diff --git a/src/server/api/apps.ts b/src/server/api/apps.ts
index ac544a5..148b12a 100644
--- a/src/server/api/apps.ts
+++ b/src/server/api/apps.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { APPS_DIR, allApps, onChange, renameApp, startApp, stopApp, updateAppIcon } from '$apps'
+import { APPS_DIR, allApps, onChange, registerApp, renameApp, startApp, stopApp, updateAppIcon } from '$apps'
 import type { App as BackendApp } from '$apps'
 import type { App as SharedApp } from '@types'
 import { generateTemplates, type TemplateType } from '%templates'
@@ -101,6 +101,9 @@ router.post('/', async c => {
   // Create current symlink
   symlinkSync(ts, currentPath)
 
+  // Register and start the app
+  registerApp(name)
+
   return c.json({ ok: true, name })
 })
 
diff --git a/src/server/api/sync.ts b/src/server/api/sync.ts
index cdc1f37..656e415 100644
--- a/src/server/api/sync.ts
+++ b/src/server/api/sync.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { APPS_DIR, allApps, removeApp, restartApp, startApp, stopApp } from '$apps'
+import { APPS_DIR, allApps, registerApp, removeApp, restartApp } from '$apps'
 import { computeHash, generateManifest } from '../sync'
 import { loadGitignore } from '@gitignore'
 import { cpSync, existsSync, mkdirSync, readdirSync, readFileSync, realpathSync, renameSync, rmSync, symlinkSync, unlinkSync, watch, writeFileSync } from 'fs'
@@ -223,9 +223,13 @@ router.post('/apps/:app/activate', async c => {
       console.error(`Failed to clean up old versions: ${e}`)
     }
 
-    // Restart app to use new version
+    // Register new app or restart existing
     const app = allApps().find(a => a.name === appName)
-    if (app?.state === 'running') {
+    if (!app) {
+      // New app - register it
+      registerApp(appName)
+    } else if (app.state === 'running') {
+      // Existing app - restart it
       try {
         await restartApp(appName)
       } catch (e) {
diff --git a/src/server/apps.ts b/src/server/apps.ts
index 191386e..de40dd9 100644
--- a/src/server/apps.ts
+++ b/src/server/apps.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import type { App as SharedApp, AppState } from '@types'
 import type { Subprocess } from 'bun'
 import { DEFAULT_EMOJI } from '@types'
-import { existsSync, readdirSync, readFileSync, realpathSync, renameSync, statSync, watch, writeFileSync } from 'fs'
+import { existsSync, readdirSync, readFileSync, realpathSync, renameSync, writeFileSync } from 'fs'
 import { join, resolve } from 'path'
 import { appLog, hostLog, setApps } from './tui'
 
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ export function initApps() {
   setupShutdownHandlers()
   discoverApps()
   runApps()
-  watchAppsDir()
 }
 
 export function onChange(cb: () => void) {
@@ -86,6 +85,20 @@ export function removeApp(dir: string) {
   update()
 }
 
+export function registerApp(dir: string) {
+  if (_apps.has(dir)) return // Already registered
+
+  const { pkg, error } = loadApp(dir)
+  const state: AppState = error ? 'invalid' : 'stopped'
+  const icon = pkg.toes?.icon ?? DEFAULT_EMOJI
+  const tool = pkg.toes?.tool
+  _apps.set(dir, { name: dir, state, icon, error, tool })
+  update()
+  if (!error) {
+    runApp(dir, getPort(dir))
+  }
+}
+
 export function renameApp(oldName: string, newName: string): { ok: boolean, error?: string } {
   const app = _apps.get(oldName)
   if (!app) return { ok: false, error: 'App not found' }
@@ -359,14 +372,6 @@ function initPortPool() {
   }
 }
 
-function isDir(path: string): boolean {
-  try {
-    return statSync(path).isDirectory()
-  } catch {
-    return false
-  }
-}
-
 function loadApp(dir: string): LoadResult {
   try {
     const pkgPath = join(APPS_DIR, dir, 'current', 'package.json')
@@ -599,84 +604,3 @@ function startShutdownTimeout(app: App) {
   }, SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT)
 }
 
-function watchAppsDir() {
-  watch(APPS_DIR, { recursive: true }, (_event, filename) => {
-    if (!filename) return
-
-    const parts = filename.split('/')
-    const dir = parts[0]!
-
-    // Ignore changes inside old timestamp dirs (but allow current/)
-    if (parts.length > 2 && parts[1] !== 'current') return
-
-    // For versioned apps, only care about changes to "current" directory
-    if (parts.length === 2 && parts[1] !== 'current' && parts[1] !== 'package.json') return
-
-    // Handle new directory appearing
-    if (!_apps.has(dir)) {
-      // Make sure the directory actually exists (avoids race with rename)
-      if (!isDir(join(APPS_DIR, dir))) return
-
-      const { pkg, error } = loadApp(dir)
-      const state: AppState = error ? 'invalid' : 'stopped'
-      const icon = pkg.toes?.icon
-      const tool = pkg.toes?.tool
-      _apps.set(dir, { name: dir, state, icon, error, tool })
-      update()
-      if (!error) {
-        runApp(dir, getPort(dir))
-      }
-      return
-    }
-
-    const app = _apps.get(dir)!
-
-    // check if app was deleted
-    if (!isDir(join(APPS_DIR, dir))) {
-      clearTimers(app)
-      if (app.port) releasePort(app.port)
-      _apps.delete(dir)
-      update()
-      return
-    }
-
-    // Only care about package.json changes for existing apps
-    if (!filename.endsWith('package.json')) return
-
-    const { pkg, error } = loadApp(dir)
-
-    // Update icon, tool, and error from package.json
-    const iconChanged = app.icon !== pkg.toes?.icon
-    const toolChanged = app.tool !== pkg.toes?.tool
-    app.icon = pkg.toes?.icon
-    app.tool = pkg.toes?.tool
-    app.error = error
-
-    // Broadcast if icon or tool changed
-    if (iconChanged || toolChanged) update()
-
-    // App became valid - start it if stopped
-    if (!error && app.state === 'invalid') {
-      app.state = 'stopped'
-      runApp(dir, getPort(dir))
-    }
-
-    // App became invalid - stop it if running
-    if (error && app.state === 'running') {
-      app.state = 'invalid'
-      clearTimers(app)
-      app.proc?.kill()
-    }
-
-    // Update state if already stopped/invalid
-    if (error && app.state === 'stopped') {
-      app.state = 'invalid'
-      update()
-    }
-
-    if (!error && app.state === 'invalid') {
-      app.state = 'stopped'
-      update()
-    }
-  })
-}