diff --git a/src/ExistingJsProject.res b/src/ExistingJsProject.res
index f65e764..5bb70e4 100644
--- a/src/ExistingJsProject.res
+++ b/src/ExistingJsProject.res
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ open Node
 
 module P = ClackPrompts
 
-let updatePackageJson = async () =>
+let updatePackageJson = async (~versions) =>
   await JsonUtils.updateJsonFile("package.json", json =>
     switch json {
     | Object(config) =>
@@ -15,7 +15,12 @@ let updatePackageJson = async () =>
       }
       scripts->Dict.set("res:build", String("rescript"))
       scripts->Dict.set("res:clean", String("rescript clean"))
-      scripts->Dict.set("res:dev", String("rescript -w"))
+
+      if RescriptVersions.usesRewatch(versions) {
+        scripts->Dict.set("res:dev", String("rescript watch"))
+      } else {
+        scripts->Dict.set("res:dev", String("rescript -w"))
+      }
     | _ => ()
     }
   )
@@ -101,7 +106,7 @@ let addToExistingProject = async (~projectName) => {
     await Fs.Promises.appendFile(gitignorePath, `**/*${suffix}${Os.eol}`)
   }
 
-  await updatePackageJson()
+  await updatePackageJson(~versions)
   await updateRescriptJson(~projectName, ~sourceDir, ~moduleSystem, ~suffix, ~versions)
 
   if !Fs.existsSync(sourceDirPath) {
diff --git a/src/NewProject.res b/src/NewProject.res
index 366a53e..b159e7d 100644
--- a/src/NewProject.res
+++ b/src/NewProject.res
@@ -15,10 +15,24 @@ let validateProjectName = projectName =>
     None
   }
 
-let updatePackageJson = async (~projectName) =>
+let updatePackageJson = async (~projectName, ~versions) =>
   await JsonUtils.updateJsonFile("package.json", json =>
     switch json {
-    | Object(config) => config->Dict.set("name", String(projectName))
+    | Object(config) => {
+      config->Dict.set("name", String(projectName))
+
+      let scripts = switch config->Dict.get("scripts") {
+      | Some(Object(scripts)) => scripts
+      | _ =>
+        let scripts = Dict.make()
+        config->Dict.set("scripts", Object(scripts))
+        scripts
+      }
+
+      if RescriptVersions.usesRewatch(versions) {
+        scripts->Dict.set("res:dev", String("rescript watch"))
+      }
+    }
     | _ => ()
     }
   )
@@ -69,7 +83,7 @@ let createProject = async (~templateName, ~projectName, ~versions) => {
   Process.chdir(projectPath)
 
   await Fs.Promises.rename("_gitignore", ".gitignore")
-  await updatePackageJson(~projectName)
+  await updatePackageJson(~projectName, ~versions)
   await updateRescriptJson(~projectName, ~versions)
 
   await RescriptVersions.installVersions(versions)
diff --git a/src/RescriptVersions.res b/src/RescriptVersions.res
index 3a6afd0..d5aef35 100644
--- a/src/RescriptVersions.res
+++ b/src/RescriptVersions.res
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ module P = ClackPrompts
 let rescript12VersionRange = ">=12.0.0-alpha.5"
 let rescriptVersionRange = `11.x.x || ${rescript12VersionRange}`
 let rescriptCoreVersionRange = ">=1.0.0"
+let rescriptRewatchVersionRange = ">=12.0.0-alpha.15"
 
 type versions = {rescriptVersion: string, rescriptCoreVersion: option<string>}
 
@@ -95,3 +96,6 @@ let installVersions = async ({rescriptVersion, rescriptCoreVersion}) => {
 
 let esmModuleSystemName = ({rescriptVersion}) =>
   CompareVersions.compareVersions(rescriptVersion, "11.1.0-rc.8") > 0. ? "esmodule" : "es6"
+
+let usesRewatch = ({rescriptVersion}) =>
+  CompareVersions.satisfies(rescriptVersion, rescriptRewatchVersionRange)
diff --git a/src/RescriptVersions.resi b/src/RescriptVersions.resi
index 2e53c4f..da0ac40 100644
--- a/src/RescriptVersions.resi
+++ b/src/RescriptVersions.resi
@@ -5,3 +5,5 @@ let promptVersions: unit => promise<versions>
 let installVersions: versions => promise<unit>
 
 let esmModuleSystemName: versions => string
+
+let usesRewatch: versions => bool