diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 856e358e..87c438c9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -145,6 +145,9 @@ func main() {
 		k.Print()
 	})
 
+	// To stop a file watcher, call:
+	// f.Unwatch()
+
 	// Block forever (and manually make a change to mock/mock.json) to
 	// reload the config.
 	log.Println("waiting forever. Try making a change to mock/mock.json to live reload")
diff --git a/go.work.sum b/go.work.sum
index c2837736..eab7bcf8 100644
--- a/go.work.sum
+++ b/go.work.sum
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ golang.org/x/mod v0.8.0/go.mod h1:iBbtSCu2XBx23ZKBPSOrRkjjQPZFPuis4dIYUhu/chs=
 golang.org/x/net v0.21.0/go.mod h1:bIjVDfnllIU7BJ2DNgfnXvpSvtn8VRwhlsaeUTyUS44=
 golang.org/x/oauth2 v0.7.0/go.mod h1:hPLQkd9LyjfXTiRohC/41GhcFqxisoUQ99sCUOHO9x4=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.4.0/go.mod h1:oPkhp1MJrh7nUepCBck5+mAzfO9JrbApNNgaTdGDITg=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.14.0/go.mod h1:/VUhepiaJMQUp4+oa/7Zr1D23ma6VTLIYjOOTFZPUcA=
 golang.org/x/term v0.15.0/go.mod h1:BDl952bC7+uMoWR75FIrCDx79TPU9oHkTZ9yRbYOrX0=
 golang.org/x/term v0.18.0/go.mod h1:ILwASektA3OnRv7amZ1xhE/KTR+u50pbXfZ03+6Nx58=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.6.0/go.mod h1:Xwgl3UAJ/d3gWutnCtw505GrjyAbvKui8lOU390QaIU=
diff --git a/providers/file/file.go b/providers/file/file.go
index 4ccc62af..b3990125 100644
--- a/providers/file/file.go
+++ b/providers/file/file.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/fsnotify/fsnotify"
@@ -16,6 +17,12 @@ import (
 // File implements a File provider.
 type File struct {
 	path string
+	w    *fsnotify.Watcher
+
+	// Using Int32 for Go 1.18 backwards compatibility.
+	// Bool was added in 1.19
+	isWatching  atomic.Int32
+	isUnwatched atomic.Int32
 }
 
 // Provider returns a file provider.
@@ -36,6 +43,11 @@ func (f *File) Read() (map[string]interface{}, error) {
 // Watch watches the file and triggers a callback when it changes. It is a
 // blocking function that internally spawns a goroutine to watch for changes.
 func (f *File) Watch(cb func(event interface{}, err error)) error {
+	// If a watcher already exists, return an error.
+	if f.isWatching.Load() == 1 {
+		return errors.New("file is already being watched")
+	}
+
 	// Resolve symlinks and save the original path so that changes to symlinks
 	// can be detected.
 	realPath, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(f.path)
@@ -48,11 +60,13 @@ func (f *File) Watch(cb func(event interface{}, err error)) error {
 	// the whole parent directory to pick up all events such as symlink changes.
 	fDir, _ := filepath.Split(f.path)
 
-	w, err := fsnotify.NewWatcher()
+	f.w, err = fsnotify.NewWatcher()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	f.isWatching.Store(1)
+
 	var (
 		lastEvent     string
 		lastEventTime time.Time
@@ -62,9 +76,13 @@ func (f *File) Watch(cb func(event interface{}, err error)) error {
 	loop:
 		for {
 			select {
-			case event, ok := <-w.Events:
+			case event, ok := <-f.w.Events:
 				if !ok {
-					cb(nil, errors.New("fsnotify watch channel closed"))
+					// Only throw an error if it was not an explicit unwatch.
+					if f.isUnwatched.Load() == 0 {
+						cb(nil, errors.New("fsnotify watch channel closed"))
+					}
+
 					break loop
 				}
 
@@ -108,9 +126,13 @@ func (f *File) Watch(cb func(event interface{}, err error)) error {
 				cb(nil, nil)
 
 			// There's an error.
-			case err, ok := <-w.Errors:
+			case err, ok := <-f.w.Errors:
 				if !ok {
-					cb(nil, errors.New("fsnotify err channel closed"))
+					// Only throw an error if it was not an explicit unwatch.
+					if f.isUnwatched.Load() == 0 {
+						cb(nil, errors.New("fsnotify err channel closed"))
+					}
+
 					break loop
 				}
 
@@ -120,9 +142,17 @@ func (f *File) Watch(cb func(event interface{}, err error)) error {
 			}
 		}
 
-		w.Close()
+		f.isWatching.Store(0)
+		f.isUnwatched.Store(0)
+		f.w.Close()
 	}()
 
 	// Watch the directory for changes.
-	return w.Add(fDir)
+	return f.w.Add(fDir)
+}
+
+// Unwatch stops watching the files and closes fsnotify watcher.
+func (f *File) Unwatch() error {
+	f.isUnwatched.Store(1)
+	return f.w.Close()
 }
diff --git a/tests/koanf_test.go b/tests/koanf_test.go
index edf5eeb8..16ab9537 100644
--- a/tests/koanf_test.go
+++ b/tests/koanf_test.go
@@ -533,6 +533,55 @@ func TestWatchFileSymlink(t *testing.T) {
 	}, "symlink watch reload didn't change config")
 }
 
+func TestUnwatchFile(t *testing.T) {
+	var (
+		assert = assert.New(t)
+		k      = koanf.New(delim)
+	)
+
+	// Create a tmp config file.
+	tmpDir := t.TempDir()
+	tmpFile := filepath.Join(tmpDir, "koanf_mock")
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(tmpFile, []byte(`{"parent": {"name": "name1"}}`), 0600))
+
+	// Load the new config file.
+	f := file.Provider(tmpFile)
+	k.Load(f, json.Parser())
+
+	// Watch.
+	reloaded := false
+	f.Watch(func(event interface{}, err error) {
+		reloaded = true
+		assert.NoError(err)
+	})
+
+	// Change the file and check whether the watch triggered.
+	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+	os.WriteFile(tmpFile, []byte(`{"parent": {"name": "name2"}}`), 0600)
+	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+	assert.True(reloaded, "watched file didn't reload")
+
+	// Unwatch the file and verify that the watch didn't triger.
+	assert.NoError(f.Unwatch())
+	reloaded = false
+	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+	os.WriteFile(tmpFile, []byte(`{"parent": {"name": "name3"}}`), 0600)
+	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+	assert.False(reloaded, "unwatched file reloaded")
+
+	// Re-watch and check again.
+	reloaded = false
+	f.Watch(func(event interface{}, err error) {
+		reloaded = true
+		assert.NoError(err)
+	})
+	os.WriteFile(tmpFile, []byte(`{"parent": {"name": "name4"}}`), 0600)
+	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+	assert.True(reloaded, "watched file didn't reload")
+
+	f.Unwatch()
+}
+
 func TestLoadMerge(t *testing.T) {
 	var (
 		assert = assert.New(t)