diff --git a/filewatcher.cc b/filewatcher.cc
index b76d92e..683e7fb 100644
--- a/filewatcher.cc
+++ b/filewatcher.cc
@@ -10,11 +10,11 @@ T_FilesWatcher::T_FilesWatcher( )
 { }
 
 T_FilesWatcher::T_FilesWatcher( T_FilesWatcher&& other ) noexcept
-	: fd( 0 ) , watched( std::move( other.watched ) )
+	: fd( 0 ) , watched_( std::move( other.watched_ ) )
 {
 	std::swap( fd , other.fd );
-	other.watched.clear( );
-	for ( T_WatchedFiles* wf : watched ) {
+	other.watched_.clear( );
+	for ( T_WatchedFiles* wf : watched_ ) {
 		if ( wf ) {
 			wf->watcher = this;
 		}
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ T_FilesWatcher::~T_FilesWatcher( )
 	if ( fd ) {
 		close( fd );
 	}
-	for ( T_WatchedFiles* wf : watched ) {
+	for ( T_WatchedFiles* wf : watched_ ) {
 		if ( wf ) {
 			wf->watcher = nullptr;
 		}
@@ -35,41 +35,148 @@ T_FilesWatcher::~T_FilesWatcher( )
 
 void T_FilesWatcher::check( )
 {
-	for ( T_WatchedFiles* wf : watched ) {
-		if ( wf ) {
-			wf->triggered = false;
-		}
+	// Reset triggered status
+	for ( T_WatchedFiles* wf : watched_ ) {
+		wf->triggered = false;
 	}
 
+	// Handle events from inotify
 	inotify_event ie;
 	while ( read( fd , &ie , sizeof( ie ) ) == sizeof( ie ) ) {
+		printf( "inotify wd %d / evt %x\n" , ie.wd , ie.mask ); fflush( stdout );
 		if ( ( ie.mask & ( IN_CLOSE_WRITE | IN_DELETE_SELF ) ) == 0 ) {
+			printf( " -> skipping this event\n" );
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		for ( T_WatchedFiles* wf : watched ) {
-			if ( !wf || wf->triggered ) {
-				continue;
-			}
-			auto const& idl( wf->identifiers );
-			if ( find( idl , ie.wd ) != idl.end( ) ) {
-				wf->triggered = true;
-				wf->callback( );
-			}
+		const auto pos( inotify_.find( ie.wd ) );
+		if ( pos == inotify_.end( ) ) {
+			printf( " -> no matching file\n" ); fflush( stdout );
+			continue;
+		}
+		printf( " -> file '%s'\n" , pos->second.c_str( ) );
+
+		auto& entry( fileWatchers_.find( pos->second )->second );
+		entry.trigger( );
+
+		if ( ( ie.mask & IN_DELETE_SELF ) != 0 ) {
+			printf( " -> deleted, added as missing\n" ); fflush( stdout );
+			inotify_rm_watch( fd , entry.wd );
+			missing_.push_back( pos->second );
+			entry.wd = -2;
+			inotify_.erase( entry.wd );
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Handle missing/deleted files
+	for ( auto it = missing_.begin( ) ; it < missing_.end( ) ; ++it ) {
+		auto const& path( *it );
+		//printf( "Checking missing file '%s'\n" , path.c_str( ) ); fflush( stdout );
+		const auto p( fileWatchers_.find( path ) );
+		//printf( " -> found? %c\n" , p != fileWatchers_.end( ) ? 'Y' : 'N' );
+		assert( p != fileWatchers_.end( ) );
+		//printf( " -> wd = %d\n" , p->second.wd );
+		assert( p->second.wd < 0 );
+		auto& we( p->second );
+
+		const auto nwd( inotify_add_watch( fd , path.c_str( ) ,
+				IN_CLOSE_WRITE | IN_DELETE_SELF ) );
+		//printf( " -> inotify add watch %d\n" , nwd ); fflush( stdout );
+		if ( nwd < 0 ) {
+			//printf( " -> still missing\n" ); fflush( stdout );
+			we.wd = -1;
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		// Trigger if this was really a missing file
+		if ( we.wd == -1 ) {
+			//printf( " -> triggering\n" ); fflush( stdout );
+			we.trigger( );
+		}
+
+		// Update cache
+		we.wd = nwd;
+		missing_.erase( it );
+		inotify_.emplace( nwd , path );
+	}
+}
+
+/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+void T_FilesWatcher::T_File_::trigger( )
+{
+	for ( T_WatchedFiles* const wf : watchers ) {
+		if ( !wf->triggered ) {
+			wf->triggered = true;
+			wf->callback( );
 		}
 	}
 }
 
+void T_FilesWatcher::watchFile(
+		__rd__ std::string const& path ,
+		__rd__ T_WatchedFiles* const watcher )
+{
+	//printf( "creating watch on '%s' for watcher %p\n" , path.c_str( ) , watcher ); fflush( stdout );
+	auto const exFilePos( fileWatchers_.find( path ) );
+	if ( exFilePos != fileWatchers_.end( ) ) {
+		//printf( " -> existing\n" ); fflush( stdout );
+		auto& wl( exFilePos->second.watchers );
+		if ( !Contains( wl , watcher ) ) {
+			wl.push_back( watcher );
+		}
+	} else {
+		T_File_ f;
+		f.wd = inotify_add_watch( fd , path.c_str( ) ,
+				IN_CLOSE_WRITE | IN_DELETE_SELF );
+		//printf( " -> inotify wd %d\n" , f.wd ); fflush( stdout );
+		if ( f.wd == -1 ) {
+			missing_.push_back( path );
+			//printf( " -> missing\n" ); fflush( stdout );
+		} else {
+			inotify_.emplace( f.wd , path );
+			//printf( " -> found\n" ); fflush( stdout );
+		}
+		f.watchers.push_back( watcher );
+		fileWatchers_.emplace( path , std::move( f ) );
+	}
+}
+
+void T_FilesWatcher::unwatchAll(
+		__rd__ T_WatchedFiles* const watcher )
+{
+	for ( auto& entry : fileWatchers_ ) {
+		auto& wl( entry.second.watchers );
+		const auto pos( find( wl , watcher ) );
+		if ( pos == wl.end( ) ) {
+			continue;
+		}
+		wl.erase( pos );
+		if ( wl.empty( ) ) {
+			const auto wd( entry.second.wd );
+			if ( wd < 0 ) {
+				auto const pos( find( missing_ , entry.first ) );
+				assert( pos != missing_.end( ) );
+				missing_.erase( pos );
+			} else {
+				inotify_rm_watch( fd , wd );
+				inotify_.erase( wd );
+			}
+			fileWatchers_.erase( entry.first );
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+
 /*= T_WatchedFiles ===========================================================*/
 
 T_WatchedFiles::T_WatchedFiles( T_WatchedFiles&& other ) noexcept
 	: watcher( other.watcher ) , callback( other.callback ) ,
-		triggered( other.triggered ) ,
-		identifiers( std::move( other.identifiers ) )
+		triggered( other.triggered )
 {
 	if ( watcher ) {
 		other.watcher = nullptr;
-		*( find( watcher->watched , &other ) ) = this;
+		*( find( watcher->watched_ , &other ) ) = this;
 	}
 }
 
@@ -78,43 +185,31 @@ T_WatchedFiles::T_WatchedFiles(
 		__rd__	const F_OnFileChanges callback )
 	: watcher( &watcher ) , callback( callback ) , triggered( false )
 {
-	watcher.watched.push_back( this );
+	watcher.watched_.push_back( this );
 }
 
 T_WatchedFiles::~T_WatchedFiles( )
 {
-	clear( );
 	if ( watcher ) {
-		watcher->watched.erase( find( watcher->watched , this ) );
+		watcher->unwatchAll( this );
+		watcher->watched_.erase( find( watcher->watched_ , this ) );
 	}
 }
 
 void T_WatchedFiles::clear( )
 {
 	if ( watcher ) {
-		const auto fd( watcher->fd );
-		for ( int wd : identifiers ) {
-			inotify_rm_watch( fd , wd );
-		}
+		watcher->unwatchAll( this );
 	}
-	identifiers.clear( );
 }
 
 bool T_WatchedFiles::watch(
 		__rd__	std::string const& file )
 {
-	static constexpr auto inFlags( IN_CLOSE_WRITE | IN_DELETE_SELF );
-	if ( watcher ) {
-		const auto wd( inotify_add_watch( watcher->fd ,
-					file.c_str( ) , inFlags ) );
-		if ( wd == -1 ) {
-			return false;
-		}
-		if ( find( identifiers , wd ) == identifiers.end( ) ) {
-			identifiers.push_back( wd );
-		}
-		return true;
+	if ( !watcher ) {
+		return false;
 	}
-	return false;
+	watcher->watchFile( file , this );
+	return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/filewatcher.hh b/filewatcher.hh
index 11d7861..18f32e3 100644
--- a/filewatcher.hh
+++ b/filewatcher.hh
@@ -6,6 +6,13 @@
 
 /*= T_FilesWatcher / T_WatchedFiles ==========================================*/
 
+/* So we need to be able to watch for files being created, updated and deleted.
+ * Watching for updates & deletions is pretty easy. For files being created,
+ * one has to watch the parent directory. In addition, the case where a file
+ * is being updated by rotation (move old, write new, rm old) needs to be
+ * handled correctly as it is what vim does.
+ */
+
 struct T_FilesWatcher;
 struct T_WatchedFiles;
 using F_OnFileChanges = std::function< void( void ) >;
@@ -23,8 +30,21 @@ struct T_FilesWatcher
 	void check( );
 
     private:
+	struct T_File_ {
+		int wd;
+		std::vector< T_WatchedFiles* > watchers;
+		void trigger( );
+	};
+
 	int fd;
-	std::vector< T_WatchedFiles* > watched;
+	std::map< std::string , T_File_ > fileWatchers_;
+	std::map< int , std::string > inotify_;
+	std::vector< std::string > missing_;
+	std::vector< T_WatchedFiles* > watched_;
+
+	void watchFile( __rd__ std::string const& path ,
+			__rd__ T_WatchedFiles* const watcher );
+	void unwatchAll( __rd__ T_WatchedFiles* const watcher );
 };
 
 /*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
@@ -50,6 +70,5 @@ struct T_WatchedFiles
 	T_FilesWatcher* watcher;
 	const F_OnFileChanges callback;
 	bool triggered;
-	std::vector< int > identifiers;
 };
 using P_WatchedFiles = std::unique_ptr< T_WatchedFiles >;
diff --git a/sync.cc b/sync.cc
index e220d2b..30dc174 100644
--- a/sync.cc
+++ b/sync.cc
@@ -276,10 +276,6 @@ void T_SyncManager::curvesChanged_( )
 	bool missing;
 	if ( !loadCurves_( missing ) && missing ) {
 		watcher_.reset( );
-	} else {
-		// XXX temp bullshit to work around the deletion problem
-		watcher_->clear( );
-		watcher_->watch( "curves.json" );
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/utilities.cc b/utilities.cc
index 2ab17c4..8a4f00a 100644
--- a/utilities.cc
+++ b/utilities.cc
@@ -40,6 +40,37 @@ void anglesToMatrix(
 	matrix[8] = c[0]*c[1];
 }
 
+/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+std::string GetAbsolutePath(
+		__rd__ std::string const& path )
+{
+	char* const rp( realpath( path.c_str( ) , nullptr ) );
+	if ( !rp ) {
+		return {};
+	}
+
+	const std::string rv( rp );
+	free( rp );
+	return rv;
+}
+
+std::string GetParentPath(
+		__rd__ std::string const& path )
+{
+	char buffer[ path.length( ) + 1 ];
+	strcpy( buffer , path.c_str( ) );
+
+	char* const rp( realpath( dirname( buffer ) , nullptr ) );
+	if ( !rp ) {
+		return {};
+	}
+
+	const std::string rv( rp );
+	free( rp );
+	return rv;
+}
+
 
 /*= JSON =====================================================================*/
 
diff --git a/utilities.hh b/utilities.hh
index 0918e43..f687314 100644
--- a/utilities.hh
+++ b/utilities.hh
@@ -59,6 +59,24 @@ inline auto find(
 	return std::find( collection.begin( ) , collection.end( ) , item );
 }
 
+template< typename T , typename I >
+inline bool Contains(
+		__rd__ T const& collection ,
+		__rd__ I const& item )
+{
+	return std::find( collection.begin( ) , collection.end( ) , item ) != collection.end( );
+}
+
+/*----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+
+// Get the absolute path
+std::string GetAbsolutePath(
+		__rd__ std::string const& path );
+
+// Get the absolute parent path for a (possibly relative) path
+std::string GetParentPath(
+		__rd__ std::string const& path );
+
 
 /*= JSON utilities ===========================================================*/