diff --git a/data/core/commands/doc.lua b/data/core/commands/doc.lua
index 597e3de4..cbecad23 100644
--- a/data/core/commands/doc.lua
+++ b/data/core/commands/doc.lua
@@ -466,6 +466,10 @@ local commands = {
       command.perform("doc:save-as")
     end
   end,
+  
+  ["doc:reload"] = function()
+    doc():reload()
+  end,
 
   ["file:rename"] = function()
     local old_filename = doc().filename
diff --git a/data/core/dirwatch.lua b/data/core/dirwatch.lua
index 68f62082..fcbd019d 100644
--- a/data/core/dirwatch.lua
+++ b/data/core/dirwatch.lua
@@ -31,10 +31,15 @@ end
 -- In windows, this is a no-op for anything underneath a top-level directory,
 -- but code should be called anyway, so we can ensure that we have a proper
 -- experience across all platforms. Should be an absolute path.
+-- Can also be called on individual files, though this should be used sparingly,
+-- so as not to run into system limits (like in the autoreload plugin).
 function dirwatch:watch(directory, bool)
   if bool == false then return self:unwatch(directory) end
+  local info = system.get_file_info(directory)
+  if not info then return end
   if not self.watched[directory] and not self.scanned[directory] then
     if PLATFORM == "Windows" then
+      if info.type ~= "dir" then return self:scan(directory) end
       if not self.windows_watch_top or directory:find(self.windows_watch_top, 1, true) ~= 1 then
         -- Get the highest level of directory that is common to this directory, and the original.
         local target = directory
diff --git a/data/core/doc/init.lua b/data/core/doc/init.lua
index f9369a46..0683b8b0 100644
--- a/data/core/doc/init.lua
+++ b/data/core/doc/init.lua
@@ -80,6 +80,16 @@ function Doc:load(filename)
 end
 
 
+function Doc:reload()
+  if self.filename then
+    local sel = { self:get_selection() }
+    self:load(self.filename)
+    self:clean()
+    self:set_selection(table.unpack(sel))
+  end
+end
+
+
 function Doc:save(filename, abs_filename)
   if not filename then
     assert(self.filename, "no filename set to default to")
diff --git a/data/plugins/autoreload.lua b/data/plugins/autoreload.lua
index 596b94f7..172edea2 100644
--- a/data/plugins/autoreload.lua
+++ b/data/plugins/autoreload.lua
@@ -1,44 +1,100 @@
 -- mod-version:3 -- lite-xl 2.1
 local core = require "core"
 local config = require "core.config"
+local style = require "core.style"
 local Doc = require "core.doc"
+local Node = require "core.node"
+local common = require "core.common"
+local dirwatch = require "core.dirwatch"
 
+config.plugins.autoreload = common.merge({
+  always_show_nagview = false
+}, config.plugins.autoreload)
+
+local watch = dirwatch.new()
 local times = setmetatable({}, { __mode = "k" })
+local visible = setmetatable({}, { __mode = "k" })
+
+local function get_project_doc_watch(doc)
+  for i, v in ipairs(core.project_directories) do
+    if doc.abs_filename:find(v.name, 1, true) == 1 then return v.watch end
+  end
+  return watch
+end
 
 local function update_time(doc)
-  local info = system.get_file_info(doc.filename)
-  times[doc] = info.modified
+  times[doc] = system.get_file_info(doc.filename).modified
 end
 
 local function reload_doc(doc)
-  local fp = io.open(doc.filename, "r")
-  local text = fp:read("*a")
-  fp:close()
-
-  local sel = { doc:get_selection() }
-  doc:remove(1, 1, math.huge, math.huge)
-  doc:insert(1, 1, text:gsub("\r", ""):gsub("\n$", ""))
-  doc:set_selection(table.unpack(sel))
-
+  doc:reload()
   update_time(doc)
-  doc:clean()
+  core.redraw = true
   core.log_quiet("Auto-reloaded doc \"%s\"", doc.filename)
 end
 
-local on_modify = core.on_dirmonitor_modify
-
-core.on_dirmonitor_modify = function(dir, filepath)
-  local abs_filename = dir.name .. PATHSEP .. filepath
-  for _, doc in ipairs(core.docs) do
-    local info = system.get_file_info(doc.filename or "")
-    if doc.abs_filename == abs_filename and info and times[doc] ~= info.modified then
-      reload_doc(doc)
-      break
-    end
+local function check_prompt_reload(doc)
+  if doc and doc.deferred_reload then
+    core.nag_view:show("File Changed", doc.filename .. " has changed. Reload this file?", {
+      { font = style.font, text = "Yes", default_yes = true },
+      { font = style.font, text = "No" , default_no = true }
+    }, function(item)
+      if item.text == "Yes" then reload_doc(doc) end
+      doc.deferred_reload = false
+    end)
   end
-  on_modify(dir, filepath)
 end
 
+local function doc_changes_visiblity(doc, visibility)
+  if doc and visible[doc] ~= visibility and doc.abs_filename then
+    visible[doc] = visibility
+    if visibility then check_prompt_reload(doc) end
+    get_project_doc_watch(doc):watch(doc.abs_filename, visibility)
+  end
+end
+
+local on_check = dirwatch.check
+function dirwatch:check(change_callback, ...)
+  on_check(self, function(dir)
+    for _, doc in ipairs(core.docs) do
+      if dir == common.dirname(doc.abs_filename) or dir == doc.abs_filename then
+        local info = system.get_file_info(doc.filename or "")
+        if info and times[doc] ~= info.modified then
+          if not doc:is_dirty() and not config.plugins.autoreload.always_show_nagview then
+            reload_doc(doc)
+          else
+            doc.deferred_reload = true
+            if doc == core.active_view.doc then check_prompt_reload(doc) end
+          end
+        end
+      end
+    end
+    change_callback(dir)
+  end, ...)
+end
+
+local core_set_active_view = core.set_active_view
+function core.set_active_view(view)
+  core_set_active_view(view)
+  doc_changes_visiblity(view.doc, true)
+end
+
+local node_set_active_view = Node.set_active_view
+function Node:set_active_view(view)
+  if self.active_view then doc_changes_visiblity(self.active_view.doc, false) end
+  node_set_active_view(self, view)
+  doc_changes_visiblity(self.active_view.doc, true)
+end
+
+core.add_thread(function()
+  while true do
+    -- because we already hook this function above; we only
+    -- need to check the file.
+    watch:check(function() end)
+    coroutine.yield(0.05)
+  end
+end)
+
 -- patch `Doc.save|load` to store modified time
 local load = Doc.load
 local save = Doc.save
@@ -51,6 +107,8 @@ end
 
 Doc.save = function(self, ...)
   local res = save(self, ...)
+  -- if starting with an unsaved document with a filename.
+  if not times[self] then get_project_doc_watch(self):watch(self.abs_filename, true) end
   update_time(self)
   return res
 end
diff --git a/src/api/dirmonitor/inotify.c b/src/api/dirmonitor/inotify.c
index 70e536dd..697e1815 100644
--- a/src/api/dirmonitor/inotify.c
+++ b/src/api/dirmonitor/inotify.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ int translate_changes_dirmonitor(struct dirmonitor_internal* monitor, char* buff
 
 
 int add_dirmonitor(struct dirmonitor_internal* monitor, const char* path) {
-  return inotify_add_watch(monitor->fd, path, IN_CREATE | IN_DELETE | IN_MOVED_FROM | IN_MOVED_TO);
+  return inotify_add_watch(monitor->fd, path, IN_CREATE | IN_DELETE | IN_MOVED_FROM | IN_MODIFY | IN_MOVED_TO);
 }