diff --git a/lua/nvim-tree/actions/finders/find-file.lua b/lua/nvim-tree/actions/finders/find-file.lua
index 8fec0cb5ea6..725b77b037b 100644
--- a/lua/nvim-tree/actions/finders/find-file.lua
+++ b/lua/nvim-tree/actions/finders/find-file.lua
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ local view = require "nvim-tree.view"
 local utils = require "nvim-tree.utils"
 local renderer = require "nvim-tree.renderer"
 local core = require "nvim-tree.core"
+local reload = require "nvim-tree.explorer.reload"
 local Iterator = require "nvim-tree.iterators.node-iterator"
 
 local M = {}
@@ -12,18 +13,26 @@ local running = {}
 ---Find a path in the tree, expand it and focus it
 ---@param fname string full path
 function M.fn(fname)
-  if running[fname] or not core.get_explorer() then
+  if not core.get_explorer() then
     return
   end
-  running[fname] = true
 
-  local ps = log.profile_start("find file %s", fname)
   -- always match against the real path
   local fname_real = vim.loop.fs_realpath(fname)
   if not fname_real then
     return
   end
 
+  if running[fname_real] then
+    return
+  end
+  running[fname_real] = true
+
+  local ps = log.profile_start("find file %s", fname_real)
+
+  -- we cannot wait for watchers
+  reload.refresh_nodes_for_path(vim.fn.fnamemodify(fname_real, ":h"))
+
   local line = core.get_nodes_starting_line()
 
   local absolute_paths_searched = {}
@@ -60,9 +69,9 @@ function M.fn(fname)
     view.set_cursor { line, 0 }
   end
 
-  running[fname] = false
+  running[fname_real] = false
 
-  log.profile_end(ps, "find file %s", fname)
+  log.profile_end(ps, "find file %s", fname_real)
 end
 
 return M
diff --git a/lua/nvim-tree/actions/fs/create-file.lua b/lua/nvim-tree/actions/fs/create-file.lua
index f19e58041ef..35ec267d77d 100644
--- a/lua/nvim-tree/actions/fs/create-file.lua
+++ b/lua/nvim-tree/actions/fs/create-file.lua
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@ local utils = require "nvim-tree.utils"
 local events = require "nvim-tree.events"
 local lib = require "nvim-tree.lib"
 local core = require "nvim-tree.core"
-local watch = require "nvim-tree.explorer.watch"
 local notify = require "nvim-tree.notify"
 
+local find_file = require("nvim-tree.actions.finders.find-file").fn
+
 local M = {}
 
 local function create_and_notify(file)
@@ -99,22 +100,15 @@ function M.fn(node)
           is_error = true
           break
         end
+        events._dispatch_folder_created(new_file_path)
       end
     end
     if not is_error then
       notify.info(new_file_path .. " was properly created")
     end
-    events._dispatch_folder_created(new_file_path)
-    if M.enable_reload then
-      require("nvim-tree.actions.reloaders.reloaders").reload_explorer()
-    else
-      -- synchronous call required so that we may focus the file now
-      node = node.nodes ~= nil and node or node.parent
-      if node then
-        watch.refresh_path(node.absolute_path)
-      end
-    end
-    utils.focus_file(utils.path_remove_trailing(new_file_path))
+
+    -- synchronously refreshes as we can't wait for the watchers
+    find_file(utils.path_remove_trailing(new_file_path))
   end)
 end
 
diff --git a/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/init.lua b/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/init.lua
index a1559299e5c..8f34f9d7b38 100644
--- a/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/init.lua
+++ b/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/init.lua
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ function Explorer.new(cwd)
   local explorer = setmetatable({
     absolute_path = cwd,
     nodes = {},
-    watcher = watch.create_watcher(cwd),
     open = true,
   }, Explorer)
+  explorer.watcher = watch.create_watcher(explorer)
   explorer:_load(explorer)
   return explorer
 end
diff --git a/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/node-builders.lua b/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/node-builders.lua
index 1cc04f9a15e..86027cdcd81 100644
--- a/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/node-builders.lua
+++ b/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/node-builders.lua
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ function M.folder(parent, absolute_path, name)
   local handle = vim.loop.fs_scandir(absolute_path)
   local has_children = handle and vim.loop.fs_scandir_next(handle) ~= nil
 
-  return {
+  local node = {
     type = "directory",
     absolute_path = absolute_path,
     fs_stat = vim.loop.fs_stat(absolute_path),
@@ -20,8 +20,11 @@ function M.folder(parent, absolute_path, name)
     nodes = {},
     open = false,
     parent = parent,
-    watcher = watch.create_watcher(absolute_path),
   }
+
+  node.watcher = watch.create_watcher(node)
+
+  return node
 end
 
 function M.is_executable(parent, absolute_path, ext)
@@ -63,16 +66,18 @@ end
 function M.link(parent, absolute_path, name)
   --- I dont know if this is needed, because in my understanding, there isn't hard links in windows, but just to be sure i changed it.
   local link_to = vim.loop.fs_realpath(absolute_path)
-  local open, nodes, has_children, watcher
-  if (link_to ~= nil) and vim.loop.fs_stat(link_to).type == "directory" then
+  local open, nodes, has_children
+
+  local is_dir_link = (link_to ~= nil) and vim.loop.fs_stat(link_to).type == "directory"
+
+  if is_dir_link then
     local handle = vim.loop.fs_scandir(link_to)
     has_children = handle and vim.loop.fs_scandir_next(handle) ~= nil
     open = false
     nodes = {}
-    watcher = watch.create_watcher(link_to)
   end
 
-  return {
+  local node = {
     type = "link",
     absolute_path = absolute_path,
     fs_stat = vim.loop.fs_stat(absolute_path),
@@ -83,8 +88,13 @@ function M.link(parent, absolute_path, name)
     nodes = nodes,
     open = open,
     parent = parent,
-    watcher = watcher,
   }
+
+  if is_dir_link then
+    node.watcher = watch.create_watcher(node)
+  end
+
+  return node
 end
 
 return M
diff --git a/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/reload.lua b/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/reload.lua
index a7317461540..315bf34b61c 100644
--- a/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/reload.lua
+++ b/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/reload.lua
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ local filters = require "nvim-tree.explorer.filters"
 local sorters = require "nvim-tree.explorer.sorters"
 local live_filter = require "nvim-tree.live-filter"
 local notify = require "nvim-tree.notify"
+local git = require "nvim-tree.git"
+local log = require "nvim-tree.log"
+
+local NodeIterator = require "nvim-tree.iterators.node-iterator"
 
 local M = {}
 
@@ -17,6 +21,19 @@ local function update_status(nodes_by_path, node_ignored, status)
   end
 end
 
+local function reload_and_get_git_project(path)
+  local project_root = git.get_project_root(path)
+  git.reload_project(project_root, path)
+  return project_root, git.get_project(project_root) or {}
+end
+
+local function update_parent_statuses(node, project, root)
+  while project and node and node.absolute_path ~= root do
+    common.update_git_status(node, false, project)
+    node = node.parent
+  end
+end
+
 function M.reload(node, status)
   local cwd = node.link_to or node.absolute_path
   local handle = vim.loop.fs_scandir(cwd)
@@ -25,6 +42,8 @@ function M.reload(node, status)
     return
   end
 
+  local ps = log.profile_start("reload %s", node.absolute_path)
+
   if node.group_next then
     node.nodes = { node.group_next }
     node.group_next = nil
@@ -110,14 +129,65 @@ function M.reload(node, status)
     node.group_next = child_folder_only
     local ns = M.reload(child_folder_only, status)
     node.nodes = ns or {}
+    log.profile_end(ps, "reload %s", node.absolute_path)
     return ns
   end
 
   sorters.merge_sort(node.nodes, sorters.node_comparator)
   live_filter.apply_filter(node)
+  log.profile_end(ps, "reload %s", node.absolute_path)
   return node.nodes
 end
 
+---Refresh contents and git status for a single node
+---@param node table
+function M.refresh_node(node)
+  if type(node) ~= "table" then
+    return
+  end
+
+  local parent_node = utils.get_parent_of_group(node)
+
+  local project_root, project = reload_and_get_git_project(node.absolute_path)
+
+  require("nvim-tree.explorer.reload").reload(parent_node, project)
+
+  update_parent_statuses(parent_node, project, project_root)
+end
+
+---Refresh contents and git status for all nodes to a path: actual directory and links
+---@param path string absolute path
+function M.refresh_nodes_for_path(path)
+  local explorer = require("nvim-tree.core").get_explorer()
+  if not explorer then
+    return
+  end
+
+  local pn = string.format("refresh_nodes_for_path %s", path)
+  local ps = log.profile_start(pn)
+
+  NodeIterator.builder({ explorer })
+    :hidden()
+    :recursor(function(node)
+      if node.group_next then
+        return { node.group_next }
+      end
+      if node.nodes then
+        return node.nodes
+      end
+    end)
+    :applier(function(node)
+      local abs_contains = node.absolute_path and path:match("^" .. node.absolute_path)
+      local link_contains = node.link_to and path:match("^" .. node.link_to)
+      if abs_contains or link_contains then
+        M.refresh_node(node)
+      end
+    end)
+    :iterate()
+
+  log.profile_end(ps, pn)
+end
+
 function M.setup(opts)
   M.config = opts.renderer
 end
diff --git a/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/watch.lua b/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/watch.lua
index d42a47d5cf2..a24b0871d5d 100644
--- a/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/watch.lua
+++ b/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/watch.lua
@@ -1,23 +1,9 @@
 local log = require "nvim-tree.log"
 local utils = require "nvim-tree.utils"
-local git = require "nvim-tree.git"
 local Watcher = require("nvim-tree.watcher").Watcher
 
 local M = {}
 
-local function reload_and_get_git_project(path)
-  local project_root = git.get_project_root(path)
-  git.reload_project(project_root, path)
-  return project_root, git.get_project(project_root) or {}
-end
-
-local function update_parent_statuses(node, project, root)
-  while project and node and node.absolute_path ~= root do
-    require("nvim-tree.explorer.common").update_git_status(node, false, project)
-    node = node.parent
-  end
-end
-
 local function is_git(path)
   return vim.fn.fnamemodify(path, ":t") == ".git"
 end
@@ -46,39 +32,38 @@ local function is_folder_ignored(path)
   return false
 end
 
-function M.refresh_path(path)
-  log.line("watcher", "node event executing '%s'", path)
-  local n = utils.get_node_from_path(path)
-  if not n then
-    return
+function M.create_watcher(node)
+  if not M.enabled or type(node) ~= "table" then
+    return nil
   end
 
-  local node = utils.get_parent_of_group(n)
-  local project_root, project = reload_and_get_git_project(path)
-  require("nvim-tree.explorer.reload").reload(node, project)
-  update_parent_statuses(node, project, project_root)
-
-  require("nvim-tree.renderer").draw()
-end
-
-function M.create_watcher(absolute_path)
-  if not M.enabled then
-    return nil
+  local path
+  if node.type == "link" then
+    path = node.link_to
+  else
+    path = node.absolute_path
   end
-  if is_git(absolute_path) or is_folder_ignored(absolute_path) then
+
+  if is_git(path) or is_folder_ignored(path) then
     return nil
   end
 
   local function callback(watcher)
-    log.line("watcher", "node event scheduled %s", watcher.context)
+    log.line("watcher", "node event scheduled refresh %s", watcher.context)
     utils.debounce(watcher.context, M.debounce_delay, function()
-      M.refresh_path(watcher._path)
+      if node.link_to then
+        log.line("watcher", "node event executing refresh '%s' -> '%s'", node.link_to, node.absolute_path)
+      else
+        log.line("watcher", "node event executing refresh '%s'", node.absolute_path)
+      end
+      require("nvim-tree.explorer.reload").refresh_node(node)
+      require("nvim-tree.renderer").draw()
     end)
   end
 
   M.uid = M.uid + 1
-  return Watcher:new(absolute_path, nil, callback, {
-    context = "explorer:watch:" .. absolute_path .. ":" .. M.uid,
+  return Watcher:new(path, nil, callback, {
+    context = "explorer:watch:" .. path .. ":" .. M.uid,
   })
 end