diff --git a/extra/io/unix/macosx/macosx.factor b/extra/io/unix/macosx/macosx.factor
index 136035991c..bd48fbc9b5 100644
--- a/extra/io/unix/macosx/macosx.factor
+++ b/extra/io/unix/macosx/macosx.factor
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ T{ macosx-io } set-io-backend
 TUPLE: macosx-monitor ;
 
 : enqueue-notifications ( triples monitor -- )
-    monitor-queue [
-        [ first { +modify-file+ } swap changed-file ] each
-    ] bind ;
+    tuck monitor-queue
+    [ [ first { +modify-file+ } swap changed-file ] each ] bind
+    notify-callback ;
 
 M: macosx-io <monitor>
     drop
@@ -25,4 +25,3 @@ M: macosx-io <monitor>
 
 M: macosx-monitor dispose
     dup simple-monitor-handle dispose delegate dispose ;
-
diff --git a/extra/vocabs/monitor/monitor.factor b/extra/vocabs/monitor/monitor.factor
index 24aa8b1d99..e5b9a8c3a1 100755
--- a/extra/vocabs/monitor/monitor.factor
+++ b/extra/vocabs/monitor/monitor.factor
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-USING: threads io.files io.monitors init kernel tools.browser ;
+USING: threads io.files io.monitors init kernel tools.browser
+continuations ;
 IN: vocabs.monitor
 
 ! Use file system change monitoring to flush the tags/authors
@@ -7,8 +8,11 @@ IN: vocabs.monitor
     dup next-change 2drop reset-cache update-thread ;
 
 : start-update-thread
+    #! Silently ignore errors during monitor creation since
+    #! monitors are not supported on all platforms.
     [
-        "" resource-path t <monitor> update-thread
+        [ "" resource-path t <monitor> ] [ drop f ] recover
+        [ update-thread ] when*
     ] in-thread ;
 
 [ start-update-thread ] "tools.browser" add-init-hook