diff --git a/daemon/daemon.c b/daemon/daemon.c
index cefd7ab62..26f1c1d2d 100644
--- a/daemon/daemon.c
+++ b/daemon/daemon.c
@@ -559,17 +559,14 @@ daemon_start (void * raw_arg,
         daemon_reconfigure (arg);
 
     /* maybe add a watchdir */
+    if (tr_variantDictFindBool (settings, TR_KEY_watch_dir_enabled, &boolVal) && boolVal)
     {
         const char * dir;
 
-        if (tr_variantDictFindBool (settings, TR_KEY_watch_dir_enabled, &boolVal)
-            && boolVal
-            && tr_variantDictFindStr (settings, TR_KEY_watch_dir, &dir, NULL)
-            && dir
-            && *dir)
+        if (tr_variantDictFindStr (settings, TR_KEY_watch_dir, &dir, NULL) && dir != NULL && *dir != '\0')
         {
             tr_logAddInfo ("Watching \"%s\" for new .torrent files", dir);
-            if ((watchdir = tr_watchdir_new (dir, &onFileAdded, mySession, ev_base)) == NULL)
+            if ((watchdir = tr_watchdir_new (dir, &onFileAdded, mySession, ev_base, false)) == NULL)
                 goto cleanup;
         }
     }
diff --git a/libtransmission/CMakeLists.txt b/libtransmission/CMakeLists.txt
index 83e8abfd0..bc3911efb 100644
--- a/libtransmission/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libtransmission/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -259,11 +259,22 @@ if(ENABLE_TESTS)
 
     set(crypto-test_ADD_SOURCES crypto-test-ref.h)
 
+    set(watchdir@generic-test_DEFINITIONS WATCHDIR_TEST_FORCE_GENERIC)
+
     foreach(T bitfield blocklist clients crypto error file history json magnet metainfo move peer-msgs quark rename rpc session
-              tr-getopt utils variant watchdir)
+              tr-getopt utils variant watchdir watchdir@generic)
         set(TP ${TR_NAME}-test-${T})
-        add_executable(${TP} ${T}-test.c ${${T}-test_ADD_SOURCES})
+        if(T MATCHES "^([^@]+)@.+$")
+            string(REPLACE "@" "_" TP "${TP}")
+            set(${TP}_TEST_BASENAME "${CMAKE_MATCH_1}")
+        else()
+            set(${TP}_TEST_BASENAME "${T}")
+        endif()
+        add_executable(${TP} ${${TP}_TEST_BASENAME}-test.c ${${T}-test_ADD_SOURCES})
         target_link_libraries(${TP} ${TR_NAME} ${TR_NAME}-test)
+        if(DEFINED ${T}-test_DEFINITIONS)
+            target_compile_definitions(${TP} PRIVATE ${${T}-test_DEFINITIONS})
+        endif()
         add_test(NAME ${T} COMMAND ${TP})
         set_property(TARGET ${TP} PROPERTY FOLDER "UnitTests")
     endforeach()
diff --git a/libtransmission/Makefile.am b/libtransmission/Makefile.am
index b39b1ef34..f91769a95 100644
--- a/libtransmission/Makefile.am
+++ b/libtransmission/Makefile.am
@@ -188,7 +188,8 @@ TESTS = \
   tr-getopt-test \
   utils-test \
   variant-test \
-  watchdir-test
+  watchdir-test \
+  watchdir-generic-test
 
 noinst_PROGRAMS = $(TESTS)
 
@@ -289,6 +290,11 @@ watchdir_test_SOURCES = watchdir-test.c $(TEST_SOURCES)
 watchdir_test_LDADD = ${apps_ldadd}
 watchdir_test_LDFLAGS = ${apps_ldflags}
 
+watchdir_generic_test_SOURCES = watchdir-test.c $(TEST_SOURCES)
+watchdir_generic_test_LDADD = ${apps_ldadd}
+watchdir_generic_test_LDFLAGS = ${apps_ldflags}
+watchdir_generic_test_CPPFLAGS = -DWATCHDIR_TEST_FORCE_GENERIC $(AM_CPPFLAGS)
+
 rename_test_SOURCES = rename-test.c $(TEST_SOURCES)
 rename_test_LDADD = ${apps_ldadd}
 rename_test_LDFLAGS = ${apps_ldflags}
diff --git a/libtransmission/watchdir-test.c b/libtransmission/watchdir-test.c
index d77b7bf73..8ed8b30bc 100644
--- a/libtransmission/watchdir-test.c
+++ b/libtransmission/watchdir-test.c
@@ -97,6 +97,21 @@ create_dir (const char * parent_dir,
   tr_free (path);
 }
 
+tr_watchdir_t
+create_watchdir (const char        * path,
+                 tr_watchdir_cb      callback,
+                 void              * callback_user_data,
+                 struct event_base * event_base)
+{
+#ifdef WATCHDIR_TEST_FORCE_GENERIC
+  const bool force_generic = true;
+#else
+  const bool force_generic = false;
+#endif
+
+  return tr_watchdir_new (path, callback, callback_user_data, event_base, force_generic);
+}
+
 /***
 ****
 ***/
@@ -109,7 +124,7 @@ test_construct (void)
 
   ev_base = event_base_new();
 
-  wd = tr_watchdir_new (test_dir, &callback, NULL, ev_base);
+  wd = create_watchdir (test_dir, &callback, NULL, ev_base);
   check (wd != NULL);
   check (tr_sys_path_is_same (test_dir, tr_watchdir_get_path (wd), NULL));
 
@@ -136,7 +151,7 @@ test_initial_scan (void)
     callback_data wd_data = CB_DATA_STATIC_INIT;
     reset_callback_data (&wd_data, TR_WATCHDIR_ACCEPT);
 
-    tr_watchdir_t wd = tr_watchdir_new (test_dir, &callback, &wd_data, ev_base);
+    tr_watchdir_t wd = create_watchdir (test_dir, &callback, &wd_data, ev_base);
     check (wd != NULL);
 
     process_events ();
@@ -153,7 +168,7 @@ test_initial_scan (void)
     callback_data wd_data = CB_DATA_STATIC_INIT;
     reset_callback_data (&wd_data, TR_WATCHDIR_ACCEPT);
 
-    tr_watchdir_t wd = tr_watchdir_new (test_dir, &callback, &wd_data, ev_base);
+    tr_watchdir_t wd = create_watchdir (test_dir, &callback, &wd_data, ev_base);
     check (wd != NULL);
 
     process_events ();
@@ -184,7 +199,7 @@ test_watch (void)
   tr_watchdir_generic_interval = ONE_HUNDRED_MSEC;
 
   reset_callback_data (&wd_data, TR_WATCHDIR_ACCEPT);
-  wd = tr_watchdir_new (test_dir, &callback, &wd_data, ev_base);
+  wd = create_watchdir (test_dir, &callback, &wd_data, ev_base);
   check (wd != NULL);
 
   process_events ();
@@ -239,11 +254,11 @@ test_watch_two_dirs (void)
   create_dir (dir2, NULL);
 
   reset_callback_data (&wd1_data, TR_WATCHDIR_ACCEPT);
-  wd1 = tr_watchdir_new (dir1, &callback, &wd1_data, ev_base);
+  wd1 = create_watchdir (dir1, &callback, &wd1_data, ev_base);
   check (wd1 != NULL);
 
   reset_callback_data (&wd2_data, TR_WATCHDIR_ACCEPT);
-  wd2 = tr_watchdir_new (dir2, &callback, &wd2_data, ev_base);
+  wd2 = create_watchdir (dir2, &callback, &wd2_data, ev_base);
   check (wd2 != NULL);
 
   process_events ();
@@ -347,7 +362,7 @@ test_retry (void)
   tr_watchdir_retry_max_interval = tr_watchdir_retry_start_interval;
 
   reset_callback_data (&wd_data, TR_WATCHDIR_RETRY);
-  wd = tr_watchdir_new (test_dir, &callback, &wd_data, ev_base);
+  wd = create_watchdir (test_dir, &callback, &wd_data, ev_base);
   check (wd != NULL);
 
   process_events ();
diff --git a/libtransmission/watchdir.c b/libtransmission/watchdir.c
index b51368892..a774a7a64 100644
--- a/libtransmission/watchdir.c
+++ b/libtransmission/watchdir.c
@@ -232,7 +232,8 @@ tr_watchdir_t
 tr_watchdir_new (const char        * path,
                  tr_watchdir_cb      callback,
                  void              * callback_user_data,
-                 struct event_base * event_base)
+                 struct event_base * event_base,
+                 bool                force_generic)
 {
   tr_watchdir_t handle;
 
@@ -243,18 +244,21 @@ tr_watchdir_new (const char        * path,
   handle->event_base = event_base;
   tr_watchdir_retries_init (&handle->active_retries);
 
+  if (!force_generic)
+    {
 #ifdef WITH_INOTIFY
-  if (handle->backend == NULL)
-    handle->backend = tr_watchdir_inotify_new (handle);
+      if (handle->backend == NULL)
+        handle->backend = tr_watchdir_inotify_new (handle);
 #endif
 #ifdef WITH_KQUEUE
-  if (handle->backend == NULL)
-    handle->backend = tr_watchdir_kqueue_new (handle);
+      if (handle->backend == NULL)
+        handle->backend = tr_watchdir_kqueue_new (handle);
 #endif
 #ifdef _WIN32
-  if (handle->backend == NULL)
-    handle->backend = tr_watchdir_win32_new (handle);
+      if (handle->backend == NULL)
+        handle->backend = tr_watchdir_win32_new (handle);
 #endif
+    }
 
   if (handle->backend == NULL)
     handle->backend = tr_watchdir_generic_new (handle);
diff --git a/libtransmission/watchdir.h b/libtransmission/watchdir.h
index 766abf3ef..ff818beb2 100644
--- a/libtransmission/watchdir.h
+++ b/libtransmission/watchdir.h
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ typedef tr_watchdir_status (* tr_watchdir_cb) (tr_watchdir_t   handle,
 tr_watchdir_t   tr_watchdir_new      (const char        * path,
                                       tr_watchdir_cb      callback,
                                       void              * callback_user_data,
-                                      struct event_base * event_base);
+                                      struct event_base * event_base,
+                                      bool                force_generic);
 
 void            tr_watchdir_free     (tr_watchdir_t       handle);