWebHistory(),
@@ -209,11 +210,6 @@ export const router = createRouter({
   ] // [!code --]
   routes, // [!code ++]
 })
-
-// This will update routes at runtime without reloading the page
-if (import.meta.hot) { // [!code ++]
-  handleHotUpdate(router) // [!code ++]
-} // [!code ++]
 ```
 
 ```ts{2,5} [main.ts]
diff --git a/playground/src/router.ts b/playground/src/router.ts
index 69e44b1c9..889adf5b7 100644
--- a/playground/src/router.ts
+++ b/playground/src/router.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,16 @@
-import { createRouter, createWebHistory } from 'vue-router'
-import { routes, handleHotUpdate } from 'vue-router/auto-routes'
+import { createWebHistory } from 'vue-router'
+import { routes, createRouter } from 'vue-router/auto-routes'
 import type { RouteRecordInfo, ParamValue } from 'vue-router'
 
-export const router = createRouter({
-  history: createWebHistory(),
-  routes,
-})
+export const router = createRouter(
+  {
+    history: createWebHistory(),
+    routes,
+  },
+  (routes) => {
+    console.log('🔥 HMR', routes)
+  }
+)
 
 function addRedirects() {
   router.addRoute({
@@ -14,15 +19,7 @@ function addRedirects() {
   })
 }
 
-if (import.meta.hot) {
-  handleHotUpdate(router, (routes) => {
-    console.log('🔥 HMR with', routes)
-    addRedirects()
-  })
-} else {
-  // production
-  addRedirects()
-}
+addRedirects()
 
 // manual extension of route types
 declare module 'vue-router/auto-routes' {
diff --git a/src/core/context.ts b/src/core/context.ts
index 5d9de314e..523ac69c4 100644
--- a/src/core/context.ts
+++ b/src/core/context.ts
@@ -188,11 +188,19 @@ export function createRoutesContext(options: ResolvedOptions) {
     )}\n`
 
     let hmr = ts`
-export function handleHotUpdate(_router, _hotUpdateCallback) {
+import { createRouter as createVueRouter } from 'vue-router'
+
+export function createRouter(options, _hotUpdateCallback) {
+  const _router = createVueRouter(options || {})
+
   if (import.meta.hot) {
     import.meta.hot.data.router = _router
     import.meta.hot.data.router_hotUpdateCallback = _hotUpdateCallback
+  } else if (typeof _hotUpdateCallback === 'function') {
+    _hotUpdateCallback(_router.getRoutes())
   }
+
+  return _router
 }
 
 if (import.meta.hot) {