diff --git a/scripts/build-utils.js b/scripts/build-utils.js
index f78c9ca4e..e2953ba1d 100644
--- a/scripts/build-utils.js
+++ b/scripts/build-utils.js
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ function compile(buildFolder, entry) {
         ),
       },
       resolver: {
-        blacklistRE: /\/(sonar|flipper|flipper-public)\/(dist|doctor)\/|(\.native\.js$)/,
+        blacklistRE: /(\/|\\)(sonar|flipper|flipper-public)(\/|\\)(dist|doctor)(\/|\\)|(\.native\.js$)/,
       },
     },
     {
diff --git a/scripts/start-dev-server.js b/scripts/start-dev-server.js
index 26201aa9d..32cf74b27 100644
--- a/scripts/start-dev-server.js
+++ b/scripts/start-dev-server.js
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ const http = require('http');
 const path = require('path');
 const Metro = require('../static/node_modules/metro');
 const fs = require('fs');
+const Watchman = require('../static/watchman');
 
 const convertAnsi = new Convert();
 
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ function startMetroServer(app) {
       ),
     },
     resolver: {
-      blacklistRE: /\/(sonar|flipper|flipper-public)\/(dist|doctor)\/|(\.native\.js$)/,
+      blacklistRE: /(\/|\\)(sonar|flipper|flipper-public)(\/|\\)(dist|doctor)(\/|\\)|(\.native\.js$)/,
     },
     watch: true,
   }).then(metroBundlerServer => {
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ function startAssetServer(port) {
   });
 }
 
-function addWebsocket(server) {
+async function addWebsocket(server) {
   const io = socketIo(server);
 
   // notify connected clients that there's errors in the console
@@ -126,9 +127,17 @@ function addWebsocket(server) {
 
   // refresh the app on changes to the src folder
   // this can be removed once metroServer notifies us about file changes
-  fs.watch(path.join(__dirname, '..', 'src'), () => {
-    io.emit('refresh');
-  });
+  const watchman = new Watchman(path.resolve(__dirname, '..', 'src'));
+  await watchman.initialize();
+  await watchman.startWatchFiles(
+    '/',
+    resp => {
+      io.emit('refresh');
+    },
+    {
+      excludes: ['**/__tests__/**/*', '**/node_modules/**/*', '**/.*'],
+    },
+  );
 
   return io;
 }
@@ -186,7 +195,7 @@ function outputScreen(socket) {
 (async () => {
   const port = await detect(DEFAULT_PORT);
   const {app, server} = await startAssetServer(port);
-  const socket = addWebsocket(server);
+  const socket = await addWebsocket(server);
   await startMetroServer(app);
   outputScreen(socket);
   launchElectron({
diff --git a/static/compilePlugins.js b/static/compilePlugins.js
index 22e7f6507..bf219aecc 100644
--- a/static/compilePlugins.js
+++ b/static/compilePlugins.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ const recursiveReaddir = require('recursive-readdir');
 const expandTilde = require('expand-tilde');
 const pMap = require('p-map');
 const HOME_DIR = require('os').homedir();
+const Watchman = require('./watchman');
 
 const DEFAULT_COMPILE_OPTIONS = {
   force: false,
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ module.exports = async (
   return dynamicPlugins;
 };
 
-function watchChanges(
+async function watchChanges(
   plugins,
   reloadCallback,
   pluginCache,
@@ -58,6 +59,9 @@ function watchChanges(
 
   const delayedCompilation = {};
   const kCompilationDelayMillis = 1000;
+  const rootDir = path.resolve(__dirname, '..');
+  const watchman = new Watchman(rootDir);
+  await watchman.initialize();
   Object.values(plugins)
     // no hot reloading for plugins in .flipper folder. This is to prevent
     // Flipper from reloading, while we are doing changes on thirdparty plugins.
@@ -65,26 +69,27 @@ function watchChanges(
       plugin => !plugin.rootDir.startsWith(path.join(HOME_DIR, '.flipper')),
     )
     .map(plugin =>
-      fs.watch(plugin.rootDir, {recursive: true}, (eventType, filename) => {
-        // only recompile for changes in not hidden files. Watchman might create
-        // a file called .watchman-cookie
-        if (
-          filename &&
-          !filename.startsWith('.') &&
-          !filename.includes('__tests__') &&
-          !delayedCompilation[plugin.name]
-        ) {
-          delayedCompilation[plugin.name] = setTimeout(() => {
-            delayedCompilation[plugin.name] = null;
-            // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
-            console.log(`🕵️‍  Detected changes in ${plugin.name}`);
-            const watchOptions = Object.assign(options, {force: true});
-            compilePlugin(plugin, pluginCache, watchOptions).then(
-              reloadCallback,
-            );
-          }, kCompilationDelayMillis);
-        }
-      }),
+      watchman.startWatchFiles(
+        path.relative(rootDir, plugin.rootDir),
+        resp => {
+          // only recompile for changes in not hidden files. Watchman might create
+          // a file called .watchman-cookie
+          if (!delayedCompilation[plugin.name]) {
+            delayedCompilation[plugin.name] = setTimeout(() => {
+              delayedCompilation[plugin.name] = null;
+              // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+              console.log(`🕵️‍  Detected changes in ${plugin.name}`);
+              const watchOptions = Object.assign(options, {force: true});
+              compilePlugin(plugin, pluginCache, watchOptions).then(
+                reloadCallback,
+              );
+            }, kCompilationDelayMillis);
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          excludes: ['**/__tests__/**/*', '**/node_modules/**/*', '**/.*'],
+        },
+      ),
     );
 }
 function hash(string) {
@@ -215,7 +220,7 @@ async function compilePlugin(
           },
           resolver: {
             sourceExts: ['tsx', 'ts', 'js'],
-            blacklistRE: /\/(sonar|flipper|flipper-public)\/(dist|doctor)\/|(\.native\.js$)/,
+            blacklistRE: /(\/|\\)(sonar|flipper|flipper-public)(\/|\\)(dist|doctor)(\/|\\)|(\.native\.js$)/,
           },
         },
         {
diff --git a/static/watchman.js b/static/watchman.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7f01d7f30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/static/watchman.js
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) Facebook, Inc. and its affiliates.
+ *
+ * This source code is licensed under the MIT license found in the
+ * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree.
+ *
+ * @format
+ */
+
+const watchman = require('fb-watchman');
+const uuid = require('uuid');
+const path = require('path');
+
+module.exports = class Watchman {
+  constructor(rootDir) {
+    this.rootDir = rootDir;
+  }
+
+  async initialize() {
+    if (this.client) {
+      return;
+    }
+    this.client = new watchman.Client();
+    this.client.setMaxListeners(250);
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      this.client.capabilityCheck(
+        {optional: [], required: ['relative_root']},
+        error => {
+          if (error) {
+            this.client.end();
+            delete this.client;
+            return reject(error);
+          }
+          this.client.command(
+            ['watch-project', this.rootDir],
+            (error, resp) => {
+              if (error) {
+                this.client.end();
+                delete this.client;
+                return reject(error);
+              }
+              if ('warning' in resp) {
+                console.warn(resp.warning);
+              }
+              this.watch = resp.watch;
+              this.relativeRoot = resp.relative_path;
+              resolve();
+            },
+          );
+        },
+      );
+    });
+  }
+
+  async startWatchFiles(relativeDir, handler, options) {
+    if (!this.watch) {
+      throw new Error(
+        'Watchman is not initialized, please call "initialize" function and wait for the returned promise completion before calling "startWatchFiles".',
+      );
+    }
+    options = Object.assign({excludes: []}, options);
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      this.client.command(['clock', this.watch], (error, resp) => {
+        if (error) {
+          return reject(error);
+        }
+
+        const {clock} = resp;
+
+        const sub = {
+          expression: [
+            'allof',
+            ['not', ['type', 'd']],
+            ...options.excludes.map(e => ['not', ['match', e, 'wholename']]),
+          ],
+          fields: ['name'],
+          since: clock,
+          relative_root: this.relativeRoot
+            ? path.join(this.relativeRoot, relativeDir)
+            : relativeDir,
+        };
+
+        const id = uuid.v4();
+
+        this.client.command(
+          ['subscribe', this.watch, id, sub],
+          (error, resp) => {
+            if (error) {
+              return reject(error);
+            }
+            this.client.on('subscription', resp => {
+              if (resp.subscription !== id || !resp.files) {
+                return;
+              }
+              handler(resp);
+            });
+            resolve();
+          },
+        );
+      });
+    });
+  }
+};