diff --git a/packages/core/lib/bundler/bundler.ts b/packages/core/lib/bundler/bundler.ts
index 70cdc84b..c9ecf32e 100644
--- a/packages/core/lib/bundler/bundler.ts
+++ b/packages/core/lib/bundler/bundler.ts
@@ -91,7 +91,6 @@ export class ReactNativeEsbuildBundler extends BundlerEventEmitter {
     this.on('report', (event) => {
       this.broadcastToReporter(event);
     });
-    this.setupWatcher();
   }
 
   private broadcastToReporter(event: ReportableEvent): void {
@@ -121,17 +120,23 @@ export class ReactNativeEsbuildBundler extends BundlerEventEmitter {
   }
 
   private setupWatcher(): void {
+    logger.debug('setup watcher');
     FileSystemWatcher.getInstance()
-      .setHandler((changedFile, stats) => {
-        if (this.buildTasks.size > 0) {
+      .setHandler((event, changedFile, stats) => {
+        if (this.buildTasks.size > 0 && event === 'change') {
           ReactNativeEsbuildBundler.shared.watcher = {
             changed: changedFile,
             stats,
           };
+        } else {
+          ReactNativeEsbuildBundler.shared.watcher = {
+            changed: null,
+            stats: undefined,
+          };
         }
 
-        for (const { context } of this.buildTasks.values()) {
-          context.rebuild();
+        for (const { context, handler } of this.buildTasks.values()) {
+          context.rebuild().catch((error) => handler?.rejecter?.(error));
         }
       })
       .watch(this.root);
@@ -312,20 +317,22 @@ export class ReactNativeEsbuildBundler extends BundlerEventEmitter {
 
     if (!this.buildTasks.has(targetTaskId)) {
       logger.debug(`bundle task not registered (id: ${targetTaskId})`);
+      this.setupWatcher();
       const buildOptions = await this.getBuildOptionsForBundler(
         'watch',
         bundleOptions,
         additionalData,
       );
+      const handler = createPromiseHandler();
       const context = await esbuild.context(buildOptions);
       this.buildTasks.set(targetTaskId, {
         context,
-        handler: createPromiseHandler(),
+        handler,
         status: 'pending',
         buildCount: 0,
       });
       // trigger first build
-      context.rebuild();
+      context.rebuild().catch((error) => handler.rejecter?.(error));
       logger.debug(`bundle task is now watching (id: ${targetTaskId})`);
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/core/lib/watcher/FileSystemWatcher.ts b/packages/core/lib/watcher/FileSystemWatcher.ts
index ef52e73d..12ddddc9 100644
--- a/packages/core/lib/watcher/FileSystemWatcher.ts
+++ b/packages/core/lib/watcher/FileSystemWatcher.ts
@@ -13,9 +13,11 @@ const WATCH_EXTENSIONS_REGEXP = new RegExp(
 );
 
 export class FileSystemWatcher {
+  public static DEBOUNCE_DELAY = 300;
   private static instance: FileSystemWatcher | null = null;
   private watcher: chokidar.FSWatcher | null = null;
-  private onWatch?: (path: string, stats?: Stats) => void;
+  private onWatch?: (event: string, path: string, stats?: Stats) => void;
+  private debounceTimer?: NodeJS.Timeout;
 
   private constructor() {
     // empty constructor
@@ -28,15 +30,24 @@ export class FileSystemWatcher {
     return FileSystemWatcher.instance;
   }
 
-  private handleWatch(path: string, stats?: Stats): void {
+  private handleWatch(event: string, path: string, stats?: Stats): void {
     logger.debug('event received from watcher', { path });
-    if (!WATCH_EXTENSIONS_REGEXP.test(path)) {
+    if (
+      this.debounceTimer !== undefined ||
+      !WATCH_EXTENSIONS_REGEXP.test(path)
+    ) {
       return;
     }
-    this.onWatch?.(path, stats);
+
+    this.debounceTimer = setTimeout(() => {
+      this.debounceTimer = undefined;
+      this.onWatch?.(event, path, stats);
+    }, FileSystemWatcher.DEBOUNCE_DELAY);
   }
 
-  setHandler(handler: (path: string, stats?: Stats) => void): this {
+  setHandler(
+    handler: (event: string, path: string, stats?: Stats) => void,
+  ): this {
     this.onWatch = handler;
     return this;
   }
@@ -49,23 +60,34 @@ export class FileSystemWatcher {
 
     const ignoreDirectories = [path.join(targetPath, LOCAL_CACHE_DIR)];
 
+    const addListener = (
+      event: 'add' | 'addDir' | 'change' | 'unlink' | 'unlinkDir',
+    ): void => {
+      if (!this.watcher) return;
+      this.watcher.on(event, (path, stats) => {
+        // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-argument -- allow
+        this.handleWatch(event, path, stats);
+      });
+    };
+
     this.watcher = chokidar
       .watch(targetPath, {
         alwaysStat: true,
         ignoreInitial: true,
         ignored: ignoreDirectories,
       })
-      .on('add', this.handleWatch.bind(this) as typeof this.handleWatch)
-      .on('addDir', this.handleWatch.bind(this) as typeof this.handleWatch)
-      .on('change', this.handleWatch.bind(this) as typeof this.handleWatch)
-      .on('unlink', this.handleWatch.bind(this) as typeof this.handleWatch)
-      .on('unlinkDir', this.handleWatch.bind(this) as typeof this.handleWatch)
       .on('ready', () => {
         logger.debug(`watching '${targetPath}'`);
       })
       .on('error', (error) => {
         logger.error('unexpected error on watcher', error);
       });
+
+    addListener('addDir');
+    addListener('unlinkDir');
+    addListener('add');
+    addListener('change');
+    addListener('unlink');
   }
 
   close(): void {