diff --git a/include/components/config.hpp b/include/components/config.hpp
index b3a894e6..d0be66d4 100644
--- a/include/components/config.hpp
+++ b/include/components/config.hpp
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ class config {
 
   void set_included(file_list included);
 
+  file_list get_included_files() const;
+
   void warn_deprecated(const string& section, const string& key, string replacement) const;
 
   /**
@@ -225,10 +227,9 @@ class config {
       return value;
     } catch (const key_error& err) {
       return get<T>(section, newkey, fallback);
-    }
-    catch (const std::exception& err) {
-      m_log.err("Invalid value for \"%s.%s\", using fallback key \"%s.%s\" (reason: %s)",
-                section, old, section, newkey, err.what());
+    } catch (const std::exception& err) {
+      m_log.err("Invalid value for \"%s.%s\", using fallback key \"%s.%s\" (reason: %s)", section, old, section, newkey,
+          err.what());
       return get<T>(section, newkey, fallback);
     }
   }
diff --git a/include/components/controller.hpp b/include/components/controller.hpp
index 0eec49c0..cb0a72e7 100644
--- a/include/components/controller.hpp
+++ b/include/components/controller.hpp
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ class controller : public signal_receiver<SIGN_PRIORITY_CONTROLLER, signals::eve
   void signal_handler(int signum);
 
   void conn_cb();
+  void create_config_watcher(const string& fname);
   void confwatch_handler(const char* fname);
   void notifier_handler();
   void screenshot_handler();
diff --git a/src/components/config.cpp b/src/components/config.cpp
index de30204f..9d5e37ec 100644
--- a/src/components/config.cpp
+++ b/src/components/config.cpp
@@ -59,6 +59,10 @@ void config::set_included(file_list included) {
   m_included = move(included);
 }
 
+file_list config::get_included_files() const {
+  return m_included;
+}
+
 void config::ignore_key(const string& section, const string& key) const {
   if (has(section, key)) {
     m_log.warn(
diff --git a/src/components/controller.cpp b/src/components/controller.cpp
index 96b7b51d..ba00ef1a 100644
--- a/src/components/controller.cpp
+++ b/src/components/controller.cpp
@@ -195,6 +195,16 @@ void controller::signal_handler(int signum) {
   stop(signum == SIGUSR1);
 }
 
+void controller::create_config_watcher(const string& filename) {
+  auto& fs_event_handler = m_loop.handle<FSEventHandle>();
+  fs_event_handler.start(
+      filename, 0, [this](const auto& e) { confwatch_handler(e.path); },
+      [this, &fs_event_handler](const auto& e) {
+        m_log.err("libuv error while watching included file for changes: %s", uv_strerror(e.status));
+        fs_event_handler.close();
+      });
+}
+
 void controller::confwatch_handler(const char* filename) {
   m_log.notice("Watched config file changed %s", filename);
   stop(true);
@@ -251,13 +261,11 @@ void controller::read_events(bool confwatch) {
     }
 
     if (confwatch) {
-      auto& fs_event_handle = m_loop.handle<FSEventHandle>();
-      fs_event_handle.start(
-          m_conf.filepath(), 0, [this](const auto& e) { confwatch_handler(e.path); },
-          [this, &fs_event_handle](const auto& e) {
-            m_log.err("libuv error while watching config file for changes: %s", uv_strerror(e.status));
-            fs_event_handle.close();
-          });
+      create_config_watcher(m_conf.filepath());
+      // also watch the include-files for changes
+      for (auto& module_path : m_conf.get_included_files()) {
+        create_config_watcher(module_path);
+      }
     }
 
     if (!m_snapshot_dst.empty()) {