diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9b5dfcb2..f2a55f26 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 
 ## Fixed
 
+- Fix beholder watch functionality that would cause a NullPointerException earlier.
+
 ## Changed
 
 # 1.91.1392 (2024-05-23 / c2d7e1f)
diff --git a/doc/07_watch_mode.md b/doc/07_watch_mode.md
index e715cc83..b27de744 100644
--- a/doc/07_watch_mode.md
+++ b/doc/07_watch_mode.md
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@ interface, the provided links describes how they work in detail.
 
 ``` clojure
 #kaocha/v1
-{:kaocha.watch/ignore ["*.tmp"]}
+{:kaocha.watch/ignore ["**.tmp"]}
+; this will match all files ending in .tmp in the current directory and
+; any subdirectory 
 ```
 
 When running in watch mode you can press the Enter (Return) key to manually
diff --git a/src/kaocha/watch.clj b/src/kaocha/watch.clj
index 2da8ba71..35a9f44d 100644
--- a/src/kaocha/watch.clj
+++ b/src/kaocha/watch.clj
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@
             [lambdaisland.tools.namespace.track :as ctn-track]
             [slingshot.slingshot :refer [try+]]
             [nextjournal.beholder :as beholder])
-  (:import (java.nio.file FileSystems)
+  (:import (java.io File)
+           (java.nio.file FileSystems Path PathMatcher)
            (java.util.concurrent ArrayBlockingQueue BlockingQueue)))
 
 (defn make-queue []
@@ -93,9 +94,10 @@
   for a description of the patterns, these are similar but not the same as
   typical shell glob patterns."
   [path patterns]
+  (assert (instance? Path path))
   (let [fs (FileSystems/getDefault)
         patterns (map #(.getPathMatcher fs (str "glob:" %)) patterns)]
-    (some #(.matches % path) patterns)))
+    (some #(.matches ^PathMatcher % path) patterns)))
 
 (defn convert
   "Converts a Git-style ignore pattern into the equivalent pattern that Java PathMatcher uses."
@@ -153,7 +155,7 @@
   "Finds ignore files in the local directory and the system."
   [dir]
   (let [absolute-files [(io/file (str (System/getProperty "user.home") "/.config/git/ignore"))]
-        relative-files (filter #(glob? (.toPath %) ["**.gitignore" "**.ignore"]) (file-seq (io/file dir)))]
+        relative-files (filter #(glob? (.toPath ^File %) ["**.gitignore" "**.ignore"]) (file-seq (io/file dir)))]
     (into absolute-files relative-files)))
 
 (defn merge-ignore-files
@@ -169,7 +171,7 @@
 (defn wait-and-rescan! [q tracker watch-paths ignore]
   (let [f (qtake q)]
     (cond
-      (and (file? f) (glob? (.toPath f) ignore))
+      (and (file? f) (glob? (.toPath ^File f) ignore))
       (recur q tracker watch-paths ignore)
 
       (directory? f)
@@ -281,7 +283,7 @@ errors as test errors."
                    (map io/file))
              (:kaocha/tests config))
        ;; Without this, if any path doesn't exist the watching doesn't work.
-       (filter (fn [x] (.exists ^java.io.File x)))))
+       (filter (fn [x] (.exists ^File x)))))
 
 (defmulti watch! :type)
 
@@ -295,8 +297,9 @@ errors as test errors."
 (defmethod watch! :beholder [{:keys [q watch-paths]}]
   (apply beholder/watch
          (fn [{:keys [type path]}]
+           (assert (instance? Path path))
            (when (contains? #{:modify :create} type)
-             (qput q path)))
+             (qput q (.toFile ^Path path))))
          (map str watch-paths)))
 
 (defn run* [config finish? q]
@@ -307,7 +310,7 @@ errors as test errors."
                        {})
         watch-paths (if (:kaocha.watch/use-ignore-file config)
                       (set/union (watch-paths config)
-                                 (set (map #(.getParentFile (.getCanonicalFile %)) (find-ignore-files "."))))
+                                 (set (map #(.getParentFile (.getCanonicalFile ^File %)) (find-ignore-files "."))))
                       (watch-paths config))
         tracker (ctn-track/tracker)
         ;; if t.n fails due to circular dependencies, do not track-reload.