diff --git a/packages/mason/lib/src/generator.dart b/packages/mason/lib/src/generator.dart
index 44bd53bd..899ac760 100644
--- a/packages/mason/lib/src/generator.dart
+++ b/packages/mason/lib/src/generator.dart
@@ -15,7 +15,13 @@ import 'package:pool/pool.dart';
 
 part 'hooks.dart';
 
-const bool _isAotCompiled = bool.fromEnvironment('dart.vm.product');
+const bool _isProductMode = bool.fromEnvironment('dart.vm.product');
+const _hookIsolateName = '__mason_hook__';
+bool get _isHookIsolate => Isolate.current.debugName == _hookIsolateName;
+bool get _useAot {
+  if (_isHookIsolate) return false;
+  return _isProductMode;
+}
 
 final _descriptorPool = Pool(32);
 final _partialRegExp = RegExp(r'\{\{~\s(.+)\s\}\}');
@@ -641,7 +647,7 @@ extension on HookFile {
   }
 
   File module(String checksum) {
-    const extension = _isAotCompiled ? 'aot' : 'dill';
+    final extension = _useAot ? 'aot' : 'dill';
     return File(
       p.join(
         buildDirectory.path,
diff --git a/packages/mason/lib/src/hooks.dart b/packages/mason/lib/src/hooks.dart
index d5c08871..3a04024d 100644
--- a/packages/mason/lib/src/hooks.dart
+++ b/packages/mason/lib/src/hooks.dart
@@ -251,8 +251,7 @@ class GeneratorHooks {
     final uri = await _getHookUri(hook, checksum);
 
     if (uri == null) throw HookMissingRunException(hook.path);
-
-    const mode = _isAotCompiled ? 'aot-snapshot' : 'kernel';
+    final mode = _useAot ? 'aot-snapshot' : 'kernel';
     final progress = logger?.progress('Compiling ${p.basename(hook.path)}');
     final result = await Process.run(
       'dart',
@@ -315,6 +314,7 @@ class GeneratorHooks {
         [json.encode(vars)],
         messagePort.sendPort,
         paused: true,
+        debugName: _hookIsolateName,
       );
     }