diff --git a/src/watch/index.ts b/src/watch/index.ts
index b798ad1ae..826bce1c3 100644
--- a/src/watch/index.ts
+++ b/src/watch/index.ts
@@ -32,14 +32,19 @@ const flags = {
 		description: 'Clearing the screen on rerun',
 		default: true,
 	},
+	// Deprecated
 	ignore: {
 		type: [String],
-		description: 'Paths & globs to exclude from being watched',
+		description: 'Paths & globs to exclude from being watched (Deprecated: use --exclude)',
 	},
 	include: {
 		type: [String],
 		description: 'Additional paths & globs to watch',
 	},
+	exclude: {
+		type: [String],
+		description: 'Paths & globs to exclude from being watched',
+	},
 } as const;
 
 export const watchCommand = command({
@@ -63,8 +68,11 @@ export const watchCommand = command({
 		noCache: argv.flags.noCache,
 		tsconfigPath: argv.flags.tsconfig,
 		clearScreen: argv.flags.clearScreen,
-		ignore: argv.flags.ignore,
 		include: argv.flags.include,
+		exclude: [
+			...argv.flags.ignore,
+			...argv.flags.exclude,
+		],
 		ipc: true,
 	};
 
@@ -217,7 +225,7 @@ export const watchCommand = command({
 				// 3rd party packages
 				'**/{node_modules,bower_components,vendor}/**',
 
-				...options.ignore,
+				...options.exclude,
 			],
 			ignorePermissionErrors: true,
 		},
diff --git a/tests/specs/watch.ts b/tests/specs/watch.ts
index 47d562b85..35bd4f7e8 100644
--- a/tests/specs/watch.ts
+++ b/tests/specs/watch.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import path from 'node:path';
 import { setTimeout } from 'node:timers/promises';
 import { testSuite, expect } from 'manten';
 import { createFixture } from 'fs-fixture';
@@ -222,14 +221,73 @@ export default testSuite(async ({ describe }, { tsx }: NodeApis) => {
 			}, 10_000);
 		});
 
-		describe('ignore', ({ test }) => {
-			test('file path & glob', async ({ onTestFinish, onTestFail }) => {
+		describe('include', ({ test }) => {
+			test('file path & glob', async () => {
+				const entryFile = 'index.js';
+				const fileA = 'file-a';
+				const fileB = 'directory/file-b';
+				await using fixture = await createFixture({
+					[entryFile]: `
+						import fs from 'fs/promises';
+						Promise.all([
+							fs.readFile('./${fileA}', 'utf8'),
+							fs.readFile('./${fileB}', 'utf8')
+						]).then(console.log, console.error);
+					`.trim(),
+					[fileA]: 'content-a',
+					[fileB]: 'content-b',
+				});
+
+				const tsxProcess = tsx(
+					[
+						'watch',
+						'--clear-screen=false',
+						`--include=${fileA}`,
+						'--include=directory/*',
+						entryFile,
+					],
+					fixture.path,
+				);
+
+				await processInteract(
+					tsxProcess.stdout!,
+					[
+						(data) => {
+							if (data.includes("'content-a', 'content-b'")) {
+								fixture.writeFile(fileA, 'update-a');
+								return true;
+							}
+						},
+						(data) => {
+							if (data.includes("'update-a', 'content-b'")) {
+								fixture.writeFile(fileB, 'update-b');
+								return true;
+							}
+						},
+						(data) => {
+							if (data.includes("'update-a', 'update-b'")) {
+								return true;
+							}
+						},
+					],
+					9000,
+				);
+
+				tsxProcess.kill();
+
+				const tsxProcessResolved = await tsxProcess;
+				expect(tsxProcessResolved.stderr).toBe('');
+			}, 10_000);
+		});
+
+		describe('exclude (ignore)', ({ test }) => {
+			test('file path & glob', async ({ onTestFail }) => {
 				const entryFile = 'index.js';
 				const fileA = 'file-a.js';
 				const fileB = 'directory/file-b.js';
 				const depA = 'node_modules/a/index.js';
 
-				const fixtureGlob = await createFixture({
+				await using fixtureGlob = await createFixture({
 					[fileA]: 'export default "logA"',
 					[fileB]: 'export default "logB"',
 					[depA]: 'export default "logC"',
@@ -241,14 +299,12 @@ export default testSuite(async ({ describe }, { tsx }: NodeApis) => {
 					`.trim(),
 				});
 
-				onTestFinish(async () => await fixtureGlob.rm());
-
 				const tsxProcess = tsx(
 					[
 						'watch',
 						'--clear-screen=false',
 						`--ignore=${fileA}`,
-						`--ignore=${path.join(fixtureGlob.path, 'directory/*')}`,
+						'--exclude=directory/*',
 						entryFile,
 					],
 					fixtureGlob.path,
@@ -300,64 +356,5 @@ export default testSuite(async ({ describe }, { tsx }: NodeApis) => {
 				expect(p.stderr).toBe('');
 			}, 10_000);
 		});
-
-		describe('watch additional files', ({ test }) => {
-			test('file path & glob', async () => {
-				const entryFile = 'index.js';
-				const fileA = 'file-a';
-				const fileB = 'directory/file-b';
-				await using fixture = await createFixture({
-					[entryFile]: `
-						import fs from 'fs/promises';
-						Promise.all([
-							fs.readFile('./${fileA}', 'utf8'),
-							fs.readFile('./${fileB}', 'utf8')
-						]).then(console.log, console.error);
-					`.trim(),
-					[fileA]: 'content-a',
-					[fileB]: 'content-b',
-				});
-
-				const tsxProcess = tsx(
-					[
-						'watch',
-						'--clear-screen=false',
-						`--include=${fileA}`,
-						'--include=directory/*',
-						entryFile,
-					],
-					fixture.path,
-				);
-
-				await processInteract(
-					tsxProcess.stdout!,
-					[
-						(data) => {
-							if (data.includes("'content-a', 'content-b'")) {
-								fixture.writeFile(fileA, 'update-a');
-								return true;
-							}
-						},
-						(data) => {
-							if (data.includes("'update-a', 'content-b'")) {
-								fixture.writeFile(fileB, 'update-b');
-								return true;
-							}
-						},
-						(data) => {
-							if (data.includes("'update-a', 'update-b'")) {
-								return true;
-							}
-						},
-					],
-					9000,
-				);
-
-				tsxProcess.kill();
-
-				const tsxProcessResolved = await tsxProcess;
-				expect(tsxProcessResolved.stderr).toBe('');
-			}, 10_000);
-		});
 	});
 });