diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/Models/ModelsBuilderSettings.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/Models/ModelsBuilderSettings.cs
index e28a0f4c42..3db8e4e0cb 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/Models/ModelsBuilderSettings.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/Models/ModelsBuilderSettings.cs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ public class ModelsBuilderSettings
     internal const bool StaticAcceptUnsafeModelsDirectory = false;
     internal const int StaticDebugLevel = 0;
     internal const bool StaticIncludeVersionNumberInGeneratedModels = true;
+    internal const bool StaticGenerateVirtualProperties = true;
     private bool _flagOutOfDateModels = true;
 
     /// <summary>
@@ -77,4 +78,13 @@ public class ModelsBuilderSettings
     /// </remarks>
     [DefaultValue(StaticIncludeVersionNumberInGeneratedModels)]
     public bool IncludeVersionNumberInGeneratedModels { get; set; } = StaticIncludeVersionNumberInGeneratedModels;
+
+    /// <summary>
+    ///     Gets or sets a value indicating whether to mark all properties in the generated models as virtual.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>
+    ///     Virtual properties will not work with Hot Reload when running dotnet watch.
+    /// </remarks>
+    [DefaultValue(StaticGenerateVirtualProperties)]
+    public bool GenerateVirtualProperties { get; set; } = StaticGenerateVirtualProperties;
 }
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Infrastructure/ModelsBuilder/Building/ModelsGenerator.cs b/src/Umbraco.Infrastructure/ModelsBuilder/Building/ModelsGenerator.cs
index e192f329e4..7cf27ebef4 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Infrastructure/ModelsBuilder/Building/ModelsGenerator.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Infrastructure/ModelsBuilder/Building/ModelsGenerator.cs
@@ -31,21 +31,37 @@ public class ModelsGenerator : IModelsGenerator
             Directory.CreateDirectory(modelsDirectory);
         }
 
-        foreach (var file in Directory.GetFiles(modelsDirectory, "*.generated.cs"))
-        {
-            File.Delete(file);
-        }
-
         IList<TypeModel> typeModels = _umbracoService.GetAllTypes();
 
         var builder = new TextBuilder(_config, typeModels);
 
+        var generatedFiles = new List<string>();
         foreach (TypeModel typeModel in builder.GetModelsToGenerate())
         {
             var sb = new StringBuilder();
             builder.Generate(sb, typeModel);
             var filename = Path.Combine(modelsDirectory, typeModel.ClrName + ".generated.cs");
-            File.WriteAllText(filename, sb.ToString());
+            generatedFiles.Add(filename);
+
+            var code = sb.ToString();
+
+            // leave the file alone if its contents is identical to the generated model
+            if (File.Exists(filename) && File.ReadAllText(filename).Equals(code))
+            {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            // overwrite the file
+            File.WriteAllText(filename, code);
+        }
+
+        // clean up old/leftover generated files
+        foreach (var file in Directory.GetFiles(modelsDirectory, "*.generated.cs"))
+        {
+            if (generatedFiles.InvariantContains(file) is false)
+            {
+                File.Delete(file);
+            }
         }
 
         // the idea was to calculate the current hash and to add it as an extra file to the compilation,
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Infrastructure/ModelsBuilder/Building/TextBuilder.cs b/src/Umbraco.Infrastructure/ModelsBuilder/Building/TextBuilder.cs
index 875dfaa218..6e2bd6aed9 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Infrastructure/ModelsBuilder/Building/TextBuilder.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Infrastructure/ModelsBuilder/Building/TextBuilder.cs
@@ -384,7 +384,11 @@ public class TextBuilder : Builder
 
         sb.AppendFormat("\t\t[ImplementPropertyType(\"{0}\")]\n", property.Alias);
 
-        sb.Append("\t\tpublic virtual ");
+        sb.Append("\t\tpublic ");
+        if (Config.GenerateVirtualProperties)
+        {
+            sb.Append("virtual ");
+        }
         WriteClrType(sb, property.ClrTypeName);
 
         sb.AppendFormat(
@@ -460,7 +464,11 @@ public class TextBuilder : Builder
 
         if (mixinStatic)
         {
-            sb.Append("\t\tpublic virtual ");
+            sb.Append("\t\tpublic ");
+            if (Config.GenerateVirtualProperties)
+            {
+                sb.Append("virtual ");
+            }
             WriteClrType(sb, property.ClrTypeName);
             sb.AppendFormat(
                 " {0} => {1}(this, _publishedValueFallback);\n",
@@ -468,7 +476,11 @@ public class TextBuilder : Builder
         }
         else
         {
-            sb.Append("\t\tpublic virtual ");
+            sb.Append("\t\tpublic ");
+            if (Config.GenerateVirtualProperties)
+            {
+                sb.Append("virtual ");
+            }
             WriteClrType(sb, property.ClrTypeName);
             sb.AppendFormat(
                 " {0} => this.Value",