diff --git a/cosmos/airflow/graph.py b/cosmos/airflow/graph.py
index 54721b04d9..e648999399 100644
--- a/cosmos/airflow/graph.py
+++ b/cosmos/airflow/graph.py
@@ -694,12 +694,13 @@ def _add_watcher_producer_task(
         producer_task_args["exclude"] = _convert_list_to_str(render_config.exclude)
 
         if render_config.test_behavior in [TestBehavior.NONE, TestBehavior.AFTER_ALL]:
-            additional_excludes = "resource_type:test resource_type:unit_test"
-            current_exclude = producer_task_args.get("exclude")
-            if current_exclude:
-                producer_task_args["exclude"] = f"{current_exclude} {additional_excludes}"
-            else:
-                producer_task_args["exclude"] = additional_excludes
+            # Use --resource-type to exclude tests from the producer dbt build command.
+            # This works both with and without selectors (--exclude is ignored by dbt when a selector is used).
+            existing_flags = producer_task_args.get("dbt_cmd_flags") or []
+            dbt_cmd_flags = list(existing_flags)
+            for resource_type in SUPPORTED_BUILD_RESOURCES:
+                dbt_cmd_flags.extend(["--resource-type", resource_type.value])  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+            producer_task_args["dbt_cmd_flags"] = dbt_cmd_flags
 
     class_name = calculate_operator_class(execution_mode, "DbtProducer")
 
diff --git a/tests/airflow/test_graph.py b/tests/airflow/test_graph.py
index 9e6863164f..db22d8c127 100644
--- a/tests/airflow/test_graph.py
+++ b/tests/airflow/test_graph.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 import pytest
 from airflow.models import DAG
 
-from cosmos.operators.watcher import DbtTestWatcherOperator
+from cosmos.operators.watcher import DbtProducerWatcherOperator, DbtTestWatcherOperator
 
 try:
     # Airflow 3.1 onwards
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 )
 from cosmos.config import ProfileConfig, RenderConfig
 from cosmos.constants import (
+    SUPPORTED_BUILD_RESOURCES,
     DbtResourceType,
     ExecutionMode,
     SourceRenderingBehavior,
@@ -1187,6 +1188,84 @@ def test_test_behavior_for_watcher_mode(test_behavior):
         assert len(tasks) == 6
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("test_behavior", [TestBehavior.NONE, TestBehavior.AFTER_ALL])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("selector", [None, "my_selector"])
+def test_watcher_producer_uses_resource_type_flag_to_exclude_tests(test_behavior, selector):
+    """The producer should use --resource-type to exclude tests, regardless of whether a selector is used."""
+    with DAG("test-id", start_date=datetime(2022, 1, 1)) as dag:
+        task_args = {
+            "project_dir": SAMPLE_PROJ_PATH,
+            "conn_id": "fake_conn",
+            "profile_config": ProfileConfig(
+                profile_name="default",
+                target_name="default",
+                profile_mapping=PostgresUserPasswordProfileMapping(
+                    conn_id="fake_conn",
+                    profile_args={"schema": "public"},
+                ),
+            ),
+        }
+
+    render_config = RenderConfig(test_behavior=test_behavior)
+    if selector:
+        render_config = RenderConfig(test_behavior=test_behavior, selector=selector)
+
+    build_airflow_graph(
+        nodes=sample_nodes,
+        dag=dag,
+        execution_mode=ExecutionMode.WATCHER,
+        test_indirect_selection=TestIndirectSelection.EAGER,
+        task_args=task_args,
+        render_config=render_config,
+        dbt_project_name="astro_shop",
+    )
+    producer_task = next(task for task in dag.tasks if isinstance(task, DbtProducerWatcherOperator))
+
+    # Should use --resource-type flags, not --exclude
+    expected_resource_types = [rt.value for rt in SUPPORTED_BUILD_RESOURCES]
+    flags = producer_task.dbt_cmd_flags
+    actual_resource_types = [flags[i + 1] for i in range(len(flags)) if flags[i] == "--resource-type"]
+    assert actual_resource_types == expected_resource_types
+    assert "resource_type:test" not in (producer_task.exclude or "")
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("test_behavior", [TestBehavior.NONE, TestBehavior.AFTER_ALL])
+def test_watcher_producer_preserves_existing_dbt_cmd_flags(test_behavior):
+    """The producer should not mutate the original dbt_cmd_flags list and should preserve existing flags."""
+    with DAG("test-id", start_date=datetime(2022, 1, 1)) as dag:
+        original_flags = ["--full-refresh"]
+        task_args = {
+            "project_dir": SAMPLE_PROJ_PATH,
+            "conn_id": "fake_conn",
+            "dbt_cmd_flags": original_flags,
+            "profile_config": ProfileConfig(
+                profile_name="default",
+                target_name="default",
+                profile_mapping=PostgresUserPasswordProfileMapping(
+                    conn_id="fake_conn",
+                    profile_args={"schema": "public"},
+                ),
+            ),
+        }
+
+    build_airflow_graph(
+        nodes=sample_nodes,
+        dag=dag,
+        execution_mode=ExecutionMode.WATCHER,
+        test_indirect_selection=TestIndirectSelection.EAGER,
+        task_args=task_args,
+        render_config=RenderConfig(test_behavior=test_behavior),
+        dbt_project_name="astro_shop",
+    )
+    producer_task = next(task for task in dag.tasks if isinstance(task, DbtProducerWatcherOperator))
+
+    # Original flags should not be mutated
+    assert original_flags == ["--full-refresh"]
+    # Producer should have the original flag plus the resource-type flags
+    assert "--full-refresh" in producer_task.dbt_cmd_flags
+    assert "--resource-type" in producer_task.dbt_cmd_flags
+
+
 def test_custom_meta():
     with DAG("test-id", start_date=datetime(2022, 1, 1)) as dag:
         task_args = {