diff --git a/src/watch/index.ts b/src/watch/index.ts
index 4579137c..aaba93ba 100644
--- a/src/watch/index.ts
+++ b/src/watch/index.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import type { ChildProcess } from 'child_process';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'url';
+import path from 'path';
 import { command } from 'cleye';
 import typeFlag from 'type-flag';
 import { watch } from 'chokidar';
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ export const watchCommand = command({
 						: data.path
 				);
 
-				if (dependencyPath.startsWith('/')) {
+				if (path.isAbsolute(dependencyPath)) {
 					// console.log('adding', dependencyPath);
 					watcher.add(dependencyPath);
 				}
diff --git a/tests/specs/watch.ts b/tests/specs/watch.ts
index 3ba42dd7..aab5f201 100644
--- a/tests/specs/watch.ts
+++ b/tests/specs/watch.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import path from 'path';
 import { testSuite, expect } from 'manten';
+import { createFixture } from 'fs-fixture';
 import { tsx } from '../utils/tsx';
 
 export default testSuite(async ({ describe }, fixturePath: string) => {
@@ -12,6 +13,35 @@ export default testSuite(async ({ describe }, fixturePath: string) => {
 			expect(tsxProcess.stderr).toMatch('Error: Missing required parameter "script path"');
 		});
 
+		test('watch files for changes', async () => {
+			const fixture = await createFixture({
+				'index.js': 'console.log(1)',
+			});
+
+			const tsxProcess = tsx({
+				args: [
+					'watch',
+					path.join(fixture.path, 'index.js'),
+				],
+			});
+
+			await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+				async function onStdOut(data: Buffer) {
+					const chunkString = data.toString();
+
+					if (chunkString.match('1\n')) {
+						await fixture.writeFile('index.js', 'console.log(2)');
+					} else if (chunkString.match('2\n')) {
+						tsxProcess.kill();
+						resolve();
+					}
+				}
+
+				tsxProcess.stdout!.on('data', onStdOut);
+				tsxProcess.stderr!.on('data', onStdOut);
+			});
+		}, 5000);
+
 		test('suppresses warnings & clear screen', async () => {
 			const tsxProcess = tsx({
 				args: [