diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index ff47a9d..4c4d36a 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -12,8 +12,17 @@ pub fn build(b: *std.Build) void {
         ) orelse false;
     } else false;
 
+    const linux_read_thread = if (target.result.os.tag == .linux) blk: {
+        break :blk b.option(
+            bool,
+            "linux_read_thread",
+            "Use a background thread on Linux (like macOS/Windows) instead of requiring the caller to drive the event loop via poll_fd/handle_read_ready",
+        ) orelse false;
+    } else false;
+
     const options = b.addOptions();
     options.addOption(bool, "use_fsevents", use_fsevents);
+    options.addOption(bool, "linux_read_thread", linux_read_thread);
     const options_mod = options.createModule();
 
     const mod = b.addModule("nightwatch", .{
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index 2d07231..ee32037 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ const CliHandler = struct {
     const vtable = nightwatch.Handler.VTable{
         .change = change_cb,
         .rename = rename_cb,
-        .wait_readable = if (builtin.os.tag == .linux) wait_readable_cb else {},
+        .wait_readable = if (nightwatch.linux_poll_mode) wait_readable_cb else {},
     };
 
     fn change_cb(h: *nightwatch.Handler, path: []const u8, event_type: nightwatch.EventType) error{HandlerFailed}!void {
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ pub fn main() !void {
         try stderr.interface.print("on watch: {s}\n", .{path});
     }
 
-    if (builtin.os.tag == .linux) {
+    if (nightwatch.linux_poll_mode) {
         try run_linux(&watcher);
     } else if (builtin.os.tag == .windows) {
         run_windows();
diff --git a/src/nightwatch.zig b/src/nightwatch.zig
index 3158864..8a2a7f3 100644
--- a/src/nightwatch.zig
+++ b/src/nightwatch.zig
@@ -20,13 +20,19 @@ pub const Error = error{
     WatchFailed,
 };
 
+/// True when the Linux inotify backend runs in poll mode (caller drives the
+/// event loop via poll_fd / handle_read_ready).  False on all other platforms
+/// and on Linux when the `linux_read_thread` build option is set.
+pub const linux_poll_mode = builtin.os.tag == .linux and !build_options.linux_read_thread;
+
 pub const Handler = struct {
     vtable: *const VTable,
 
     pub const VTable = struct {
         change: *const fn (handler: *Handler, path: []const u8, event_type: EventType) error{HandlerFailed}!void,
         rename: *const fn (handler: *Handler, src_path: []const u8, dst_path: []const u8) error{HandlerFailed}!void,
-        wait_readable: if (builtin.os.tag == .linux) *const fn (handler: *Handler) error{HandlerFailed}!ReadableStatus else void,
+        /// Only present in Linux poll mode (linux_poll_mode == true).
+        wait_readable: if (linux_poll_mode) *const fn (handler: *Handler) error{HandlerFailed}!ReadableStatus else void,
     };
 
     fn change(handler: *Handler, path: []const u8, event_type: EventType) error{HandlerFailed}!void {
@@ -38,7 +44,11 @@ pub const Handler = struct {
     }
 
     fn wait_readable(handler: *Handler) error{HandlerFailed}!ReadableStatus {
-        return handler.vtable.wait_readable(handler);
+        if (comptime linux_poll_mode) {
+            return handler.vtable.wait_readable(handler);
+        } else {
+            unreachable;
+        }
     }
 };
 
@@ -97,14 +107,18 @@ pub fn unwatch(self: *@This(), path: []const u8) void {
     self.interceptor.backend.remove_watch(self.allocator, path);
 }
 
+/// Drive event delivery by reading from the inotify fd.
+/// Only available in Linux poll mode (linux_poll_mode == true).
 pub fn handle_read_ready(self: *@This()) !void {
+    comptime if (!linux_poll_mode) @compileError("handle_read_ready is only available in Linux poll mode; use linux_read_thread=true for a background-thread model");
     try self.interceptor.backend.handle_read_ready(self.allocator);
 }
 
 /// Returns the inotify file descriptor that should be polled for POLLIN
-/// before calling handle_read_ready(). Only available on Linux.
+/// before calling handle_read_ready().
+/// Only available in Linux poll mode (linux_poll_mode == true).
 pub fn poll_fd(self: *const @This()) std.posix.fd_t {
-    comptime if (builtin.os.tag != .linux) @compileError("poll_fd is only available on Linux");
+    comptime if (!linux_poll_mode) @compileError("poll_fd is only available in Linux poll mode; use linux_read_thread=true for a background-thread model");
     return self.interceptor.backend.inotify_fd;
 }
 
@@ -121,7 +135,7 @@ const Interceptor = struct {
     const vtable = Handler.VTable{
         .change = change_cb,
         .rename = rename_cb,
-        .wait_readable = if (builtin.os.tag == .linux) wait_readable_cb else {},
+        .wait_readable = if (linux_poll_mode) wait_readable_cb else {},
     };
 
     fn change_cb(h: *Handler, path: []const u8, event_type: EventType) error{HandlerFailed}!void {
@@ -172,6 +186,9 @@ const INotifyBackend = struct {
     handler: *Handler,
     inotify_fd: std.posix.fd_t,
     watches: std.AutoHashMapUnmanaged(i32, []u8), // wd -> owned path
+    // Used only in linux_read_thread mode:
+    stop_pipe: if (build_options.linux_read_thread) [2]std.posix.fd_t else void,
+    thread: if (build_options.linux_read_thread) ?std.Thread else void,
 
     const IN = std.os.linux.IN;
 
@@ -181,27 +198,68 @@ const INotifyBackend = struct {
 
     const in_flags: std.os.linux.O = .{ .NONBLOCK = true };
 
-    fn init(handler: *Handler) error{ ProcessFdQuotaExceeded, SystemFdQuotaExceeded, SystemResources, Unexpected }!@This() {
-        return .{
-            .handler = handler,
-            .inotify_fd = try std.posix.inotify_init1(@bitCast(in_flags)),
-            .watches = .empty,
-        };
+    fn init(handler: *Handler) !@This() {
+        const inotify_fd = try std.posix.inotify_init1(@bitCast(in_flags));
+        errdefer std.posix.close(inotify_fd);
+        if (comptime build_options.linux_read_thread) {
+            const stop_pipe = try std.posix.pipe();
+            return .{
+                .handler = handler,
+                .inotify_fd = inotify_fd,
+                .watches = .empty,
+                .stop_pipe = stop_pipe,
+                .thread = null,
+            };
+        } else {
+            return .{
+                .handler = handler,
+                .inotify_fd = inotify_fd,
+                .watches = .empty,
+                .stop_pipe = {},
+                .thread = {},
+            };
+        }
     }
 
     fn deinit(self: *@This(), allocator: std.mem.Allocator) void {
+        if (comptime build_options.linux_read_thread) {
+            // Signal thread to stop and wait for it to exit.
+            _ = std.posix.write(self.stop_pipe[1], "x") catch {};
+            if (self.thread) |t| t.join();
+            std.posix.close(self.stop_pipe[0]);
+            std.posix.close(self.stop_pipe[1]);
+        }
         var it = self.watches.iterator();
         while (it.next()) |entry| allocator.free(entry.value_ptr.*);
         self.watches.deinit(allocator);
         std.posix.close(self.inotify_fd);
     }
 
-    fn arm(self: *@This(), _: std.mem.Allocator) error{HandlerFailed}!void {
-        return switch (self.handler.wait_readable() catch |e| switch (e) {
-            error.HandlerFailed => |e_| return e_,
-        }) {
-            .will_notify => {},
+    fn arm(self: *@This(), allocator: std.mem.Allocator) error{HandlerFailed}!void {
+        if (comptime build_options.linux_read_thread) {
+            if (self.thread != null) return; // already running
+            self.thread = std.Thread.spawn(.{}, thread_fn, .{ self, allocator }) catch return error.HandlerFailed;
+        } else {
+            return switch (self.handler.wait_readable() catch |e| switch (e) {
+                error.HandlerFailed => |e_| return e_,
+            }) {
+                .will_notify => {},
+            };
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn thread_fn(self: *@This(), allocator: std.mem.Allocator) void {
+        var pfds = [_]std.posix.pollfd{
+            .{ .fd = self.inotify_fd, .events = std.posix.POLL.IN, .revents = 0 },
+            .{ .fd = self.stop_pipe[0], .events = std.posix.POLL.IN, .revents = 0 },
         };
+        while (true) {
+            _ = std.posix.poll(&pfds, -1) catch return;
+            if (pfds[1].revents & std.posix.POLL.IN != 0) return; // stop signal
+            if (pfds[0].revents & std.posix.POLL.IN != 0) {
+                self.handle_read_ready(allocator) catch return;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     fn add_watch(self: *@This(), allocator: std.mem.Allocator, path: []const u8) error{ OutOfMemory, WatchFailed }!void {
diff --git a/src/nightwatch_test.zig b/src/nightwatch_test.zig
index 0b33985..a290875 100644
--- a/src/nightwatch_test.zig
+++ b/src/nightwatch_test.zig
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ const TestHandler = struct {
     const vtable = nw.Handler.VTable{
         .change = change_cb,
         .rename = rename_cb,
-        .wait_readable = if (builtin.os.tag == .linux) wait_readable_cb else {},
+        .wait_readable = if (nw.linux_poll_mode) wait_readable_cb else {},
     };
 
     fn change_cb(handler: *nw.Handler, path: []const u8, event_type: nw.EventType) error{HandlerFailed}!void {
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ fn removeTempDir(path: []const u8) void {
 ///  - Linux:   call handle_read_ready() so inotify events are processed.
 ///  - Others:  the backend uses its own thread/callback; sleep briefly.
 fn drainEvents(watcher: *Watcher) !void {
-    if (builtin.os.tag == .linux) {
+    if (nw.linux_poll_mode) {
         try watcher.handle_read_ready();
     } else {
         std.Thread.sleep(300 * std.time.ns_per_ms);