diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index b070768..c155850 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -349,6 +349,12 @@ pub fn build_exe(
     });
     const syntax_mod = syntax_dep.module("syntax");
 
+    const nightwatch_dep = b.dependency("nightwatch", .{
+        .target = target,
+        .optimize = optimize,
+    });
+    const nightwatch_mod = nightwatch_dep.module("nightwatch");
+
     const help_mod = b.createModule(.{
         .root_source_file = b.path("help.md"),
     });
@@ -607,8 +613,7 @@ pub fn build_exe(
     const file_watcher_mod = b.createModule(.{
         .root_source_file = b.path("src/file_watcher.zig"),
         .imports = &.{
-            .{ .name = "soft_root", .module = soft_root_mod },
-            .{ .name = "log", .module = log_mod },
+            .{ .name = "nightwatch", .module = nightwatch_mod },
             .{ .name = "cbor", .module = cbor_mod },
             .{ .name = "thespian", .module = thespian_mod },
         },
diff --git a/build.zig.zon b/build.zig.zon
index ba03729..af33c62 100644
--- a/build.zig.zon
+++ b/build.zig.zon
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@
             .url = "git+https://github.com/hexops/xcode-frameworks?ref=main#8a1cfb373587ea4c9bb1468b7c986462d8d4e10e",
             .hash = "N-V-__8AALShqgXkvqYU6f__FrA22SMWmi2TXCJjNTO1m8XJ",
         },
+        .nightwatch = .{
+            .url = "git+https://git.flow-control.dev/neurocyte/nightwatch?ref=master#a1e5e3e9a5126d1ff7ce4959a823ea12f20ef0ae",
+            .hash = "nightwatch-0.1.0-uXzeH8WuAAC95apH6JQZQDzCGrXK2PRPq0rDPPxwUI3Z",
+        },
     },
     .paths = .{
         "include",
diff --git a/src/file_watcher.zig b/src/file_watcher.zig
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e94b59b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/file_watcher.zig
@@ -0,0 +1,171 @@
+const std = @import("std");
+const tp = @import("thespian");
+const cbor = @import("cbor");
+const nightwatch = @import("nightwatch");
+const builtin = @import("builtin");
+
+pid: tp.pid_ref,
+
+const Self = @This();
+const module_name = @typeName(Self);
+
+pub const EventType = nightwatch.EventType;
+
+pub const Error = error{
+    FileWatcherSendFailed,
+    ThespianSpawnFailed,
+    OutOfMemory,
+};
+const SpawnError = error{ OutOfMemory, ThespianSpawnFailed };
+
+pub fn watch(path: []const u8) Error!void {
+    return send(.{ "watch", path });
+}
+
+pub fn unwatch(path: []const u8) Error!void {
+    return send(.{ "unwatch", path });
+}
+
+pub fn start() SpawnError!void {
+    _ = try get();
+}
+
+pub fn shutdown() void {
+    const pid = tp.env.get().proc(module_name);
+    if (pid.expired()) return;
+    pid.send(.{"shutdown"}) catch {};
+}
+
+fn get() SpawnError!Self {
+    const pid = tp.env.get().proc(module_name);
+    return if (pid.expired()) create() else .{ .pid = pid };
+}
+
+fn send(message: anytype) Error!void {
+    return (try get()).pid.send(message) catch error.FileWatcherSendFailed;
+}
+
+fn create() SpawnError!Self {
+    const pid = try Process.create();
+    defer pid.deinit();
+    tp.env.get().proc_set(module_name, pid.ref());
+    return .{ .pid = tp.env.get().proc(module_name) };
+}
+
+const Process = struct {
+    allocator: std.mem.Allocator,
+    parent: tp.pid,
+    receiver: Receiver,
+    nw: nightwatch,
+    fd_watcher: if (builtin.os.tag == .linux) tp.file_descriptor else void,
+    handler: nightwatch.Handler,
+
+    const Receiver = tp.Receiver(*@This());
+
+    fn create() SpawnError!tp.pid {
+        const allocator = std.heap.c_allocator;
+        const self = try allocator.create(@This());
+        errdefer allocator.destroy(self);
+        self.* = .{
+            .allocator = allocator,
+            .parent = tp.self_pid().clone(),
+            .receiver = Receiver.init(@This().receive, self),
+            .nw = undefined,
+            .fd_watcher = if (builtin.os.tag == .linux) undefined else {},
+            .handler = init_handler(),
+        };
+        return tp.spawn_link(self.allocator, self, @This().start, module_name);
+    }
+
+    fn deinit(self: *@This()) void {
+        if (builtin.os.tag == .linux) self.fd_watcher.deinit();
+        self.nw.deinit();
+        self.parent.deinit();
+        self.allocator.destroy(self);
+    }
+
+    pub fn init_handler() nightwatch.Handler {
+        return .{
+            .vtable = &.{
+                .change = handle_change,
+                .rename = handle_rename,
+                .wait_readable = if (builtin.os.tag == .linux) wait_readable else {},
+            },
+        };
+    }
+
+    fn start(self: *@This()) tp.result {
+        errdefer self.deinit();
+        _ = tp.set_trap(true);
+        self.nw = nightwatch.init(self.allocator, &self.handler) catch |e| return tp.exit_error(e, @errorReturnTrace());
+        if (builtin.os.tag == .linux)
+            self.fd_watcher = tp.file_descriptor.init(module_name, self.nw.backend.inotify_fd) catch |e| {
+                std.log.err("file_watcher.start: {}", .{e});
+                return tp.exit_error(e, @errorReturnTrace());
+            };
+        tp.receive(&self.receiver);
+    }
+
+    fn receive(self: *@This(), from: tp.pid_ref, m: tp.message) tp.result {
+        errdefer self.deinit();
+        return self.receive_safe(from, m) catch |e| switch (e) {
+            error.ExitNormal => tp.exit_normal(),
+            else => {
+                const err = tp.exit_error(e, @errorReturnTrace());
+                std.log.err("file_watcher.receive: {}", .{err});
+                return err;
+            },
+        };
+    }
+
+    fn receive_safe(self: *@This(), _: tp.pid_ref, m: tp.message) (error{ExitNormal} || cbor.Error)!void {
+        var path: []const u8 = undefined;
+        var tag: []const u8 = undefined;
+        var err_code: i64 = 0;
+        var err_msg: []const u8 = undefined;
+
+        if (try cbor.match(m.buf, .{ "fd", tp.extract(&tag), "read_ready" })) {
+            // re-arm the file_discriptor
+            if (builtin.os.tag == .linux) {
+                self.fd_watcher.wait_read() catch |e| std.log.err("file_watcher wait_read: {}", .{e});
+                self.nw.handle_read_ready() catch |e| std.log.err("file_watcher handle_read_ready: {}", .{e});
+            }
+        } else if (try cbor.match(m.buf, .{ "fd", tp.extract(&tag), "read_error", tp.extract(&err_code), tp.extract(&err_msg) })) {
+            std.log.err("fd read error on {s}: ({d}) {s}", .{ tag, err_code, err_msg });
+        } else if (try cbor.match(m.buf, .{ "watch", tp.extract(&path) })) {
+            self.nw.watch(path) catch |e| std.log.err("file_watcher watch: {s} -> {}", .{ path, e });
+        } else if (try cbor.match(m.buf, .{ "unwatch", tp.extract(&path) })) {
+            self.nw.unwatch(path) catch |e| std.log.err("file_watcher unwatch: {s} -> {}", .{ path, e });
+        } else if (try cbor.match(m.buf, .{"shutdown"})) {
+            return error.ExitNormal;
+        } else if (try cbor.match(m.buf, .{ "exit", tp.more })) {
+            return error.ExitNormal;
+        } else {
+            std.log.err("file_watcher.receive: {}", .{tp.unexpected(m)});
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn handle_change(handler: *nightwatch.Handler, path: []const u8, event_type: EventType) error{HandlerFailed}!void {
+        const self: *@This() = @alignCast(@fieldParentPtr("handler", handler));
+        _ = self;
+        _ = path;
+        _ = event_type;
+    }
+
+    fn handle_rename(handler: *nightwatch.Handler, src_path: []const u8, dst_path: []const u8) error{HandlerFailed}!void {
+        const self: *@This() = @alignCast(@fieldParentPtr("handler", handler));
+        _ = self;
+        _ = src_path;
+        _ = dst_path;
+    }
+
+    fn wait_readable(handler: *nightwatch.Handler) error{HandlerFailed}!nightwatch.ReadableStatus {
+        const self: *@This() = @alignCast(@fieldParentPtr("handler", handler));
+        if (builtin.os.tag == .linux)
+            self.fd_watcher.wait_read() catch |e| {
+                std.log.err("file_watcher.wait_readable: {}", .{e});
+                return error.HandlerFailed;
+            };
+        return .will_notify;
+    }
+};