diff --git a/solara/server/app.py b/solara/server/app.py
index 302ac7173..5a38046bd 100644
--- a/solara/server/app.py
+++ b/solara/server/app.py
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ def __init__(self, name, default_app_name="Page"):
             app = self._execute()
 
         self._first_execute_app = app
+        reload.reloader.root_path = self.directory
         app_context.close()
 
     def _execute(self):
diff --git a/solara/server/reload.py b/solara/server/reload.py
index 55098cbad..eb87e4b1d 100644
--- a/solara/server/reload.py
+++ b/solara/server/reload.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import os
 import sys
 import threading
+from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, List, Optional, Set, Type
 
 NO_WATCHDOG = False
@@ -129,6 +130,14 @@ def __init__(self, on_change: Optional[Callable[[str], None]] = None) -> None:
         self.requires_reload = False
         self.ignore_modules: Set[str] = set()
         self.reload_event_next = threading.Event()
+        # should be set at app.directory
+        self.root_path: Optional[Path] = None
+        # maybe we want this mode enabled in the future via configuration
+        # this is useful if you have some packages installed in editable mode
+        # and you want to quick reload. However this does not always work:
+        #  * https://github.com/widgetti/solara/issues/177
+        #  * https://github.com/widgetti/solara/issues/148
+        self.aggresive_reload = False
 
     def start(self):
         if self._first:
@@ -152,25 +161,46 @@ def _on_change(self, name):
     def close(self):
         self.watcher.close()
 
+    def get_reload_module_names(self):
+        if self.aggresive_reload:
+            # not sure why, but if we reload pandas, the integration/reload_test.py fails
+            return {
+                k for k in set(sys.modules) - set(self.ignore_modules) if not (k.startswith("solara.server") or k.startswith("anyio") or k.startswith("pandas"))
+            }
+        else:
+            reload = []
+            for name in sorted(sys.modules):
+                mod = sys.modules[name]
+                if name.startswith("solara.server"):
+                    continue  # this will break everything
+                if name in self.ignore_modules:
+                    continue  # nothing we imported from solara itself
+                if hasattr(mod, "__file__") and mod.__file__:
+                    if not mod.__file__.startswith(str(self.root_path)):
+                        logger.debug("Ignoring module %s", mod)
+                        continue
+                else:
+                    logger.debug("Ignoring module %s because we do not know the path", mod)
+                    continue
+                reload.append(name)
+            return reload
+
     def reload(self):
         # before we did this:
         # # don't reload modules like solara.server and react
         # # that may cause issues (like 2 Element classes existing)
-        # not sure why, but if we reload pandas, the integration/reload_test.py fails
-        reload_modules = {
-            k for k in set(sys.modules) - set(self.ignore_modules) if not (k.startswith("solara.server") or k.startswith("anyio") or k.startswith("pandas"))
-        }
+        reload_modules = self.get_reload_module_names()
         # which picks up import that are done in threads etc, but it will also reload starlette, httptools etc
         # which causes issues with exceptions and isinstance checks.
         # reload_modules = self.watched_modules
         logger.info("Reloading modules... %s", reload_modules)
         # not sure if this is needed
         importlib.invalidate_caches()
-        for mod in sorted(reload_modules):
+        for mod_name in sorted(reload_modules):
             # don't reload modules like solara.server and react
             # that may cause issues (like 2 Element classes existing)
-            logger.debug("Reloading module %s", mod)
-            sys.modules.pop(mod, None)
+            logger.debug("Reloading module %s", mod_name)
+            sys.modules.pop(mod_name, None)
         # if all successful...
         self.requires_reload = False