diff --git a/packages/api/core/src/api/index.ts b/packages/api/core/src/api/index.ts
index be696fcf2d..e9092b6908 100644
--- a/packages/api/core/src/api/index.ts
+++ b/packages/api/core/src/api/index.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import init, { InitOptions } from './init';
 import make, { MakeOptions } from './make';
 import _package, { PackageOptions } from './package';
 import publish, { PublishOptions } from './publish';
-import start, { StartOptions } from './start';
+import start, { restartApp, StartOptions } from './start';
 
 export class ForgeAPI {
   /**
@@ -61,4 +61,17 @@ export class ForgeAPI {
 const api = new ForgeAPI();
 const utils = new ForgeUtils();
 
-export { ForgeMakeResult, ElectronProcess, ForgeUtils, ImportOptions, InitOptions, MakeOptions, PackageOptions, PublishOptions, StartOptions, api, utils };
+export {
+  ElectronProcess,
+  ForgeMakeResult,
+  ForgeUtils,
+  ImportOptions,
+  InitOptions,
+  MakeOptions,
+  PackageOptions,
+  PublishOptions,
+  StartOptions,
+  api,
+  restartApp,
+  utils,
+};
diff --git a/packages/api/core/src/api/start.ts b/packages/api/core/src/api/start.ts
index b2c36a35aa..487ddfdea0 100644
--- a/packages/api/core/src/api/start.ts
+++ b/packages/api/core/src/api/start.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { spawn, SpawnOptions } from 'child_process';
+import { EventEmitter } from 'events';
 
 import { getElectronVersion, listrCompatibleRebuildHook } from '@electron-forge/core-utils';
 import { ElectronProcess, ForgeArch, ForgeListrTaskFn, ForgePlatform, ResolvedForgeConfig, StartOptions } from '@electron-forge/shared-types';
@@ -24,6 +25,8 @@ type StartContext = {
   spawned: ElectronProcess;
 };
 
+const restartAppEventEmitter = new EventEmitter();
+
 export default autoTrace(
   { name: 'start()', category: '@electron-forge/core' },
   async (
@@ -213,14 +216,21 @@ export default autoTrace(
     };
 
     if (interactive) {
-      process.stdin.on('data', async (data) => {
-        if (data.toString().trim() === 'rs' && lastSpawned) {
+      restartAppEventEmitter.on('restart', async () => {
+        if (lastSpawned) {
           console.info(chalk.cyan('\nRestarting App\n'));
           lastSpawned.restarted = true;
           lastSpawned.kill('SIGTERM');
           lastSpawned.emit('restarted', await forgeSpawnWrapper());
         }
       });
+
+      process.stdin.on('data', async (data) => {
+        if (data.toString().trim() === 'rs') {
+          restartApp();
+        }
+      });
+
       process.stdin.resume();
     }
 
@@ -231,3 +241,7 @@ export default autoTrace(
     return spawned;
   }
 );
+
+export function restartApp() {
+  restartAppEventEmitter.emit('restart');
+}