diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5c63117ef..fbb2c2135 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 /priv/bin/captcha*sh
 /priv/sql
 /rel/ejabberd
+/recompile.log
 /_build
 /database/
 /.rebar
diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 34728f66a..ec6f911eb 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ ifeq ($(REBAR_ENABLE_ELIXIR),true)
   ELIXIR_LIBDIR_RAW=$(shell elixir -e "IO.puts(:filename.dirname(:code.lib_dir(:elixir)))" -e ":erlang.halt")
   ELIXIR_LIBDIR=":$(ELIXIR_LIBDIR_RAW)"
   EXPLICIT_ELIXIR_COMPILE=MIX_ENV=default mix compile.elixir
+  EXPLICIT_ELIXIR_COMPILE_DEV=MIX_ENV=dev mix compile.elixir
   PREPARE_ELIXIR_SCRIPTS=$(MKDIR_P) rel/overlays; cp $(ELIXIR_LIBDIR_RAW)/../bin/iex rel/overlays/; cp $(ELIXIR_LIBDIR_RAW)/../bin/elixir rel/overlays/; sed -i 's|ERTS_BIN=$$|ERTS_BIN=$$SCRIPT_PATH/../../erts-{{erts_vsn}}/bin/|' rel/overlays/elixir
 endif
 ifeq "$(REBAR_VER)" "3"
@@ -170,7 +171,7 @@ endif
   CLEANARG=--all
   REBARREL=$(REBAR) as prod tar
   REBARDEV=$(REBAR) as dev release
-  RELIVECMD=$(REBAR) relive
+  RELIVECMD=$(REBAR) as dev relive
   REL_LIB_DIR = _build/dev/rel/ejabberd/lib
   COPY_REL_TARGET = dev
   GET_DEPS_TRANSLATIONS=$(REBAR) as translations $(GET_DEPS)
@@ -377,6 +378,7 @@ uninstall-librel:
 #
 
 relive:
+	$(EXPLICIT_ELIXIR_COMPILE_DEV)
 	$(RELIVECMD)
 
 relivelibdir=$(shell pwd)/$(DEPSDIR)
diff --git a/rebar.config b/rebar.config
index bacf4a79c..46c904f91 100644
--- a/rebar.config
+++ b/rebar.config
@@ -274,6 +274,7 @@
                                        {copy, "ejabberdctl.cfg.example", "conf/ejabberdctl.cfg"},
                                        {copy, "ejabberd.yml.example", "conf/ejabberd.yml"}]}]}]},
             {dev, [{post_hooks, [{release, "rel/setup-dev.sh rebar3"}]},
+                   {deps, [{if_version_above, "20", sync}]},
                    {relx, [{debug_info, keep},
                            {dev_mode, true},
                            {include_erts, true},
@@ -289,6 +290,7 @@
 
 {alias, [{relive, [{shell, "--apps ejabberd \
                             --config rel/relive.config \
+                            --eval sync:go(). \
                             --script rel/relive.escript \
                             --name ejabberd@localhost"}]}
 ]}.
diff --git a/rel/relive.config b/rel/relive.config
index 7e3901fd4..49da88b79 100644
--- a/rel/relive.config
+++ b/rel/relive.config
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 [{mnesia, [{dir, "_build/relive/database"}]},
+ {sync,[{src_dirs, {replace, [{"ejabberd/src", []}]}}]},
  {ejabberd, [{config, "_build/relive/conf/ejabberd.yml"},
              {log_path, "_build/relive/logs/ejabberd.log"}]}].