diff --git a/platformio.ini b/platformio.ini
index 2719bff6a..bf462bd08 100644
--- a/platformio.ini
+++ b/platformio.ini
@@ -98,9 +98,7 @@ build_flags =
 build_unflags = 
   ${common.unbuild_flags}
 extra_scripts =
-  ; pre:scripts/build_interface.py ; builds the WebUI
   scripts/rename_fw.py ; renames the firmware .bin file
-  ; scripts/upload.py ; optionally upload the firmware via OTA (if upload_protocol = custom)
 monitor_speed = 115200
 monitor_filters = direct
 build_type = release
@@ -274,8 +272,24 @@ lib_deps = Unity
 test_testing_command =
   ${platformio.build_dir}/${this.__env__}/program
 
+; Modbus
+;  Creating the modbus registers is a multi-step process. Before it was in a shell script called generate_csv_and_headers.sh
+;  but now moved to pio so everything is in python and cross-platform. The logic is as follows:
+;  1. create a dummy modbus_entity_parameters.hpp file so the first pass compiles
+;  2. compile the EMS-ESPcode with the EMSESP_MODBUS flag set
+;  3. run the entity_dump test command and generate the dump_entities.csv file
+;  4. use the dump_entities.csv file with update_modbus_registers.py script to generate the modbus_entity_parameters.hpp file
+;  5. clean up everything and start again with the EMSESP_STANDALONE flag set
+;  6. run the entity_dump test command again to create the real dump_entities.csv file
+;  7. create the Modbus-Entity-Registers.md file
+;  8. create the dump_telegrams.csv file
+;
+;  To run this in pio use the steps
+;   pio run -e build_modbus
+;   pio run -e build_standalone -t clean -t build
+
 # builds the modbus_entity_parameters.hpp header file
-# pio run -e build_modbus -t build 
+# pio run -e build_modbus
 [env:build_modbus]
 extends = env:native
 targets = build
@@ -287,8 +301,7 @@ custom_test_command = entity_dump
 custom_output_file = dump_entities.csv
 custom_post_script = scripts/build_modbus_entity_parameters_post.py
 
-; builds the real dump_entities.csv and dump_telegrams.csv files
-; and the Modbus-Entity-Registers.md file
+; builds the real dump_entities.csv and dump_telegrams.csv files, and also the Modbus-Entity-Registers.md file
 ; to be run after build_modbus with: pio run -e build_standalone -t clean -t build
 [env:build_standalone]
 extends = env:native
diff --git a/scripts/build_interface.py b/scripts/build_interface.py
index 8b967cded..21482ac5e 100755
--- a/scripts/build_interface.py
+++ b/scripts/build_interface.py
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ def build_webUI(*args, **kwargs):
         env.Exit(1)
     env.Exit(0)            
             
-# Create custom target that only runs the script
+# Create custom target that only runs the script and then exits, without continuing with the pio workflow
 env.AddCustomTarget(
     name="build",
     dependencies=None,
@@ -118,3 +118,10 @@ env.AddCustomTarget(
     title="build web interface",
     description="installs pnpm packages, updates libraries and builds web UI"
 )
+
+# this is if its called with the target=build, so it will continue with the pio workflow
+if not (env.IsCleanTarget()):
+   success = buildWeb()
+   if not success:
+     print("Web interface build failed!")
+     
\ No newline at end of file