`pnpm create @tanstack/start@latest` configures Tailwind even when choosing "No" for Tailwind during setup

[juliusv]

Which project does this relate to?

Start

Describe the bug

I ran pnpm create @tanstack/start@latest as described on https://tanstack.com/start/latest/docs/framework/react/quick-start to create and configure a new TanStack Start app. Here's what I chose for Tailwind:

◇  Would you like to use Tailwind CSS?
│  No

Yet the resulting repo seems to have Tailwind installed and set up:

$ grep -i tailwind -r . | grep -v node_modules
./vite.config.ts:import tailwindcss from '@tailwindcss/vite'
./vite.config.ts:    tailwindcss(),
./.cta.json:  "tailwind": true,
./pnpm-lock.yaml:      '@tailwindcss/vite':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:      tailwindcss:
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/node@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-android-arm64@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-darwin-arm64@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-darwin-x64@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-freebsd-x64@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-linux-arm-gnueabihf@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-linux-arm64-gnu@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-linux-arm64-musl@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-linux-x64-gnu@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-linux-x64-musl@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-wasm32-wasi@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-win32-arm64-msvc@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-win32-x64-msvc@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/vite@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  tailwindcss@4.1.18:
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/node@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:      tailwindcss: 4.1.18
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-android-arm64@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-darwin-arm64@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-darwin-x64@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-freebsd-x64@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-linux-arm-gnueabihf@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-linux-arm64-gnu@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-linux-arm64-musl@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-linux-x64-gnu@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-linux-x64-musl@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-wasm32-wasi@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-win32-arm64-msvc@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide-win32-x64-msvc@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/oxide@4.1.18':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:      '@tailwindcss/oxide-android-arm64': 4.1.18
./pnpm-lock.yaml:      '@tailwindcss/oxide-darwin-arm64': 4.1.18
./pnpm-lock.yaml:      '@tailwindcss/oxide-darwin-x64': 4.1.18
./pnpm-lock.yaml:      '@tailwindcss/oxide-freebsd-x64': 4.1.18
./pnpm-lock.yaml:      '@tailwindcss/oxide-linux-arm-gnueabihf': 4.1.18
./pnpm-lock.yaml:      '@tailwindcss/oxide-linux-arm64-gnu': 4.1.18
./pnpm-lock.yaml:      '@tailwindcss/oxide-linux-arm64-musl': 4.1.18
./pnpm-lock.yaml:      '@tailwindcss/oxide-linux-x64-gnu': 4.1.18
./pnpm-lock.yaml:      '@tailwindcss/oxide-linux-x64-musl': 4.1.18
./pnpm-lock.yaml:      '@tailwindcss/oxide-wasm32-wasi': 4.1.18
./pnpm-lock.yaml:      '@tailwindcss/oxide-win32-arm64-msvc': 4.1.18
./pnpm-lock.yaml:      '@tailwindcss/oxide-win32-x64-msvc': 4.1.18
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  '@tailwindcss/vite@4.1.18(vite@7.3.0(@types/node@22.19.3)(jiti@2.6.1)(lightningcss@1.30.2)(tsx@4.21.0))':
./pnpm-lock.yaml:      '@tailwindcss/node': 4.1.18
./pnpm-lock.yaml:      '@tailwindcss/oxide': 4.1.18
./pnpm-lock.yaml:      tailwindcss: 4.1.18
./pnpm-lock.yaml:  tailwindcss@4.1.18: {}
./src/styles.css:@import "tailwindcss";
grep: ./node_modules/.pnpm/@tailwindcss+oxide-linux-x64-gnu@4.1.18/node_modules/@tailwindcss/oxide-linux-x64-gnu/tailwindcss-oxide.linux-x64-gnu.node: binary file matches
grep: ./node_modules/.pnpm/@tailwindcss+oxide-linux-x64-musl@4.1.18/node_modules/@tailwindcss/oxide-linux-x64-musl/tailwindcss-oxide.linux-x64-musl.node: binary file matches
./package.json:    "@tailwindcss/vite": "^4.0.6",
./package.json:    "tailwindcss": "^4.0.6",
./README.md:This project uses [Tailwind CSS](https://tailwindcss.com/) for styling.

I would have expected there to be no traces of Tailwind in the resulting repo when choosing "no".

Your Example Website or App

N/A

Steps to Reproduce the Bug or Issue

1. Run pnpm create @tanstack/start@latest
2. Choose "No" for "Would you like to use Tailwind CSS?"
3. See Tailwind still ending up everywhere in the resulting app

Expected behavior

I would have expected there to be no traces of Tailwind in the resulting repo when choosing "no".

Screenshots or Videos

No response

Platform

• Router / Start Version: latest
• OS: Arch Linux

Additional context

No response