Tailwind Added contrary to interactive preferences using `create @tanstack/start@latest`

[cefn]

Describe the bug

I triggered interactive configuration of a new app like pnpm create @tanstack/start@latest
and selected not to use tailwind...

◇  Would you like to use Tailwind CSS?
│  No

However, tailwind dependencies were installed regardless, and a tailwind plugin added to vite.config.ts contrary to my selection...

// package.json
  "dependencies": {
    "@tailwindcss/vite": "^4.0.6",
    "@tanstack/react-devtools": "^0.7.0",
    "@tanstack/react-query": "^5.66.5",
    "@tanstack/react-query-devtools": "^5.84.2",
    "@tanstack/react-router": "^1.132.0",
    "@tanstack/react-router-devtools": "^1.132.0",
    "@tanstack/react-router-ssr-query": "^1.131.7",
    "@tanstack/react-start": "^1.132.0",
    "@tanstack/router-plugin": "^1.132.0",
    "lucide-react": "^0.561.0",
    "nitro": "latest",
    "react": "^19.2.0",
    "react-dom": "^19.2.0",
    "tailwindcss": "^4.0.6",
    "vite-tsconfig-paths": "^6.0.2"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@tanstack/devtools-vite": "^0.3.11",
    "@tanstack/eslint-config": "^0.3.0",
    "@testing-library/dom": "^10.4.0",
    "@testing-library/react": "^16.2.0",
    "@types/node": "^22.10.2",
    "@types/react": "^19.2.0",
    "@types/react-dom": "^19.2.0",
    "@vitejs/plugin-react": "^5.0.4",
    "jsdom": "^27.0.0",
    "prettier": "^3.5.3",
    "typescript": "^5.7.2",
    "vite": "^7.1.7",
    "vitest": "^3.0.5",
    "web-vitals": "^5.1.0"
  }

// vite.config.ts

import { defineConfig } from 'vite'
import { devtools } from '@tanstack/devtools-vite'
import { tanstackStart } from '@tanstack/react-start/plugin/vite'
import viteReact from '@vitejs/plugin-react'
import viteTsConfigPaths from 'vite-tsconfig-paths'
import tailwindcss from '@tailwindcss/vite'
import { nitro } from 'nitro/vite'

const config = defineConfig({
  plugins: [
    devtools(),
    nitro(),
    // this is the plugin that enables path aliases
    viteTsConfigPaths({
      projects: ['./tsconfig.json'],
    }),
    tailwindcss(),
    tanstackStart(),
    viteReact(),
  ],
})

export default config

Your minimal, reproducible example

This concerns project creation, therefore a created project can't reproduce the issue.

Steps to reproduce

Run pnpm create @tanstack/start@latest and select not to use Tailwind.
Observe tailwind installed and configured nevertheless.

Here is the full interactive sequence in case there are any interactions with other selections...

┌  Let's configure your TanStack Start application
│
◇  What would you like to name your project?
│  upstream-tanstack
│
◇  Would you like to use Tailwind CSS?
│  No
│
◇  Select toolchain
│  ESLint
│
◇  Select deployment adapter
│  Nitro (agnostic)
│
◇  Keyboard Shortcuts ────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
│                                                                     │
│  Use ↑/↓ to navigate • Space to select/deselect • Enter to confirm  │
│                                                                     │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
│
◇  What add-ons would you like for your project?
│  Query
│
◇  Would you like any examples?
│  none
│
◇  Initialized git repository
│
◇  Installed dependencies
│
└  Your TanStack Start app is ready in 'upstream-tanstack'.

Expected behavior

Tailwind should not be installed and used when tailwind is rejected during interactive configuration.

How often does this bug happen?

None

Screenshots or Videos

No response

Platform

• OS Mac OS
• Browser not applicable
• version...

It's pretty hard to tell the version since it's dynamically downloaded with no indication of its release, executed then removed. At the time of writing I think the relevant version can be logged like this, so I assume the @latest alias points to that, although it's fairly confusing that the npm create flow means package names are rewritten therefore you have to guess which package it is, and that there's a whole mainstream 1.x.x series which isn't latest...

npm view @tanstack/create-start@latest version 
0.44.0

Tanstack Query adapter

vanilla

TanStack Query version

@tanstack/create-start@0.44.0

TypeScript version

No response

Additional context

No response