`nuxt typecheck` with `-b` flag fails to resolve `declare global` auto-imports

[LePtiDev]

Description

nuxt typecheck uses vue-tsc -b --noEmit when the root tsconfig.json contains references (which is the default in Nuxt 4 since PR nuxt/nuxt#30665). However, vue-tsc in build mode (-b) does not properly resolve declare global type declarations from .nuxt/types/imports.d.ts across TypeScript project references.

This results in hundreds of false-positive "Cannot find name" errors for all Nuxt auto-imports (ref, computed, useRoute, navigateTo, definePageMeta, etc.).

Reproduction

1. Create a fresh Nuxt 4 project (or any Nuxt project where tsconfig.json has references)
2. Run nuxt typecheck
3. Observe hundreds of TS2304: Cannot find name '...' errors on all auto-imported items

Expected behavior

nuxt typecheck should report only real type errors.

Actual behavior

vue-tsc -b --noEmit reports ~900 errors, most of which are false-positive "Cannot find name" errors on auto-imports.

Running vue-tsc --noEmit -p .nuxt/tsconfig.json (without -b) correctly reports only ~40 real errors.

Root cause

In packages/nuxi/src/commands/typecheck.ts:

const supportsProjects = !!(tsconfig.references?.length)
const typeCheckArgs = supportsProjects ? ['-b', '--noEmit'] : ['--noEmit']

When -b is used, vue-tsc treats each project reference as an isolated compilation unit. The declare global block in .nuxt/types/imports.d.ts (which declares all auto-imports) is not visible across project boundaries, causing every auto-imported symbol to be unresolved.

Workaround

Replace nuxt typecheck with a direct vue-tsc invocation in package.json:

"typecheck": "nuxt prepare && vue-tsc --noEmit -p .nuxt/tsconfig.json"

This bypasses the -b flag while still pointing to the correct tsconfig that includes the auto-import declarations.

Environment

• Nuxt: 4.3.0
• @nuxt/cli: 3.32.0
• vue-tsc: 2.2.12
• TypeScript: 5.9.3
• Package manager: bun

Related issues

• vue-tsc overwrite server imports with app imports nuxt#29263 — vue-tsc overwrite server imports with app imports (open)
• Typecheck (vue-tsc) errors on all that is auto imported nuxt#28869 — Typecheck errors on all that is auto imported (closed, not planned)
• feat(kit,nuxt,schema): separate ts projects for node/app/nitro nuxt#30665 — PR that introduced separate TS projects for node/app/nitro
• nuxi typecheck does not works with alias imports (server) #455 — nuxi typecheck does not work with alias imports (closed, duplicate)
• Run typecheck for client *and* server with nuxi typecheck #323 — Run typecheck for client and server with nuxi typecheck (closed, implemented)