diff --git a/crates/memofs/src/lib.rs b/crates/memofs/src/lib.rs
index 62c72557..c99acb1a 100644
--- a/crates/memofs/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/memofs/src/lib.rs
@@ -419,6 +419,11 @@ impl Vfs {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Returns whether automatic file watching is currently enabled.
+    pub fn is_watch_enabled(&self) -> bool {
+        self.inner.lock().unwrap().watch_enabled
+    }
+
     /// Turns automatic file watching on or off. Enabled by default.
     ///
     /// Turning off file watching may be useful for single-use cases, especially
@@ -1008,6 +1013,63 @@ mod test {
         }
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn prefetch_cache_walked_roots_fast_reject() {
+        let mut imfs = InMemoryFs::new();
+        imfs.load_snapshot(
+            "/root",
+            VfsSnapshot::dir(HashMap::from([
+                ("known.txt", VfsSnapshot::file("hello")),
+                (
+                    "subdir",
+                    VfsSnapshot::dir(HashMap::from([("nested.txt", VfsSnapshot::file("world"))])),
+                ),
+            ])),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        imfs.load_snapshot("/outside/other.txt", VfsSnapshot::file("external"))
+            .unwrap();
+
+        let vfs = Vfs::new(imfs);
+        let mut is_file = HashMap::new();
+        is_file.insert(PathBuf::from("/root"), false);
+        is_file.insert(PathBuf::from("/root/known.txt"), true);
+        is_file.insert(PathBuf::from("/root/subdir"), false);
+
+        vfs.set_prefetch_cache(PrefetchCache {
+            files: HashMap::new(),
+            is_file,
+            children: HashMap::new(),
+            dir_init: HashMap::new(),
+            walked_roots: vec![PathBuf::from("/root")],
+        });
+
+        let known = vfs.metadata("/root/known.txt").unwrap();
+        assert!(
+            known.is_file(),
+            "cached entry should return correct metadata"
+        );
+
+        let subdir = vfs.metadata("/root/subdir").unwrap();
+        assert!(
+            subdir.is_dir(),
+            "cached directory should return correct metadata"
+        );
+
+        let missing = vfs.metadata("/root/subdir/nested.txt");
+        assert!(
+            missing.is_err(),
+            "path under walked root but not in cache should return NotFound"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(missing.unwrap_err().kind(), io::ErrorKind::NotFound);
+
+        let outside = vfs.metadata("/outside/other.txt").unwrap();
+        assert!(
+            outside.is_file(),
+            "path outside walked roots should fall through to backend"
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn prefetch_cache_read_after_write_ignores_cache() {
         let mut imfs = InMemoryFs::new();
diff --git a/crates/memofs/src/std_backend.rs b/crates/memofs/src/std_backend.rs
index f3c2c145..bf44ca28 100644
--- a/crates/memofs/src/std_backend.rs
+++ b/crates/memofs/src/std_backend.rs
@@ -331,12 +331,8 @@ impl VfsBackend for StdBackend {
     }
 
     fn watch(&mut self, path: &Path, recursive: bool) -> io::Result<()> {
-        if self.watches.contains(path) {
-            if !recursive || self.recursive_watches.contains(path) {
-                return Ok(());
-            }
-            // Upgrade: path was watched non-recursively, now needs recursive.
-            // Fall through to re-issue the watch with RecursiveMode::Recursive.
+        if self.watches.contains(path) && (!recursive || self.recursive_watches.contains(path)) {
+            return Ok(());
         }
         if path
             .ancestors()
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index c7b4f501..1269c257 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -39,6 +39,6 @@ pub use snapshot::{
     InstanceContext, InstanceMetadata, InstanceSnapshot, InstanceWithMeta, InstanceWithMetaMut,
     RojoDescendants, RojoTree,
 };
-pub use snapshot_middleware::{snapshot_from_vfs, Middleware, ScriptType};
+pub use snapshot_middleware::{snapshot_from_vfs, Middleware, ScriptType, INIT_FILE_PRIORITY};
 pub use syncback::{syncback_loop, FsSnapshot, SyncbackData, SyncbackResult, SyncbackSnapshot};
 pub use web::interface as web_api;
diff --git a/src/serve_session.rs b/src/serve_session.rs
index 010580bc..f71f756f 100644
--- a/src/serve_session.rs
+++ b/src/serve_session.rs
@@ -349,9 +349,10 @@ impl ServeSession {
 
         let snap_start = Instant::now();
         log::trace!("Generating snapshot of instances from VFS");
+        let was_watch_enabled = vfs.is_watch_enabled();
         vfs.set_watch_enabled(false);
         let snapshot = snapshot_from_vfs(&instance_context, vfs, start_path)?;
-        vfs.set_watch_enabled(true);
+        vfs.set_watch_enabled(was_watch_enabled);
         log::debug!("Snapshot built in {:.1?}", snap_start.elapsed());
 
         vfs.clear_prefetch_cache();
diff --git a/src/snapshot_middleware/mod.rs b/src/snapshot_middleware/mod.rs
index 29b880e8..c1273f73 100644
--- a/src/snapshot_middleware/mod.rs
+++ b/src/snapshot_middleware/mod.rs
@@ -544,6 +544,12 @@ mod test {
                 "DEFAULT_PROJECT_NAMES entry {project_name:?} missing from INIT_FILE_PRIORITY"
             );
         }
+        for &name in &priority_names {
+            assert!(
+                DEFAULT_PROJECT_NAMES.contains(&name),
+                "INIT_FILE_PRIORITY has Project entry {name:?} not in DEFAULT_PROJECT_NAMES"
+            );
+        }
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/tests/tests/build.rs b/tests/tests/build.rs
index 2d8865b3..69e6e0b4 100644
--- a/tests/tests/build.rs
+++ b/tests/tests/build.rs
@@ -263,12 +263,29 @@ fn parallel_snapshot_with_prefetch_cache() {
         children.sort_by(|a, b| a.file_name().cmp(&b.file_name()));
     }
 
+    let mut dir_init: HashMap<std::path::PathBuf, Option<(String, std::path::PathBuf)>> =
+        HashMap::new();
+    for (dir_path, child_paths) in &children_map {
+        let child_names: std::collections::HashSet<&str> = child_paths
+            .iter()
+            .filter_map(|p| p.file_name().and_then(|n| n.to_str()))
+            .collect();
+        let mut found = None;
+        for &(_, init_name) in librojo::INIT_FILE_PRIORITY {
+            if child_names.contains(init_name) {
+                found = Some((init_name.to_string(), dir_path.join(init_name)));
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        dir_init.insert(dir_path.clone(), found);
+    }
+
     let vfs_cached = memofs::Vfs::new_default();
     vfs_cached.set_prefetch_cache(memofs::PrefetchCache {
         files,
         is_file,
         children: children_map,
-        dir_init: std::collections::HashMap::new(),
+        dir_init,
         walked_roots: Vec::new(),
     });