diff --git a/.changeset/kind-cameras-type.md b/.changeset/kind-cameras-type.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7b4621cd3243
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/kind-cameras-type.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'astro': patch
+---
+
+Warn about setting the `allowJs` compiler option only when the `content` directory exists.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/astro/src/content/server-listeners.ts b/packages/astro/src/content/server-listeners.ts
index 4631aa2bdda0..52efc0331449 100644
--- a/packages/astro/src/content/server-listeners.ts
+++ b/packages/astro/src/content/server-listeners.ts
@@ -25,9 +25,6 @@ export async function attachContentServerListeners({
 }: ContentServerListenerParams) {
 	const contentPaths = getContentPaths(settings.config, fs);
 
-	const maybeTsConfigStats = getTSConfigStatsWhenAllowJsFalse({ contentPaths, settings });
-	if (maybeTsConfigStats) warnAllowJsIsFalse({ ...maybeTsConfigStats, logging });
-
 	if (fs.existsSync(contentPaths.contentDir)) {
 		info(
 			logging,
@@ -36,6 +33,8 @@ export async function attachContentServerListeners({
 				contentPaths.contentDir.href.replace(settings.config.root.href, '')
 			)} for changes`
 		);
+		const maybeTsConfigStats = getTSConfigStatsWhenAllowJsFalse({ contentPaths, settings });
+		if (maybeTsConfigStats) warnAllowJsIsFalse({ ...maybeTsConfigStats, logging });
 		await attachListeners();
 	} else {
 		viteServer.watcher.on('addDir', contentDirListener);