diff --git a/flow-typed/fb-watchman.js b/flow-typed/fb-watchman.js
index 38b6ea89b5..2f722eeda9 100644
--- a/flow-typed/fb-watchman.js
+++ b/flow-typed/fb-watchman.js
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ declare module 'fb-watchman' {
   declare type WatchmanSubscribeResponse = $ReadOnly<{
     subscribe: string,
     warning?: string,
+    'asserted-states': $ReadOnlyArray<string>,
     ...
   }>;
 
diff --git a/packages/metro-file-map/src/Watcher.js b/packages/metro-file-map/src/Watcher.js
index d4763a5ab1..48904416cf 100644
--- a/packages/metro-file-map/src/Watcher.js
+++ b/packages/metro-file-map/src/Watcher.js
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ type WatcherOptions = {
 };
 
 interface WatcherBackend {
+  getPauseReason(): ?string;
   close(): Promise<void>;
 }
 
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ let nextInstanceId = 0;
 export type HealthCheckResult =
   | {type: 'error', timeout: number, error: Error, watcher: ?string}
   | {type: 'success', timeout: number, timeElapsed: number, watcher: ?string}
-  | {type: 'timeout', timeout: number, watcher: ?string};
+  | {type: 'timeout', timeout: number, watcher: ?string, pauseReason: ?string};
 
 export class Watcher {
   _options: WatcherOptions;
@@ -249,13 +250,14 @@ export class Watcher {
       '-' +
       healthCheckId;
     const healthCheckPath = path.join(this._options.rootDir, basename);
-    let result;
+    let result: ?HealthCheckResult;
     const timeoutPromise = new Promise(resolve =>
       setTimeout(resolve, timeout),
     ).then(() => {
       if (!result) {
         result = {
           type: 'timeout',
+          pauseReason: this._backends[0]?.getPauseReason(),
           timeout,
           watcher,
         };
diff --git a/packages/metro-file-map/src/watchers/FSEventsWatcher.js b/packages/metro-file-map/src/watchers/FSEventsWatcher.js
index 6dbd77af96..1a69cf15e3 100644
--- a/packages/metro-file-map/src/watchers/FSEventsWatcher.js
+++ b/packages/metro-file-map/src/watchers/FSEventsWatcher.js
@@ -204,4 +204,8 @@ export default class FSEventsWatcher extends EventEmitter {
     this.emit(type, file, this.root, stat);
     this.emit(ALL_EVENT, type, file, this.root, stat);
   }
+
+  getPauseReason(): ?string {
+    return null;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/packages/metro-file-map/src/watchers/NodeWatcher.js b/packages/metro-file-map/src/watchers/NodeWatcher.js
index 76a2dd63f2..c96c30dcb6 100644
--- a/packages/metro-file-map/src/watchers/NodeWatcher.js
+++ b/packages/metro-file-map/src/watchers/NodeWatcher.js
@@ -330,6 +330,10 @@ module.exports = class NodeWatcher extends EventEmitter {
     this.emit(type, file, this.root, stat);
     this.emit(ALL_EVENT, type, file, this.root, stat);
   }
+
+  getPauseReason(): ?string {
+    return null;
+  }
 };
 /**
  * Determine if a given FS error can be ignored
diff --git a/packages/metro-file-map/src/watchers/WatchmanWatcher.js b/packages/metro-file-map/src/watchers/WatchmanWatcher.js
index 1d25d0fe43..84e1f60c6b 100644
--- a/packages/metro-file-map/src/watchers/WatchmanWatcher.js
+++ b/packages/metro-file-map/src/watchers/WatchmanWatcher.js
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ export default class WatchmanWatcher extends EventEmitter {
     root: string,
   }>;
   watchmanDeferStates: $ReadOnlyArray<string>;
+  #deferringStates: Set<string> = new Set();
 
   constructor(dir: string, opts: WatcherOptions) {
     super();
@@ -157,7 +158,7 @@ export default class WatchmanWatcher extends EventEmitter {
       );
     }
 
-    function onSubscribe(error: ?Error, resp: WatchmanSubscribeResponse) {
+    const onSubscribe = (error: ?Error, resp: WatchmanSubscribeResponse) => {
       if (handleError(self, error)) {
         return;
       }
@@ -165,8 +166,12 @@ export default class WatchmanWatcher extends EventEmitter {
 
       handleWarning(resp);
 
+      for (const state of resp['asserted-states']) {
+        this.#deferringStates.add(state);
+      }
+
       self.emit('ready');
-    }
+    };
 
     self.client.command(['watch-project', getWatchRoot()], onWatchProject);
   }
@@ -199,22 +204,25 @@ export default class WatchmanWatcher extends EventEmitter {
     if (Array.isArray(resp.files)) {
       resp.files.forEach(change => this._handleFileChange(change));
     }
+    const {'state-enter': stateEnter, 'state-leave': stateLeave} = resp;
     if (
-      resp['state-enter'] != null &&
-      (this.watchmanDeferStates ?? []).includes(resp['state-enter'])
+      stateEnter != null &&
+      (this.watchmanDeferStates ?? []).includes(stateEnter)
     ) {
+      this.#deferringStates.add(stateEnter);
       debug(
         'Watchman reports "%s" just started. Filesystem notifications are paused.',
-        resp['state-enter'],
+        stateEnter,
       );
     }
     if (
-      resp['state-leave'] != null &&
-      (this.watchmanDeferStates ?? []).includes(resp['state-leave'])
+      stateLeave != null &&
+      (this.watchmanDeferStates ?? []).includes(stateLeave)
     ) {
+      this.#deferringStates.delete(stateLeave);
       debug(
         'Watchman reports "%s" ended. Filesystem notifications resumed.',
-        resp['state-leave'],
+        stateLeave,
       );
     }
   }
@@ -295,6 +303,21 @@ export default class WatchmanWatcher extends EventEmitter {
   async close() {
     this.client.removeAllListeners();
     this.client.end();
+    this.#deferringStates.clear();
+  }
+
+  getPauseReason(): ?string {
+    if (this.#deferringStates.size) {
+      const states = [...this.#deferringStates];
+      if (states.length === 1) {
+        return `The watch is in the '${states[0]}' state.`;
+      }
+      return `The watch is in the ${states
+        .slice(0, -1)
+        .map(s => `'${s}'`)
+        .join(', ')} and '${states[states.length - 1]}' states.`;
+    }
+    return null;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/metro/src/lib/TerminalReporter.js b/packages/metro/src/lib/TerminalReporter.js
index 0b4b5da645..7fcb5ce16a 100644
--- a/packages/metro/src/lib/TerminalReporter.js
+++ b/packages/metro/src/lib/TerminalReporter.js
@@ -437,7 +437,11 @@ class TerminalReporter {
     // Don't be spammy; only report changes in status.
     if (
       !this._prevHealthCheckResult ||
-      result.type !== this._prevHealthCheckResult.type
+      result.type !== this._prevHealthCheckResult.type ||
+      (result.type === 'timeout' &&
+        this._prevHealthCheckResult.type === 'timeout' &&
+        (result.pauseReason ?? null) !==
+          (this._prevHealthCheckResult.pauseReason ?? null))
     ) {
       const watcherName = "'" + (result.watcher ?? 'unknown') + "'";
       switch (result.type) {
@@ -456,9 +460,14 @@ class TerminalReporter {
           );
           break;
         case 'timeout':
+          const why =
+            result.pauseReason != null
+              ? ` This may be because: ${result.pauseReason}`
+              : '';
           reporting.logWarning(
             this.terminal,
-            `Watcher ${watcherName} failed to detect a file change within ${result.timeout}ms.`,
+            `Watcher ${watcherName} failed to detect a file change within ${result.timeout}ms.` +
+              why,
           );
           break;
       }