diff --git a/packages/server/src/server.ts b/packages/server/src/server.ts
index 6f6bd98..f97f031 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server.ts
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ class VitaleDevServer {
       path: string;
       cellId: string;
       language: string;
-      code: string;
+      code?: string;
     }[]
   ) {
     let dirtyCells: { path: string; cellId: string }[] = [];
@@ -349,7 +349,9 @@ class VitaleDevServer {
     for (const { path, cellId, language, code } of cells) {
       const ext = extOfLanguage(language);
       const id = `${path}-cellId=${cellId}.${ext}`;
-      this.cells.set(id, { cellId, code, language });
+      if (code) {
+        this.cells.set(id, { cellId, code, language });
+      }
 
       const mod = this.viteServer.moduleGraph.getModuleById(id);
       if (mod) {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/types.ts b/packages/server/src/types.ts
index 933ccee..000e0c6 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/types.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export type ServerFunctions = {
       path: string;
       cellId: string;
       language: string;
-      code: string;
+      code?: string;
     }[]
   ) => void;
 };
diff --git a/packages/vscode/src/cellStatusBarItemProvider.ts b/packages/vscode/src/cellStatusBarItemProvider.ts
index 911bd88..e3b19ad 100644
--- a/packages/vscode/src/cellStatusBarItemProvider.ts
+++ b/packages/vscode/src/cellStatusBarItemProvider.ts
@@ -17,12 +17,9 @@ export class NotebookCellStatusBarItemProvider
     };
     items.push(idItem);
 
-    // TODO(jaked)
-    // provideCellStatusBarItems is called on cell edits
-    // but the cell.document.dirty flag is always false
-    if (cell.metadata.dirty || cell.document.isDirty) {
+    if (cell.metadata.dirty || cell.metadata.docDirty) {
       const dirtyItem = new vscode.NotebookCellStatusBarItem(
-        "$(circle-filled)",
+        cell.metadata.docDirty ? "$(circle-filled)" : "$(circle-outline)",
         vscode.NotebookCellStatusBarAlignment.Right
       );
       // TODO(jaked)
diff --git a/packages/vscode/src/controller.ts b/packages/vscode/src/controller.ts
index d0917a6..05480dc 100644
--- a/packages/vscode/src/controller.ts
+++ b/packages/vscode/src/controller.ts
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ export class NotebookController {
 
     this._controller.supportedLanguages = this.supportedLanguages;
     this._controller.supportsExecutionOrder = true;
-    this._controller.executeHandler = this.executeCells.bind(this);
+    this._controller.executeHandler = this.executeHandler.bind(this);
 
     getPort({ port: 51205 }).then((port) => {
       this._port = port;
@@ -288,12 +288,21 @@ export class NotebookController {
   }
 
   private setCellDirty(cell: vscode.NotebookCell, dirty: boolean) {
-    const metadata = { ...(cell.metadata ?? {}), dirty };
+    const metadata = { ...cell.metadata, dirty };
     const edit = new vscode.WorkspaceEdit();
     edit.set(cell.notebook.uri, [
       vscode.NotebookEdit.updateCellMetadata(cell.index, metadata),
     ]);
-    vscode.workspace.applyEdit(edit);
+    return vscode.workspace.applyEdit(edit);
+  }
+
+  private setCellDocDirty(cell: vscode.NotebookCell, docDirty: boolean) {
+    const metadata = { ...cell.metadata, docDirty };
+    const edit = new vscode.WorkspaceEdit();
+    edit.set(cell.notebook.uri, [
+      vscode.NotebookEdit.updateCellMetadata(cell.index, metadata),
+    ]);
+    return vscode.workspace.applyEdit(edit);
   }
 
   private async markCellsDirty(cells: { path: string; cellId: string }[]) {
@@ -310,11 +319,11 @@ export class NotebookController {
       }
     }
 
-    for (const cell of notebookCells) {
-      this.setCellDirty(cell, true);
-    }
+    await Promise.all(
+      notebookCells.map((cell) => this.setCellDirty(cell, true))
+    );
     if (getRerunCellsWhenDirty()) {
-      this.executeCells(notebookCells);
+      this.executeCells(notebookCells, false);
     }
   }
 
@@ -365,7 +374,14 @@ export class NotebookController {
     }
   }
 
-  private async executeCells(notebookCells: vscode.NotebookCell[]) {
+  private executeHandler(notebookCells: vscode.NotebookCell[]) {
+    this.executeCells(notebookCells);
+  }
+
+  private async executeCells(
+    notebookCells: vscode.NotebookCell[],
+    sendDirtyDocs = true
+  ) {
     if (notebookCells.length === 0) {
       return;
     }
@@ -373,9 +389,15 @@ export class NotebookController {
       path: cell.notebook.uri.fsPath,
       cellId: cell.metadata.id,
       language: cell.document.languageId,
-      code: cell.document.getText(),
+      code: sendDirtyDocs ? cell.document.getText() : undefined,
     }));
 
+    if (sendDirtyDocs) {
+      await Promise.all(
+        notebookCells.map((cell) => this.setCellDocDirty(cell, false))
+      );
+    }
+
     const client = await this.getClient();
     client.executeCells(cells);
   }
diff --git a/packages/vscode/src/extension.ts b/packages/vscode/src/extension.ts
index cf31de4..e1d63f1 100644
--- a/packages/vscode/src/extension.ts
+++ b/packages/vscode/src/extension.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { NotebookSerializer } from "./serializer";
 import { NotebookController } from "./controller";
 import { NotebookCellStatusBarItemProvider } from "./cellStatusBarItemProvider";
 import { makeHandleDidChangeNotebookDocument } from "./handleDidChangeNotebookDocument";
+import { handleDidChangeTextDocument } from "./handleDidChangeTextDocument";
 
 export function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
   const controller = new NotebookController(
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ export function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
     vscode.workspace.onDidChangeNotebookDocument(
       makeHandleDidChangeNotebookDocument(controller)
     ),
+    vscode.workspace.onDidChangeTextDocument(handleDidChangeTextDocument),
     controller,
     vscode.notebooks.registerNotebookCellStatusBarItemProvider(
       "vitale-notebook",
diff --git a/packages/vscode/src/handleDidChangeNotebookDocument.ts b/packages/vscode/src/handleDidChangeNotebookDocument.ts
index 67530fd..6dc98ad 100644
--- a/packages/vscode/src/handleDidChangeNotebookDocument.ts
+++ b/packages/vscode/src/handleDidChangeNotebookDocument.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export function makeHandleDidChangeNotebookDocument(
     for (const contentChange of e.contentChanges) {
       for (const cell of contentChange.addedCells) {
         const id = uniqueId(e.notebook);
-        const metadata = { ...(cell.metadata ?? {}), id };
+        const metadata = { ...cell.metadata, id };
         edits.push(NotebookEdit.updateCellMetadata(cell.index, metadata));
       }
       removedCells.push(...contentChange.removedCells);
diff --git a/packages/vscode/src/handleDidChangeTextDocument.ts b/packages/vscode/src/handleDidChangeTextDocument.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0d59371
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vscode/src/handleDidChangeTextDocument.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+import type { TextDocumentChangeEvent } from "vscode";
+import { NotebookEdit, WorkspaceEdit, workspace } from "vscode";
+
+export function handleDidChangeTextDocument(e: TextDocumentChangeEvent) {
+  if (e.document.uri.scheme !== "vscode-notebook-cell") {
+    return;
+  }
+  const notebook = workspace.notebookDocuments.find(
+    (notebook) => notebook.uri.path === e.document.uri.path
+  );
+  if (!notebook) {
+    return;
+  }
+  const cell = notebook
+    .getCells()
+    .find((cell) => cell.document.uri.fragment === e.document.uri.fragment);
+  if (!cell) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const metadata = { ...cell.metadata, docDirty: true };
+  const edit = new WorkspaceEdit();
+  edit.set(notebook.uri, [
+    NotebookEdit.updateCellMetadata(cell.index, metadata),
+  ]);
+  workspace.applyEdit(edit);
+}
diff --git a/packages/vscode/src/serializer.ts b/packages/vscode/src/serializer.ts
index fa14505..3935785 100644
--- a/packages/vscode/src/serializer.ts
+++ b/packages/vscode/src/serializer.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ import JSON5 from "json5";
 
 interface NotebookCellMetadata {
   id: string;
-  dirty: boolean;
+  dirty: boolean; // a dependency of cell has changed
+  docDirty: boolean; // cell document has changed
 }
 
 interface NotebookCell {
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ export class NotebookSerializer implements vscode.NotebookSerializer {
     for (const cell of data.cells) {
       if (cell.metadata) {
         delete cell.metadata.dirty;
+        delete cell.metadata.docDirty;
       }
       contents.cells.push({
         kind: cell.kind,