try #2 (I give up, grunt-watch seems so unpredictable... on windows anyways)

Gruntfile.js

@@ -1,53 +1,56 @@
 module.exports = function(grunt) {
 	grunt.initConfig({
 		pkg: grunt.file.readJSON('package.json'),
-		execute: {
+		express: {
 			dev: {
-				src: 'a.js',
 				options: {
-					args: ['arg']
+					script: 'app.js',
+					node_env: 'development',
+					args: ['dev', 'from-file'],
+					output: "NodeBB Ready"
 				}
 			},
 			minifyJS: {
-				src: 'app.js',
 				options: {
-					args: ['from-file']
+					script: 'app.js',
+					node_env: 'development',
+					args: ['dev', 'minify-js'],
+					output: "NodeBB Ready"
 				}
 			},
-			minifyCSS: {
-				src: 'app.js',
+			compileLESS: {
 				options: {
-					args: ['from-file']
+					script: 'app.js',
+					node_env: 'development',
+					args: ['dev', 'compile-less'],
+					output: "NodeBB Ready"
 				}
-			},
+			}
 		},
-		watch: {
-			clientScripts: {
-				files:  ['public/src/**/*.js'],
-				tasks:  ['execute:minifyJS'],
-				options: {
-					spawn: false
-				}
-			},
-			serverScripts: {
-				files:  ['*.js', 'src/**/*.js', 'node_modules/**/*.js'],
-				tasks:  ['execute:minifyCSS'],
-				options: {
-					spawn: false
+		less: {
+			development: {
+				files: {
+					"public/bin/manifest.css": "source/manifest.less"
 				}
-			},
-			less: {
-				files:  ['**/*.less'],
-				tasks:  ['execute:minifyCSS'],
+			}
+		},
+		watch: {
+			compileLESS: {
+				files: "**/*.less",
+				tasks: ['express:compileLESS'],
 				options: {
-					spawn: false
+					livereload: true,
 				}
 			}
 		}
 	});
 
 	grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-contrib-watch');
-	grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-execute');
+	grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-express-server');
+
+	grunt.registerTask('default', ['express:dev', 'watch']);
 
-	grunt.registerTask('default', ['watch', 'execute:minifyCSS']);
+	grunt.event.on('watch', function(action, filepath, target) {
+		grunt.log.writeln(target + ': ' + filepath + ' has ' + action);
+	});
 };

bcrypt.js

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ process.on('message', function(msg) {
 	}
 });
 
+
 function hashPassword(password, rounds) {
 	async.waterfall([
 		function(next) {

package.json

@@ -71,7 +71,9 @@
     "mocha": "~1.13.0",
     "grunt": "~0.4.5",
     "grunt-contrib-watch": "^0.6.1",
-    "grunt-execute": "^0.2.2"
+    "grunt-execute": "^0.2.2",
+    "grunt-express-server": "^0.4.19",
+    "grunt-contrib-less": "^1.0.0"
   },
   "bugs": {
     "url": "https://github.com/NodeBB/NodeBB/issues"

public/less/admin/advanced/database.less

@@ -3,4 +3,21 @@
 		display:inline-block;
 		width:220px;
 	}
-}
+}
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public/src/overrides.js

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 'use strict';
 
+
 if ('undefined' !== typeof window) {
 
 	(function ($, undefined) {

src/webserver.js

@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ if(nconf.get('ssl')) {
 		// Preparation dependent on plugins
 		plugins.ready(function() {
 			async.parallel([
-				async.apply(!nconf.get('from-file') ? meta.js.minify : meta.js.getFromFile, app.enabled('minification')),
-				async.apply(!nconf.get('from-file') ? meta.css.minify : meta.css.getFromFile),
+				async.apply((!nconf.get('minify-js') && !nconf.get('from-file')) ? meta.js.minify : meta.js.getFromFile, app.enabled('minification')),
+				async.apply((!nconf.get('compile-less') && !nconf.get('from-file')) ? meta.css.minify : meta.css.getFromFile),
 				async.apply(meta.sounds.init)
 			]);
 		});