diff --git a/community/io/src/main/java/org/neo4j/io/fs/watcher/DefaultFileSystemWatcher.java b/community/io/src/main/java/org/neo4j/io/fs/watcher/DefaultFileSystemWatcher.java
index 8000f9469f77d..895d01e9011de 100644
--- a/community/io/src/main/java/org/neo4j/io/fs/watcher/DefaultFileSystemWatcher.java
+++ b/community/io/src/main/java/org/neo4j/io/fs/watcher/DefaultFileSystemWatcher.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
  */
 package org.neo4j.io.fs.watcher;
 
+import com.sun.nio.file.SensitivityWatchEventModifier;
 import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
 
 import java.io.File;
@@ -41,6 +42,8 @@
  */
 public class DefaultFileSystemWatcher implements FileWatcher
 {
+    private static final WatchEvent.Kind[] OBSERVED_EVENTS =
+            new WatchEvent.Kind[]{StandardWatchEventKinds.ENTRY_DELETE, StandardWatchEventKinds.ENTRY_MODIFY};
     private final WatchService watchService;
     private final List<FileWatchEventListener> listeners = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
     private volatile boolean watch;
@@ -57,8 +60,7 @@ public WatchedResource watch( File file ) throws IOException
         {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException( "Only directories can be registered to be monitored." );
         }
-        WatchKey watchKey = file.toPath()
-                .register( watchService, StandardWatchEventKinds.ENTRY_DELETE, StandardWatchEventKinds.ENTRY_MODIFY );
+        WatchKey watchKey = file.toPath().register( watchService, OBSERVED_EVENTS, SensitivityWatchEventModifier.HIGH );
         return new WatchedFile( watchKey );
     }
 
diff --git a/community/neo4j/src/test/java/org/neo4j/store/watch/FileWatchIT.java b/community/neo4j/src/test/java/org/neo4j/store/watch/FileWatchIT.java
index 0a78261502e09..d58bfcba8086c 100644
--- a/community/neo4j/src/test/java/org/neo4j/store/watch/FileWatchIT.java
+++ b/community/neo4j/src/test/java/org/neo4j/store/watch/FileWatchIT.java
@@ -97,9 +97,12 @@ public void notifyAboutStoreFileDeletion() throws Exception
         DeletionLatchEventListener deletionListener = new DeletionLatchEventListener( fileName );
         fileWatcher.addFileWatchEventListener( deletionListener );
 
-        createNode( database );
-        forceCheckpoint( checkpointer );
-        deletionListener.awaitModificationNotification();
+        do
+        {
+            createNode( database );
+            forceCheckpoint( checkpointer );
+        }
+        while ( !deletionListener.awaitModificationNotification() );
 
         deleteFile( storeDir, fileName );
         deletionListener.awaitDeletionNotification();
@@ -140,9 +143,12 @@ public void notifyAboutLegacyIndexFolderRemoval() throws InterruptedException, I
         fileWatcher.addFileWatchEventListener( deletionListener );
         fileWatcher.addFileWatchEventListener( modificationEventListener );
 
-        createNode( database );
-        forceCheckpoint( checkPointer );
-        modificationEventListener.awaitModificationNotification();
+        do
+        {
+            createNode( database );
+            forceCheckpoint( checkPointer );
+        }
+        while ( !modificationEventListener.awaitModificationNotification() );
 
         deleteStoreDirectory( storeDir, monitoredDirectory );
         deletionListener.awaitDeletionNotification();
@@ -168,18 +174,24 @@ public void doNotNotifyAboutLuceneIndexFilesDeletion() throws InterruptedExcepti
         String propertyName = "propertyName";
         Label testLabel = Label.label( labelName );
         createIndexes( database, propertyName, testLabel );
-        createNode( database, propertyName, testLabel );
-        forceCheckpoint( checkPointer );
-        modificationListener.awaitModificationNotification();
+        do
+        {
+            createNode( database, propertyName, testLabel );
+            forceCheckpoint( checkPointer );
+        }
+        while ( !modificationListener.awaitModificationNotification() );
 
         fileWatcher.removeFileWatchEventListener( modificationListener );
         ModificationEventListener afterRemovalListener = new ModificationEventListener( propertyStoreName );
         fileWatcher.addFileWatchEventListener( afterRemovalListener );
 
         dropAllIndexes( database );
-        createNode( database, propertyName, testLabel );
-        forceCheckpoint( checkPointer );
-        afterRemovalListener.awaitModificationNotification();
+        do
+        {
+            createNode( database, propertyName, testLabel );
+            forceCheckpoint( checkPointer );
+        }
+        while ( !afterRemovalListener.awaitModificationNotification() );
 
         accumulativeListener.assertDoesNotHaveAnyDeletions();
     }
@@ -195,9 +207,12 @@ public void doNotMonitorTransactionLogFiles() throws InterruptedException, IOExc
                 new ModificationEventListener( MetaDataStore.DEFAULT_NAME );
         fileWatcher.addFileWatchEventListener( modificationEventListener );
 
-        createNode( database );
-        forceCheckpoint( checkpointer );
-        modificationEventListener.awaitModificationNotification();
+        do
+        {
+            createNode( database );
+            forceCheckpoint( checkpointer );
+        }
+        while ( !modificationEventListener.awaitModificationNotification() );
 
         String fileName = PhysicalLogFile.DEFAULT_NAME + ".0";
         DeletionLatchEventListener deletionListener = new DeletionLatchEventListener( fileName );
@@ -222,10 +237,12 @@ public void notifyWhenWholeStoreDirectoryRemoved() throws IOException, Interrupt
 
         ModificationEventListener modificationListener = new ModificationEventListener( fileName );
         fileWatcher.addFileWatchEventListener( modificationListener );
-        createNode( database );
-        forceCheckpoint( checkpointer );
-
-        modificationListener.awaitModificationNotification();
+        do
+        {
+            createNode( database );
+            forceCheckpoint( checkpointer );
+        }
+        while ( !modificationListener.awaitModificationNotification() );
         fileWatcher.removeFileWatchEventListener( modificationListener );
 
         String storeDirectoryName = TestDirectory.DATABASE_DIRECTORY;
@@ -378,9 +395,9 @@ public void fileModified( String fileName )
             }
         }
 
-        void awaitModificationNotification() throws InterruptedException
+        boolean awaitModificationNotification() throws InterruptedException
         {
-            modificationLatch.await();
+            return modificationLatch.await(1, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
         }
     }