diff --git a/src/core/generation.cpp b/src/core/generation.cpp
index f91bc182..49451f4a 100644
--- a/src/core/generation.cpp
+++ b/src/core/generation.cpp
@@ -162,6 +162,11 @@ void EngineGeneration::setWatchingFiles(bool watching) {
 				this->watcher->addPath(QFileInfo(file).dir().absolutePath());
 			}
 
+			for (auto& file: this->extraWatchedFiles) {
+				this->watcher->addPath(file);
+				this->watcher->addPath(QFileInfo(file).dir().absolutePath());
+			}
+
 			QObject::connect(
 			    this->watcher,
 			    &QFileSystemWatcher::fileChanged,
@@ -184,6 +189,22 @@ void EngineGeneration::setWatchingFiles(bool watching) {
 	}
 }
 
+bool EngineGeneration::setExtraWatchedFiles(const QVector<QString>& files) {
+	this->extraWatchedFiles.clear();
+	for (const auto& file: files) {
+		if (!this->scanner.scannedFiles.contains(file)) {
+			this->extraWatchedFiles.append(file);
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (this->watcher) {
+		this->setWatchingFiles(false);
+		this->setWatchingFiles(true);
+	}
+
+	return !this->extraWatchedFiles.isEmpty();
+}
+
 void EngineGeneration::onFileChanged(const QString& name) {
 	if (!this->watcher->files().contains(name)) {
 		this->deletedWatchedFiles.push_back(name);
diff --git a/src/core/generation.hpp b/src/core/generation.hpp
index f0c4d02a..b033cebc 100644
--- a/src/core/generation.hpp
+++ b/src/core/generation.hpp
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ public:
 	// assumes root has been initialized, consumes old generation
 	void onReload(EngineGeneration* old);
 	void setWatchingFiles(bool watching);
+	bool setExtraWatchedFiles(const QVector<QString>& files);
 
 	void registerIncubationController(QQmlIncubationController* controller);
 	void deregisterIncubationController(QQmlIncubationController* controller);
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ public:
 	SingletonRegistry singletonRegistry;
 	QFileSystemWatcher* watcher = nullptr;
 	QVector<QString> deletedWatchedFiles;
+	QVector<QString> extraWatchedFiles;
 	DelayedQmlIncubationController delayedIncubationController;
 	bool reloadComplete = false;
 	QuickshellGlobal* qsgInstance = nullptr;
diff --git a/src/core/rootwrapper.cpp b/src/core/rootwrapper.cpp
index 6950aa92..0656b558 100644
--- a/src/core/rootwrapper.cpp
+++ b/src/core/rootwrapper.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include "../window/floatingwindow.hpp"
 #include "generation.hpp"
 #include "instanceinfo.hpp"
+#include "logging.hpp"
 #include "qmlglobal.hpp"
 #include "scan.hpp"
 
@@ -63,16 +64,20 @@ void RootWrapper::reloadGraph(bool hard) {
 	url.setScheme("qsintercept");
 	auto component = QQmlComponent(generation->engine, url);
 
-	auto* newRoot = component.beginCreate(generation->engine->rootContext());
+	if (!component.isReady()) {
+		qCritical() << "Failed to load configuration:";
+		auto error = component.errorString().trimmed();
+		qCCritical(logBare).noquote() << error;
 
-	if (newRoot == nullptr) {
-		const QString error = "failed to create root component\n" + component.errorString();
-		qWarning().noquote() << error;
+		auto newFiles = generation->scanner.scannedFiles;
 		generation->destroy();
 
 		if (this->generation != nullptr) {
-			auto showPopup = true;
+			if (this->generation->setExtraWatchedFiles(newFiles)) {
+				qInfo() << "Watching additional files picked up in reload for changes...";
+			}
 
+			auto showPopup = true;
 			if (this->generation->qsgInstance != nullptr) {
 				this->generation->qsgInstance->clearReloadPopupInhibit();
 				emit this->generation->qsgInstance->reloadFailed(error);
@@ -89,6 +94,8 @@ void RootWrapper::reloadGraph(bool hard) {
 		return;
 	}
 
+	auto* newRoot = component.beginCreate(generation->engine->rootContext());
+
 	if (auto* item = qobject_cast<QQuickItem*>(newRoot)) {
 		auto* window = new FloatingWindowInterface();
 		item->setParent(window);