diff --git a/.prettierignore b/.prettierignore
index 4bc707f97e0b..76797182438f 100644
--- a/.prettierignore
+++ b/.prettierignore
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 /ui/puz/**/*.d.ts
 
 *.min.js
+readme
 
 /.bloop/
 /.bsp/
diff --git a/ui/.build/readme b/ui/.build/readme
index 018728558941..15b85e5aebb7 100644
--- a/ui/.build/readme
+++ b/ui/.build/readme
@@ -1,30 +1,34 @@
 ui/build was lovingly crafted from a single block of wood as a personal gift to you.
 
-one letter options can be consolidated after a single dash (e.g. -cdw)
+  ./build <options> <modules> # modules are top level directories in ui
+  one letter options can be consolidated after a single dash (e.g. -cdw)
+  ui/build can be run from anywhere, does not care about cwd
 
 Options:
--c, --clean clean build artifacts, build only if additional args provided
--d, --debug build assets with lichess.debug = true
--p, --prod build minified assets (prod builds)
--w, --watch build, watch for changes, but terminate on package.json changes
--r, --rebuild build, watch, and rebuild on package.json changes
---no-install don't run pnpm install (--no-install is not compatible with --rebuild)
---no-color don't use color in logs
---no-time don't log the time
---no-context don't log the context
---tsc run tsc # specify any of [--tsc, --sass, --esbuild, --copies] to disable the others
---sass run sass
---esbuild run esbuild
---copies run copies
+  -c, --clean       clean build artifacts, build only if additional args provided
+  -d, --debug       build assets with lichess.debug = true
+  -p, --prod        build minified assets (prod builds)
+  -w, --watch       build, watch for changes, but terminate on package.json changes
+  -r, --rebuild     build, watch, and rebuild on package.json changes
+  -n, --no-install  don't run pnpm install (--no-install is incompatible with --rebuild)
+  --no-color        don't use color in logs
+  --no-time         don't log the time
+  --no-context      don't log the context
+  --update          rebuild ui/build (not performed in normal builds, not even clean ones)
+  --tsc             run tsc, any of [--tsc, --sass, --esbuild, --copies] will disable the others
+  --sass            run sass
+  --esbuild         run esbuild
+  --copies          run copies
 
-Usage examples:
-
-./build -c # clean build artifacts, exit without building
-./build -d # build client sssets with lichess.debug = true
-./build -wp # build minified, watch for changes, terminate if package.json changes
-./build -cdp # clean, build minified assets with lichess.debug = true
-./build -rc # clean, build, watch, and clean & rebuild again on package.json changes
-./build analyse site msg # build modules analyse, site, and msg (don't build everything)
-./build -w dasher chart # watch mode for modules dasher and chart
-./build --tsc -w # watch mode but type checking only
-./build --sass msg notify # build css only for msg and notify modules
+Examples:
+  ./build -c                 # clean build artifacts, exit without building
+  ./build -d                 # build client sssets with lichess.debug = true
+  ./build -wn                # build, watch for changes, no pnpm install
+  ./build -r                 # build, watch, and rebuild on package.json change
+  ./build -rd                # build, watch, rebuild on package.json change, lichess.debug = true
+  ./build -cp                # clean, build minified
+  ./build -rc                # clean, build, watch, and clean rebuild on package.json change
+  ./build analyse site msg   # build analyse, site, and msg modules (as opposed to everything)
+  ./build -w dasher chart    # watch mode for dasher and chart modules
+  ./build --tsc -w           # watch mode but type checking only
+  ./build --sass msg notify  # build css only for msg and notify modules
diff --git a/ui/.build/src/main.ts b/ui/.build/src/main.ts
index d94e20d1450d..487607b11565 100644
--- a/ui/.build/src/main.ts
+++ b/ui/.build/src/main.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import * as fs from 'node:fs';
 import { clean } from './clean';
 import { build, postBuild } from './build';
 
-const shortArgs = 'hrwpsdc';
+const shortArgs = 'hrwpsdcn';
 const longArgs = [
   '--tsc',
   '--sass',
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ export function main() {
   env.split = args.includes('--split') || oneDashArgs.includes('s');
   env.debug = args.includes('--debug') || oneDashArgs.includes('d');
   env.clean = args.includes('--clean') || oneDashArgs.includes('c');
-  env.install = !args.includes('--no-install');
+  env.install = !args.includes('--no-install') && !oneDashArgs.includes('n');
 
   if (env.rebuild && !env.install) {
     env.warn(`--rebuild incompatible with --no-install`);