diff --git a/Build/Notepad3.ini b/Build/Notepad3.ini
index 8a339cff8..e663f3f44 100644
--- a/Build/Notepad3.ini
+++ b/Build/Notepad3.ini
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ SettingsVersion=5
 ;DenyVirtualSpaceAccess=0
 ;filebrowser.exe=minipath.exe
 ;grepWin.exe=grepWinNP3.exe
-;FileCheckInterval=2000
+;FileCheckInterval=2000   (min: 500[msec] - if equal or less, notify immediately)
 ;FileChangedIndicator=[@]
 ;FileDeletedIndicator=[X]
 ;FileDlgFilters=
diff --git a/src/Config/Config.cpp b/src/Config/Config.cpp
index 14e9a303b..b34ff9591 100644
--- a/src/Config/Config.cpp
+++ b/src/Config/Config.cpp
@@ -1257,7 +1257,7 @@ void LoadSettings()
         }
         bDirtyFlag = true;
     }
-    Settings2.FileCheckInterval = clampul(Settings2.FileCheckInterval, 120UL, (24UL*60*60*1000) << 1); // min: 120msec  max: 48h
+    Settings2.FileCheckInterval = clampul(Settings2.FileCheckInterval, MIN_FC_POLL_INTERVAL, (24UL * 60 * 60 * 1000) << 1); // min: 500msec  max: 48h
     FileWatching.FileCheckInterval = Settings2.FileCheckInterval;
 
     IniSectionGetString(IniSecSettings2, L"FileChangedIndicator", L"[@]", Settings2.FileChangedIndicator, COUNTOF(Settings2.FileChangedIndicator));
diff --git a/src/Helpers.h b/src/Helpers.h
index 80ef4a5e2..9fe86b38a 100644
--- a/src/Helpers.h
+++ b/src/Helpers.h
@@ -420,11 +420,13 @@ bool IsRunAsAdmin();
 
 void        BackgroundWorker_Init(BackgroundWorker* worker, HWND hwnd, const HPATHL hFilePath);
 void        BackgroundWorker_Start(BackgroundWorker* worker, _beginthreadex_proc_type routine, LPVOID property);
-void        BackgroundWorker_Cancel(BackgroundWorker *worker);
-void        BackgroundWorker_Destroy(BackgroundWorker *worker);
+void        BackgroundWorker_Cancel(BackgroundWorker* worker);
+void        BackgroundWorker_Destroy(BackgroundWorker* worker);
 
+inline bool BackgroundWorker_Continue(BackgroundWorker* worker) { 
+    return (worker) ? (WaitForSingleObject(worker->eventCancel, 0) != WAIT_OBJECT_0) : false;
+}
 inline void BackgroundWorker_End(BackgroundWorker* worker, unsigned int retcode) { if (worker) { _endthreadex(retcode); }}
-inline bool BackgroundWorker_Continue(BackgroundWorker* worker) { return (worker) ? (WaitForSingleObject(worker->eventCancel, 0) != WAIT_OBJECT_0) : false; }
 
 
 bool BitmapMergeAlpha(HBITMAP hbmp,COLORREF crDest);
diff --git a/src/Notepad3.c b/src/Notepad3.c
index 1baa5b231..079345619 100644
--- a/src/Notepad3.c
+++ b/src/Notepad3.c
@@ -12581,17 +12581,24 @@ unsigned int WINAPI FileChangeObserver(LPVOID lpParam)
 
         BackgroundWorker* const worker = &(pFCOBSVData->worker);
 
+        assert(!IS_VALID_HANDLE(pFCOBSVData->hFileChanged) && "ChangeHandle not properly closed!");
+
+        pFCOBSVData->hFileChanged = FindFirstChangeNotificationW(Path_Get(pFCOBSVData->worker.hFilePath), false,
+            FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_FILE_NAME | FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_DIR_NAME |
+            FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_ATTRIBUTES | FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_SIZE |
+            FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_LAST_WRITE);
+
         while (BackgroundWorker_Continue(worker)) {
 
-            switch (WaitForSingleObject(pFCOBSVData->hFileChanged, (FileWatching.FileCheckInterval >> 1))) {
+            switch (WaitForSingleObject(pFCOBSVData->hFileChanged, 100)) {
 
             case WAIT_TIMEOUT:
-                // okay, wait again until done
+                // okay, check BGWorker cancellation or wait again until done
                 break;
 
             case WAIT_OBJECT_0:
-                if (/*FileWatching.MonitoringLog*/ false) {
-                    NotifyIfFileHasChanged(false); // immediate notification
+                if (pFCOBSVData->bNotifyImmediate) {
+                    NotifyIfFileHasChanged(/*(!)*/false); // immediate notification
                 } else {
                     WatchTimerProc(NULL, 0, 0ULL, 0); // rely on FileCheckInterval
                 }
@@ -12607,7 +12614,7 @@ unsigned int WINAPI FileChangeObserver(LPVOID lpParam)
             }
         }
 
-        FindCloseChangeNotification(pFCOBSVData->hFileChanged);
+        FindCloseChangeNotification(pFCOBSVData->hFileChanged); // stop monitoring
         pFCOBSVData->hFileChanged = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
 
         BackgroundWorker_End(worker, retcode);
@@ -12633,6 +12640,8 @@ void InstallFileWatching(const bool bInstall) {
     bool const bExclusiveLock = (FileWatching.FileWatchingMode == FWM_EXCLUSIVELOCK);
     bool const bWatchFile = (FileWatching.FileWatchingMode != FWM_DONT_CARE) && !bExclusiveLock;
 
+    s_FileChgObsvrData.bNotifyImmediate = (FileWatching.FileCheckInterval <= MIN_FC_POLL_INTERVAL);
+
     // always release exclusive file lock in any case
     if (IS_VALID_HANDLE(_hCurrFileHandle)) {
         CloseHandle(_hCurrFileHandle);
@@ -12661,12 +12670,7 @@ void InstallFileWatching(const bool bInstall) {
                 // Save data of current file
                 ResetFileObservationData(false); // (!) false
 
-                assert(!IS_VALID_HANDLE(s_FileChgObsvrData.hFileChanged) && "ChangeHandle not properly closed!");
-
-                s_FileChgObsvrData.hFileChanged = FindFirstChangeNotificationW(Path_Get(hdir_pth), false,
-                    FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_FILE_NAME | FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_DIR_NAME |
-                    FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_ATTRIBUTES | FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_SIZE |
-                    FILE_NOTIFY_CHANGE_LAST_WRITE);
+                Path_Reset(s_FileChgObsvrData.worker.hFilePath, Path_Get(hdir_pth)); // directory monitoring
 
                 BackgroundWorker_Start(&(s_FileChgObsvrData.worker), FileChangeObserver, &s_FileChgObsvrData);
             }
diff --git a/src/TypeDefs.h b/src/TypeDefs.h
index 9eb7ab1b5..06b22cba8 100644
--- a/src/TypeDefs.h
+++ b/src/TypeDefs.h
@@ -852,11 +852,14 @@ typedef struct FCOBSRVDATA_T {
     HANDLE            hEventFileDeleted;
 
     HANDLE            hFileChanged;  // FindFirstChangeNotification()
+    bool              bNotifyImmediate;
     BackgroundWorker  worker;
 
 } FCOBSRVDATA_T, *PFCOBSRVDATA_T;
 
-#define INIT_FCOBSRV_T { 0UL, { 0 }, INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE, INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE, INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE, { NULL, INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE, INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE, NULL } }
+#define INIT_FCOBSRV_T { 0UL, { 0 }, INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE, INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE, INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE, false, { NULL, INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE, INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE, NULL } }
+
+#define MIN_FC_POLL_INTERVAL (500UL)
 
 //=============================================================================