diff --git a/src/Dotnet.Watch/Watch.Aspire/Host/AspireHostLauncher.cs b/src/Dotnet.Watch/Watch.Aspire/Host/AspireHostLauncher.cs
index facbff0e88f7..84c991188aed 100644
--- a/src/Dotnet.Watch/Watch.Aspire/Host/AspireHostLauncher.cs
+++ b/src/Dotnet.Watch/Watch.Aspire/Host/AspireHostLauncher.cs
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ internal sealed class AspireHostLauncher(
             launchProfileName: noLaunchProfile ? Optional<string?>.NoValue : launchProfile);
     }
 
-    internal ProjectOptions GetProjectOptions()
+    protected override ProjectOptions GetProjectOptions()
     {
         var commandArguments = new List<string>()
         {
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ internal ProjectOptions GetProjectOptions()
         };
     }
 
+    internal ProjectOptions GetHostProjectOptions() => GetProjectOptions();
+
     public override async Task<int> LaunchAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
     {
         return await LaunchWatcherAsync(
diff --git a/src/Dotnet.Watch/Watch.Aspire/Server/AspireWatcherLauncher.cs b/src/Dotnet.Watch/Watch.Aspire/Server/AspireWatcherLauncher.cs
index ea8f75b1e53b..c0da9e8e66ac 100644
--- a/src/Dotnet.Watch/Watch.Aspire/Server/AspireWatcherLauncher.cs
+++ b/src/Dotnet.Watch/Watch.Aspire/Server/AspireWatcherLauncher.cs
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ protected async Task<int> LaunchWatcherAsync(
             ProcessRunner = new ProcessRunner(EnvironmentOptions.GetProcessCleanupTimeout()),
             Options = GlobalOptions,
             EnvironmentOptions = EnvironmentOptions,
-            MainProjectOptions = null,
+            MainProjectOptions = GetProjectOptions(),
             BuildArguments = [],
             RootProjects = rootProjects,
             BrowserRefreshServerFactory = new BrowserRefreshServerFactory(),
@@ -50,4 +50,6 @@ protected async Task<int> LaunchWatcherAsync(
 
         return 0;
     }
+
+    protected virtual ProjectOptions? GetProjectOptions() => null;
 }
diff --git a/test/Microsoft.DotNet.HotReload.Watch.Aspire.Tests/AspireHostLauncherTests.cs b/test/Microsoft.DotNet.HotReload.Watch.Aspire.Tests/AspireHostLauncherTests.cs
index 0718b7205d0b..94abac0ac2ca 100644
--- a/test/Microsoft.DotNet.HotReload.Watch.Aspire.Tests/AspireHostLauncherTests.cs
+++ b/test/Microsoft.DotNet.HotReload.Watch.Aspire.Tests/AspireHostLauncherTests.cs
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ public void GetProjectOptions_ProjectFile_UsesProjectFlag()
     {
         var launcher = CreateLauncher("myapp.csproj");
 
-        var options = launcher.GetProjectOptions();
+        var options = launcher.GetHostProjectOptions()!;
 
         AssertCommonProperties(options, launcher);
         Assert.False(options.LaunchProfileName.HasValue);
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ public void GetProjectOptions_EntryPointFile_UsesFileFlag()
     {
         var launcher = CreateLauncher("Program.cs");
 
-        var options = launcher.GetProjectOptions();
+        var options = launcher.GetHostProjectOptions()!;
 
         AssertCommonProperties(options, launcher);
         Assert.False(options.LaunchProfileName.HasValue);
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ public void GetProjectOptions_WithLaunchProfile_AddsLaunchProfileArguments()
     {
         var launcher = CreateLauncher("myapp.csproj", launchProfileName: "MyProfile");
 
-        var options = launcher.GetProjectOptions();
+        var options = launcher.GetHostProjectOptions()!;
 
         AssertCommonProperties(options, launcher);
         Assert.True(options.LaunchProfileName.HasValue);
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ public void GetProjectOptions_NoLaunchProfile_AddsNoLaunchProfileFlag()
     {
         var launcher = CreateLauncher("myapp.csproj", launchProfileName: Optional<string?>.NoValue);
 
-        var options = launcher.GetProjectOptions();
+        var options = launcher.GetHostProjectOptions()!;
 
         AssertCommonProperties(options, launcher);
         Assert.False(options.LaunchProfileName.HasValue);
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public void GetProjectOptions_NullLaunchProfile_UsesDefault()
         // null value (HasValue=true) means use default launch profile - no --launch-profile or --no-launch-profile flag
         var launcher = CreateLauncher("myapp.csproj", launchProfileName: (string?)null);
 
-        var options = launcher.GetProjectOptions();
+        var options = launcher.GetHostProjectOptions()!;
 
         AssertCommonProperties(options, launcher);
         Assert.True(options.LaunchProfileName.HasValue);
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ public void GetProjectOptions_WithApplicationArguments_AppendsArguments()
     {
         var launcher = CreateLauncher("myapp.csproj", launchProfileName: "Profile", applicationArguments: ["arg1", "arg2"]);
 
-        var options = launcher.GetProjectOptions();
+        var options = launcher.GetHostProjectOptions()!;
 
         AssertCommonProperties(options, launcher);
         Assert.True(options.LaunchProfileName.HasValue);
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ public void GetProjectOptions_SetsCustomWorkingDirectory()
     {
         var launcher = CreateLauncher("myapp.csproj", workingDirectory: "/custom/path");
 
-        var options = launcher.GetProjectOptions();
+        var options = launcher.GetHostProjectOptions()!;
 
         AssertCommonProperties(options, launcher);
         Assert.Equal("/custom/path", options.WorkingDirectory);
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ public void GetProjectOptions_EntryPointFile_WithLaunchProfileAndArguments()
     {
         var launcher = CreateLauncher("Program.cs", launchProfileName: "Dev", applicationArguments: ["--port", "8080"]);
 
-        var options = launcher.GetProjectOptions();
+        var options = launcher.GetHostProjectOptions()!;
 
         AssertCommonProperties(options, launcher);
         Assert.True(options.LaunchProfileName.HasValue);
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ public void GetProjectOptions_NoLaunchProfile_WithApplicationArguments()
     {
         var launcher = CreateLauncher("myapp.csproj", launchProfileName: Optional<string?>.NoValue, applicationArguments: ["--urls", "http://localhost:5000"]);
 
-        var options = launcher.GetProjectOptions();
+        var options = launcher.GetHostProjectOptions();
 
         AssertCommonProperties(options, launcher);
         Assert.False(options.LaunchProfileName.HasValue);
diff --git a/test/Microsoft.DotNet.HotReload.Watch.Aspire.Tests/AspireLauncherTests.cs b/test/Microsoft.DotNet.HotReload.Watch.Aspire.Tests/AspireLauncherTests.cs
index 7e30a869bbaf..e909805befd2 100644
--- a/test/Microsoft.DotNet.HotReload.Watch.Aspire.Tests/AspireLauncherTests.cs
+++ b/test/Microsoft.DotNet.HotReload.Watch.Aspire.Tests/AspireLauncherTests.cs
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ public async Task Host()
         host.Start(testAsset, ["--entrypoint", projectPath]);
 
         await host.WaitUntilOutputContains(MessageDescriptor.WaitingForChanges);
+        await host.WaitUntilOutputContains("Started");
     }
 
     [PlatformSpecificFact(TestPlatforms.Windows | TestPlatforms.Linux)] // https://github.com/dotnet/sdk/issues/53061