diff --git a/src/__tests__/volume.test.ts b/src/__tests__/volume.test.ts
index 9aea5c26c..31a905f45 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/volume.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/volume.test.ts
@@ -1090,6 +1090,42 @@ describe('volume', () => {
       });
     });
     describe('.watch(path[, options], listener)', () => {
+      it('should handle watching a file correctly', () => {
+        const vol = Volume.fromJSON({ '/tmp/foo.js': 'hello test' });
+        vol.writeFileSync('/tmp/foo.js', 'hello test');
+
+        const mockCallback = jest.fn();
+        const writtenContent = 'hello world';
+        const watcher = vol.watch('/tmp/foo.js', mockCallback as any);
+
+        try {
+          vol.writeFileSync('/tmp/foo.js', writtenContent);
+
+          expect(mockCallback).toBeCalledTimes(2);
+          expect(mockCallback).toBeCalledWith('change', 'foo.js');
+        } finally {
+          watcher.close();
+        }
+      });
+
+      it('should handle watching a directory correctly', () => {
+        const vol = Volume.fromJSON({ '/tmp/foo.js': 'hello test' });
+        vol.mkdirSync('/tmp/foo-dir');
+
+        const mockCallback = jest.fn();
+        const writtenContent = 'hello world';
+        const watcher = vol.watch('/tmp/foo-dir', mockCallback as any);
+
+        try {
+          vol.writeFileSync('/tmp/foo-dir/foo.js', writtenContent);
+
+          expect(mockCallback).toBeCalledTimes(1);
+          expect(mockCallback).toBeCalledWith('rename', 'foo.js');
+        } finally {
+          watcher.close();
+        }
+      });
+
       it('Calls listener on .watch when renaming with recursive=true', done => {
         const vol = new Volume();
         vol.mkdirSync('/test');
diff --git a/src/volume.ts b/src/volume.ts
index 9282003a1..78d7726af 100644
--- a/src/volume.ts
+++ b/src/volume.ts
@@ -2759,7 +2759,15 @@ export class FSWatcher extends EventEmitter {
     const watchLinkNodeChanged = (link: Link) => {
       const filepath = link.getPath();
       const node = link.getNode();
-      const onNodeChange = () => this.emit('change', 'change', relative(this._filename, filepath));
+      const onNodeChange = () => {
+        let filename = relative(this._filename, filepath);
+
+        if (!filename) {
+          filename = this._getName();
+        }
+
+        return this.emit('change', 'change', filename);
+      };
       node.on('change', onNodeChange);
 
       const removers = this._listenerRemovers.get(node.ino) ?? [];