diff --git a/src/nightwatch.zig b/src/nightwatch.zig
index 34aa096..599004b 100644
--- a/src/nightwatch.zig
+++ b/src/nightwatch.zig
@@ -574,65 +574,93 @@ const KQueueBackend = struct {
         var dir = std.fs.openDirAbsolute(dir_path, .{ .iterate = true }) catch return;
         defer dir.close();
 
-        // Collect current filenames (no lock needed, reading filesystem only).
-        var current: std.StringHashMapUnmanaged(void) = .empty;
+        // Collect current files and subdirectories (no lock, reading filesystem only).
+        var current_files: std.StringHashMapUnmanaged(void) = .empty;
         defer {
-            var it = current.iterator();
+            var it = current_files.iterator();
             while (it.next()) |e| allocator.free(e.key_ptr.*);
-            current.deinit(allocator);
+            current_files.deinit(allocator);
+        }
+        var current_dirs: std.ArrayListUnmanaged([]u8) = .empty;
+        defer {
+            for (current_dirs.items) |d| allocator.free(d);
+            current_dirs.deinit(allocator);
         }
         var iter = dir.iterate();
         while (try iter.next()) |entry| {
-            if (entry.kind != .file) continue;
-            const name = try allocator.dupe(u8, entry.name);
-            try current.put(allocator, name, {});
+            switch (entry.kind) {
+                .file => {
+                    const name = try allocator.dupe(u8, entry.name);
+                    try current_files.put(allocator, name, {});
+                },
+                .directory => {
+                    const name = try allocator.dupe(u8, entry.name);
+                    try current_dirs.append(allocator, name);
+                },
+                else => {},
+            }
         }
 
-        // Emit dir_created for new subdirectories outside the lock (no snapshot involvement).
-        var dir2 = std.fs.openDirAbsolute(dir_path, .{ .iterate = true }) catch return;
-        defer dir2.close();
-        var dir_iter = dir2.iterate();
-        while (try dir_iter.next()) |entry| {
-            if (entry.kind != .directory) continue;
-            var path_buf: [std.fs.max_path_bytes]u8 = undefined;
-            const full_path = std.fmt.bufPrint(&path_buf, "{s}/{s}", .{ dir_path, entry.name }) catch continue;
-            // Only emit if not already watched.
-            if (!snapshots.contains(full_path))
-                try handler.change(full_path, EventType.dir_created);
-        }
-
-        snapshots_mutex.lock();
-        defer snapshots_mutex.unlock();
-
-        // Get or create the snapshot for this directory.
-        const gop = try snapshots.getOrPut(allocator, dir_path);
-        if (!gop.found_existing) gop.value_ptr.* = .empty;
-        const snapshot = gop.value_ptr;
-
-        // Emit created events for files in current but not in snapshot.
-        var cit = current.iterator();
-        while (cit.next()) |entry| {
-            if (snapshot.contains(entry.key_ptr.*)) continue;
-            var path_buf: [std.fs.max_path_bytes]u8 = undefined;
-            const full_path = std.fmt.bufPrint(&path_buf, "{s}/{s}", .{ dir_path, entry.key_ptr.* }) catch continue;
-            try handler.change(full_path, EventType.created);
-            const owned = try allocator.dupe(u8, entry.key_ptr.*);
-            try snapshot.put(allocator, owned, {});
-        }
-
-        // Emit deleted events for files in snapshot but not in current.
+        // Diff against snapshot under the lock; collect events to emit after releasing it.
+        var to_create: std.ArrayListUnmanaged([]const u8) = .empty;
+        defer to_create.deinit(allocator);
         var to_delete: std.ArrayListUnmanaged([]const u8) = .empty;
         defer to_delete.deinit(allocator);
-        var sit = snapshot.iterator();
-        while (sit.next()) |entry| {
-            if (current.contains(entry.key_ptr.*)) continue;
-            try to_delete.append(allocator, entry.key_ptr.*);
+        var new_dirs: std.ArrayListUnmanaged([]const u8) = .empty;
+        defer new_dirs.deinit(allocator);
+
+        snapshots_mutex.lock();
+        {
+            for (current_dirs.items) |name| {
+                var path_buf: [std.fs.max_path_bytes]u8 = undefined;
+                const full_path = std.fmt.bufPrint(&path_buf, "{s}/{s}", .{ dir_path, name }) catch continue;
+                if (!snapshots.contains(full_path))
+                    try new_dirs.append(allocator, full_path);
+            }
+
+            const gop = snapshots.getOrPut(allocator, dir_path) catch |e| {
+                snapshots_mutex.unlock();
+                return e;
+            };
+            if (!gop.found_existing) gop.value_ptr.* = .empty;
+            const snapshot = gop.value_ptr;
+
+            var cit = current_files.iterator();
+            while (cit.next()) |entry| {
+                if (snapshot.contains(entry.key_ptr.*)) continue;
+                const owned = allocator.dupe(u8, entry.key_ptr.*) catch |e| {
+                    snapshots_mutex.unlock();
+                    return e;
+                };
+                snapshot.put(allocator, owned, {}) catch |e| {
+                    allocator.free(owned);
+                    snapshots_mutex.unlock();
+                    return e;
+                };
+                try to_create.append(allocator, owned);
+            }
+
+            var sit = snapshot.iterator();
+            while (sit.next()) |entry| {
+                if (current_files.contains(entry.key_ptr.*)) continue;
+                try to_delete.append(allocator, entry.key_ptr.*);
+            }
+            for (to_delete.items) |name| _ = snapshot.fetchRemove(name);
+        }
+        snapshots_mutex.unlock();
+
+        // Emit all events outside the lock so handlers may safely call watch()/unwatch().
+        for (new_dirs.items) |full_path|
+            try handler.change(full_path, EventType.dir_created);
+        for (to_create.items) |name| {
+            var path_buf: [std.fs.max_path_bytes]u8 = undefined;
+            const full_path = std.fmt.bufPrint(&path_buf, "{s}/{s}", .{ dir_path, name }) catch continue;
+            try handler.change(full_path, EventType.created);
         }
         for (to_delete.items) |name| {
             var path_buf: [std.fs.max_path_bytes]u8 = undefined;
             const full_path = std.fmt.bufPrint(&path_buf, "{s}/{s}", .{ dir_path, name }) catch continue;
             try handler.change(full_path, EventType.deleted);
-            _ = snapshot.fetchRemove(name);
             allocator.free(name);
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/nightwatch_test.zig b/src/nightwatch_test.zig
index aa5c22e..0fd8a11 100644
--- a/src/nightwatch_test.zig
+++ b/src/nightwatch_test.zig
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ fn makeTempDir(allocator: std.mem.Allocator) ![]u8 {
     const name = try std.fmt.allocPrint(
         allocator,
         "/tmp/nightwatch_test_{d}_{d}",
-        .{ std.c.getpid(), n },
+        .{ if (builtin.os.tag == .linux) std.os.linux.getpid() else std.c.getpid(), n },
     );
     errdefer allocator.free(name);
     try std.fs.makeDirAbsolute(name);