diff --git a/extra/io/monitors/monitors-docs.factor b/extra/io/monitors/monitors-docs.factor
index df4f7ae352..cd6a06a8e9 100755
--- a/extra/io/monitors/monitors-docs.factor
+++ b/extra/io/monitors/monitors-docs.factor
@@ -69,15 +69,13 @@ $nl
 { $heading "Linux" }
 "Factor uses " { $snippet "inotify" } " to implement monitors on Linux. This requires Linux kernel version 2.6.16 or later."
 $nl
-"Since " { $snippet "inotify" } " can only monitor a single directory, Factor simulates recursive monitors by creating a hierarchy of monitors for every subdirectory. This is transparent to user code."
+"Factor simulates recursive monitors by creating a hierarchy of monitors for every subdirectory, since " { $snippet "inotify" } " can only monitor a single directory. This is transparent to user code."
 $nl
 "Inside a single " { $link with-monitors } " scope, only one monitor may be created for any given directory."
 { $heading "BSD" }
 "Factor uses " { $snippet "kqueue" } " to implement monitors on BSD."
 $nl
-"Since " { $snippet "kqueue" } " can only monitor a single directory, Factor simulates recursive monitors by creating a hierarchy of monitors for every subdirectory. This is transparent to user code."
-$nl
-"Because " { $snippet "kqueue" } " requires that a file descriptor is allocated for each directory being monitored, monitoring of large directory hierarchies may exhaust file descriptors or exhibit suboptimal performance. Furthermore, unmounting a subdirectory of a recursively-monitored directory is not possible."
+"The " { $snippet "kqueue" } " system is limited to monitoring individual files and directories. Monitoring a directory only notifies of files being added and removed to the directory itself, not of changes to file contents."
 { $heading "Windows CE" }
 "Windows CE does not support monitors." ;
 
diff --git a/extra/io/unix/bsd/bsd.factor b/extra/io/unix/bsd/bsd.factor
index 03723a65e5..1b51b3c4e4 100755
--- a/extra/io/unix/bsd/bsd.factor
+++ b/extra/io/unix/bsd/bsd.factor
@@ -18,4 +18,5 @@ M: bsd init-monitors ;
 M: bsd dispose-monitors ;
 
 M: bsd (monitor) ( path recursive? mailbox -- )
-    nip <vnode-monitor> ;
+    swap [ "Recursive kqueue monitors not supported" throw ] when
+    <vnode-monitor> ;