diff --git a/src/quickblog/api.clj b/src/quickblog/api.clj
index 77596a1..9555d86 100644
--- a/src/quickblog/api.clj
+++ b/src/quickblog/api.clj
@@ -564,7 +564,8 @@
          :as opts}
         (-> opts
             apply-default-opts
-            (assoc :watch "<script type=\"text/javascript\" src=\"https://livejs.com/live.js\"></script>")
+            (assoc :watch (format "<script type=\"text/javascript\" src=\"%s\"></script>"
+                                  lib/live-reload-script))
             render)]
     (reset! posts-cache (:posts opts))
     (serve opts false)
diff --git a/src/quickblog/internal.clj b/src/quickblog/internal.clj
index 00ee8e5..d020ed7 100644
--- a/src/quickblog/internal.clj
+++ b/src/quickblog/internal.clj
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
    [markdown.core :as md]
    [selmer.parser :as selmer]))
 
+;; Script used for live reloading in watch mode
+(def live-reload-script "https://livejs.com/live.js")
+
 (def ^:private cache-filename "cache.edn")
 (def ^:private resource-path "quickblog")
 (def ^:private templates-resource-dir "templates")
@@ -273,7 +276,10 @@
                        post-file (fs/file posts-dir file)]
                    (or force-render
                        (rendering-modified? out-file
-                                            (cons post-file rendering-system-files))))))
+                                            (cons post-file rendering-system-files))
+                       ;; watch mode adds a live reloading script, which should be
+                       ;; removed on subsequent renders
+                       (str/includes? (slurp out-file) live-reload-script)))))
        (map first)
        set))
 
diff --git a/test/quickblog/api_test.clj b/test/quickblog/api_test.clj
index 7734ecd..6b41914 100644
--- a/test/quickblog/api_test.clj
+++ b/test/quickblog/api_test.clj
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
    [clojure.string :as str]
    [clojure.test :refer [deftest is testing use-fixtures]]
    [babashka.fs :as fs]
-   [quickblog.api :as api])
+   [quickblog.api :as api]
+   [quickblog.internal :as lib])
   (:import (java.util UUID)))
 
 (def test-dir ".test")
@@ -197,7 +198,25 @@
                    :templates-dir templates-dir
                    :cache-dir cache-dir
                    :out-dir out-dir})
-      (is (str/includes? (slurp (fs/file out-dir "comments.html")) "<!-- a comment -->")))))
+      (is (str/includes? (slurp (fs/file out-dir "comments.html")) "<!-- a comment -->"))))
+
+  (testing "remove live reloading on render"
+    (with-dirs [posts-dir
+                templates-dir
+                cache-dir
+                out-dir]
+      (write-test-post posts-dir)
+      (api/render {:posts-dir posts-dir
+                   :templates-dir templates-dir
+                   :cache-dir cache-dir
+                   :out-dir out-dir
+                   :watch lib/live-reload-script})
+      (is (str/includes? (slurp (fs/file out-dir "test.html")) lib/live-reload-script))
+      (api/render {:posts-dir posts-dir
+                   :templates-dir templates-dir
+                   :cache-dir cache-dir
+                   :out-dir out-dir})
+      (is (not (str/includes? (slurp (fs/file out-dir "test.html")) lib/live-reload-script))))))
 
 ;; disabled, flaky in CI, cc @jmglov
 #_(deftest caching