diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 18d185f..15a480b 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1727,11 +1727,11 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "inotify"
-version = "0.10.2"
+version = "0.11.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "fdd168d97690d0b8c412d6b6c10360277f4d7ee495c5d0d5d5fe0854923255cc"
+checksum = "f37dccff2791ab604f9babef0ba14fbe0be30bd368dc541e2b08d07c8aa908f3"
 dependencies = [
- "bitflags 1.3.2",
+ "bitflags 2.9.1",
  "inotify-sys",
  "libc",
 ]
@@ -1745,15 +1745,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "libc",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "instant"
-version = "0.1.13"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "e0242819d153cba4b4b05a5a8f2a7e9bbf97b6055b2a002b395c96b5ff3c0222"
-dependencies = [
- "cfg-if",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "iq"
 version = "0.4.0"
@@ -2139,9 +2130,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "notify"
-version = "7.0.0"
+version = "8.0.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "c533b4c39709f9ba5005d8002048266593c1cfaf3c5f0739d5b8ab0c6c504009"
+checksum = "2fee8403b3d66ac7b26aee6e40a897d85dc5ce26f44da36b8b73e987cc52e943"
 dependencies = [
  "bitflags 2.9.1",
  "filetime",
@@ -2153,17 +2144,14 @@ dependencies = [
  "mio",
  "notify-types",
  "walkdir",
- "windows-sys 0.52.0",
+ "windows-sys 0.59.0",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "notify-types"
-version = "1.0.1"
+version = "2.0.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "585d3cb5e12e01aed9e8a1f70d5c6b5e86fe2a6e48fc8cd0b3e0b8df6f6eb174"
-dependencies = [
- "instant",
-]
+checksum = "5e0826a989adedc2a244799e823aece04662b66609d96af8dff7ac6df9a8925d"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "num-derive"
@@ -3222,15 +3210,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "windows-targets 0.42.2",
 ]
 
-[[package]]
-name = "windows-sys"
-version = "0.52.0"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "282be5f36a8ce781fad8c8ae18fa3f9beff57ec1b52cb3de0789201425d9a33d"
-dependencies = [
- "windows-targets 0.52.6",
-]
-
 [[package]]
 name = "windows-sys"
 version = "0.59.0"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index da4fa7d..c6d7e65 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ gix = { version = "0.72", default-features = false, features = ["index", "exclud
 glob = "0.3"
 iq = { version = "0.4", features = ["template"] }
 lazy-regex = "3.4.1"
-notify = "7.0"
+notify = "8.0"
 rodio = { version = "0.20", optional = true, default-features = false, features = ["mp3"] }
 rustc-hash = "2"
 serde = { version = "1.0", features = ["derive"] }
diff --git a/src/cli/args.rs b/src/cli/args.rs
index f6608d1..01faaa0 100644
--- a/src/cli/args.rs
+++ b/src/cli/args.rs
@@ -156,6 +156,10 @@ pub struct Args {
     #[clap(last = true)]
     /// Arguments given to the job
     pub additional_job_args: Vec<String>,
+
+    /// Change the recommended file watcher into a polling watcher by setting its polling interval (in seconds)
+    #[clap(long, value_name = "seconds")]
+    pub poll: Option<u64>,
 }
 
 impl Args {
diff --git a/src/tui/app.rs b/src/tui/app.rs
index 3a3f53e..c9c1a5e 100644
--- a/src/tui/app.rs
+++ b/src/tui/app.rs
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ pub fn run(
             action_rx.clone(),
             message.take(),
             headless,
+            args,
         )?;
         match do_after {
             DoAfterMission::NextJob(job_ref) => {
@@ -115,6 +116,7 @@ fn run_mission(
     action_rx: Receiver<Action>,
     message: Option<Message>,
     headless: bool,
+    args: &Args
 ) -> Result<DoAfterMission> {
     let keybindings = mission.settings.keybindings.clone();
     let grace_period = mission.job.grace_period();
@@ -123,10 +125,10 @@ fn run_mission(
 
     // build the watcher detecting and transmitting mission file changes
     let ignorer = time!(Info, mission.ignorer());
-    let mission_watcher = Watcher::new(&mission.paths_to_watch, ignorer)?;
+    let mission_watcher = Watcher::new(&mission.paths_to_watch, ignorer, args.poll)?;
 
     // create the watcher for config file changes
-    let config_watcher = Watcher::new(&mission.settings.config_files, IgnorerSet::default())?;
+    let config_watcher = Watcher::new(&mission.settings.config_files, IgnorerSet::default(), args.poll)?;
 
     // create the executor, mission, and state
     let mut executor = MissionExecutor::new(&mission)?;
diff --git a/src/watcher.rs b/src/watcher.rs
index c016fcf..1e99567 100644
--- a/src/watcher.rs
+++ b/src/watcher.rs
@@ -2,44 +2,40 @@ use {
     crate::*,
     anyhow::Result,
     notify::{
-        RecommendedWatcher,
-        RecursiveMode,
-        Watcher as NotifyWatcher,
         event::{
-            AccessKind,
-            AccessMode,
-            DataChange,
-            EventKind,
-            ModifyKind,
-        },
+            AccessKind, AccessMode, DataChange, EventKind, MetadataKind, ModifyKind
+        }, RecursiveMode, Watcher as NotifyWatcher
     },
-    std::path::PathBuf,
+    std::{path::PathBuf, time::Duration},
     termimad::crossbeam::channel::{
-        Receiver,
-        bounded,
+        bounded, Receiver
     },
 };
 
 /// A file watcher, providing a channel to receive notifications
 pub struct Watcher {
     pub receiver: Receiver<()>,
-    _notify_watcher: RecommendedWatcher,
+    _notify_watcher: Box<dyn NotifyWatcher>,
 }
 
 impl Watcher {
     pub fn new(
         paths_to_watch: &[PathBuf],
         mut ignorer: IgnorerSet,
+        polling: Option<u64>,
     ) -> Result<Self> {
         info!("watcher on {:#?}", paths_to_watch);
         let (sender, receiver) = bounded(0);
-        let mut notify_watcher =
-            notify::recommended_watcher(move |res: notify::Result<notify::Event>| match res {
+        let event_handler = move |res: notify::Result<notify::Event>| match res {
                 Ok(we) => {
                     match we.kind {
-                        EventKind::Modify(ModifyKind::Metadata(_)) => {
-                            debug!("ignoring metadata change");
-                            return; // useless event
+                        EventKind::Modify(ModifyKind::Metadata(kind)) => {
+                            if kind == MetadataKind::WriteTime && polling.is_some() {
+                                // the only event triggered usable when polling on WSL2   
+                            } else {
+                                debug!("ignoring metadata change: {:?}", kind);
+                                return; // useless event
+                            }
                         }
                         EventKind::Modify(ModifyKind::Data(DataChange::Any)) => {
                             debug!("ignoring 'any' data change");
@@ -73,7 +69,20 @@ impl Watcher {
                     }
                 }
                 Err(e) => warn!("watch error: {:?}", e),
-            })?;
+            };
+            let use_polling = polling.is_some();
+        let notify_watcher: Result<Box<dyn NotifyWatcher>, notify::Error> = if use_polling {
+            let config = notify::Config::default()
+                .with_poll_interval(Duration::from_secs(polling.unwrap_or_default()))
+                .with_compare_contents(true);
+            notify::PollWatcher::new(event_handler, config)
+                .map(|w| Box::new(w) as Box<dyn NotifyWatcher>)
+        } else {
+            notify::recommended_watcher(event_handler)
+                .map(|w| Box::new(w) as Box<dyn NotifyWatcher>)
+        };
+        let mut notify_watcher = notify_watcher?;
+
         for path in paths_to_watch {
             if !path.exists() {
                 warn!("watch path doesn't exist: {:?}", path);