diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/api-route-worker.js b/packages/cli/src/lib/api-route-worker.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..071bb4ea4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/api-route-worker.js
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+// https://github.com/nodejs/modules/issues/307#issuecomment-858729422
+import { parentPort } from 'worker_threads';
+
+// based on https://stackoverflow.com/questions/57447685/how-can-i-convert-a-request-object-into-a-stringifiable-object-in-javascript
+async function responseAsObject (response) {
+  if (!response instanceof Response) {
+    throw Object.assign(
+      new Error(),
+      { name: 'TypeError', message: 'Argument must be a Response object' }
+    );
+  }
+  response = response.clone();
+
+  function stringifiableObject (obj) {
+    const filtered = {};
+    for (const key in obj) {
+      if (['boolean', 'number', 'string'].includes(typeof obj[key]) || obj[key] === null) {
+        filtered[key] = obj[key];
+      }
+    }
+    return filtered;
+  }
+
+  return {
+    ...stringifiableObject(response),
+    headers: Object.fromEntries(response.headers),
+    // signal: stringifiableObject(request.signal),
+    body: await response.text()
+  };
+}
+
+async function executeRouteModule({ href, request }) {
+  // console.log('WORKER', { href, message, request })
+  const { handler } = await import(href);
+  const response = await handler(request);
+
+  // console.log('WORKER', { response })
+  parentPort.postMessage(await responseAsObject(response));
+}
+
+parentPort.on('message', async (task) => {
+  await executeRouteModule(task);
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/plugins/resource/plugin-api-routes.js b/packages/cli/src/plugins/resource/plugin-api-routes.js
index d3da4e302..4a1e8234a 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/plugins/resource/plugin-api-routes.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/plugins/resource/plugin-api-routes.js
@@ -4,6 +4,35 @@
  *
  */
 import { ResourceInterface } from '../../lib/resource-interface.js';
+import { Worker } from 'worker_threads';
+
+// https://stackoverflow.com/questions/57447685/how-can-i-convert-a-request-object-into-a-stringifiable-object-in-javascript
+function requestAsObject (request) {
+  if (!request instanceof Request) {
+    throw Object.assign(
+      new Error(),
+      { name: 'TypeError', message: 'Argument must be a Request object' }
+    );
+  }
+  request = request.clone();
+
+  function stringifiableObject (obj) {
+    const filtered = {};
+    for (const key in obj) {
+      if (['boolean', 'number', 'string'].includes(typeof obj[key]) || obj[key] === null) {
+        filtered[key] = obj[key];
+      }
+    }
+    return filtered;
+  }
+
+  return {
+    ...stringifiableObject(request),
+    headers: Object.fromEntries(request.headers),
+    signal: stringifiableObject(request.signal)
+    // bodyText: await request.text(), // requires function to be async
+  };
+}
 
 class ApiRoutesResource extends ResourceInterface {
   constructor(compilation, options) {
@@ -19,17 +48,46 @@ class ApiRoutesResource extends ResourceInterface {
   async serve(url, request) {
     const api = this.compilation.manifest.apis.get(url.pathname);
     const apiUrl = new URL(`.${api.path}`, this.compilation.context.userWorkspace);
-    // https://github.com/nodejs/modules/issues/307#issuecomment-1165387383
-    const href = process.env.__GWD_COMMAND__ === 'develop' // eslint-disable-line no-underscore-dangle
-      ? `${apiUrl.href}?t=${Date.now()}`
-      : apiUrl.href;
-
-    const { handler } = await import(href);
-    const req = new Request(new URL(`${request.url.origin}${url}`), {
+    const href = apiUrl.href;
+    const req = new Request(new URL(url), {
       ...request
     });
 
-    return await handler(req);
+    // console.log({ req });
+
+    // TODO does this ever run in anything but development mode?
+    if (process.env.__GWD_COMMAND__ === 'develop') { // eslint-disable-line no-underscore-dangle
+      const workerUrl = new URL('../../lib/api-route-worker.js', import.meta.url);
+
+      const response = await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+        const worker = new Worker(workerUrl);
+        const req = requestAsObject(request);
+
+        worker.on('message', (result) => {
+          // console.log('RESULT =====>', { result });
+          resolve(result);
+        });
+        worker.on('error', reject);
+        worker.on('exit', (code) => {
+          if (code !== 0) {
+            reject(new Error(`Worker stopped with exit code ${code}`));
+          }
+        });
+
+        // console.log('OUT', { reqUnrevied });
+
+        worker.postMessage({ href, request: req });
+      });
+
+      // console.log('SUCCESS', {response})
+      return new Response(response.body, {
+        ...response
+      });
+    } else {
+      const { handler } = await import(href);
+
+      return await handler(req);
+    }
   }
 }