diff --git a/extra/io/monitors/monitors-tests.factor b/extra/io/monitors/monitors-tests.factor
index 6407108a61..77d539259e 100644
--- a/extra/io/monitors/monitors-tests.factor
+++ b/extra/io/monitors/monitors-tests.factor
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ os { winnt linux macosx } member? [
         [ ] [ "m" get dispose ] unit-test
     ] with-monitors
 
-    
     [
         [ "monitor-test" temp-file delete-tree ] ignore-errors
         
@@ -88,4 +87,7 @@ os { winnt linux macosx } member? [
 
         [ ] [ "m" get dispose ] unit-test
     ] with-monitors
+
+    ! Out-of-scope disposal should not fail
+    [ "" resource-path t <monitor> ] with-monitors dispose
 ] when
diff --git a/extra/io/monitors/recursive/recursive.factor b/extra/io/monitors/recursive/recursive.factor
index 1b18015513..04d491edbe 100644
--- a/extra/io/monitors/recursive/recursive.factor
+++ b/extra/io/monitors/recursive/recursive.factor
@@ -1,15 +1,16 @@
 ! Copyright (C) 2008 Slava Pestov.
 ! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
 USING: accessors sequences assocs arrays continuations combinators kernel
-threads concurrency.messaging concurrency.mailboxes
-concurrency.promises
-io.files io.monitors ;
+threads concurrency.messaging concurrency.mailboxes concurrency.promises
+io.files io.monitors debugger ;
 IN: io.monitors.recursive
 
 ! Simulate recursive monitors on platforms that don't have them
 
 TUPLE: recursive-monitor < monitor children thread ready ;
 
+: notify? ( -- ? ) monitor tget ready>> promise-fulfilled? ;
+
 DEFER: add-child-monitor
 
 : qualify-path ( path -- path' )
@@ -17,25 +18,22 @@ DEFER: add-child-monitor
 
 : add-child-monitors ( path -- )
     #! We yield since this directory scan might take a while.
-    [
-        directory* [ first add-child-monitor yield ] each
-    ] curry ignore-errors ;
+    directory* [ first add-child-monitor ] each yield ;
 
 : add-child-monitor ( path -- )
+    notify? [ dup { +add-file+ } monitor tget queue-change ] when
     qualify-path dup link-info type>> +directory+ eq? [
         [ add-child-monitors ]
         [
-            [ f my-mailbox (monitor) ] keep
-            monitor tget children>> set-at
+            [
+                [ f my-mailbox (monitor) ] keep
+                monitor tget children>> set-at
+            ] curry ignore-errors
         ] bi
     ] [ drop ] if ;
 
-USE: io
-USE: prettyprint
-
 : remove-child-monitor ( monitor -- )
-    monitor tget children>> delete-at*
-    [ dispose ] [ drop ] if ;
+    monitor tget children>> delete-at* [ dispose ] [ drop ] if ;
 
 M: recursive-monitor dispose
     dup queue>> closed>> [
diff --git a/extra/io/unix/linux/monitors/monitors.factor b/extra/io/unix/linux/monitors/monitors.factor
index 15b9b61e89..cd17dfbbce 100644
--- a/extra/io/unix/linux/monitors/monitors.factor
+++ b/extra/io/unix/linux/monitors/monitors.factor
@@ -8,16 +8,18 @@ math math.bitfields sets alien alien.strings alien.c-types
 vocabs.loader accessors system hashtables ;
 IN: io.unix.linux.monitors
 
-TUPLE: linux-monitor < monitor wd ;
-
-: <linux-monitor> ( wd path mailbox -- monitor )
-    linux-monitor new-monitor
-        swap >>wd ;
-
 SYMBOL: watches
 
 SYMBOL: inotify
 
+TUPLE: linux-monitor < monitor wd inotify watches ;
+
+: <linux-monitor> ( wd path mailbox -- monitor )
+    linux-monitor new-monitor
+        inotify get >>inotify
+        watches get >>watches
+        swap >>wd ;
+
 : wd>monitor ( wd -- monitor ) watches get at ;
 
 : <inotify> ( -- port/f )
@@ -53,8 +55,13 @@ M: linux (monitor) ( path recursive? mailbox -- monitor )
     ] if ;
 
 M: linux-monitor dispose ( monitor -- )
-    [ wd>> watches get delete-at ]
-    [ wd>> inotify-fd swap inotify_rm_watch io-error ] bi ;
+    dup inotify>> closed>> [ drop ] [
+        [ [ wd>> ] [ watches>> ] bi delete-at ]
+        [
+            [ inotify>> handle>> ] [ wd>> ] bi
+            inotify_rm_watch io-error
+        ] bi
+    ] if ;
 
 : ignore-flags? ( mask -- ? )
     {