diff --git a/src/config/ConfigDescriptions.hpp b/src/config/ConfigDescriptions.hpp
index 483f1f1f13a..8706c415177 100644
--- a/src/config/ConfigDescriptions.hpp
+++ b/src/config/ConfigDescriptions.hpp
@@ -1040,6 +1040,12 @@ inline static const std::vector<SConfigOptionDescription> CONFIG_OPTIONS = {
         .type        = CONFIG_OPTION_BOOL,
         .data        = SConfigOptionDescription::SBoolData{false},
     },
+    SConfigOptionDescription{
+        .value       = "misc:watch_symlinks",
+        .description = "If true and the config is a symlink, it will be reloaded when the symlink changes, not when the pointed file changes.",
+        .type        = CONFIG_OPTION_BOOL,
+        .data        = SConfigOptionDescription::SBoolData{false},
+    },
     SConfigOptionDescription{
         .value       = "misc:enable_swallow",
         .description = "Enable window swallowing",
diff --git a/src/config/ConfigManager.cpp b/src/config/ConfigManager.cpp
index 047c58d94c2..8b849fbf8da 100644
--- a/src/config/ConfigManager.cpp
+++ b/src/config/ConfigManager.cpp
@@ -411,6 +411,7 @@ CConfigManager::CConfigManager() {
     m_pConfig->addConfigValue("misc:animate_manual_resizes", Hyprlang::INT{0});
     m_pConfig->addConfigValue("misc:animate_mouse_windowdragging", Hyprlang::INT{0});
     m_pConfig->addConfigValue("misc:disable_autoreload", Hyprlang::INT{0});
+    m_pConfig->addConfigValue("misc:watch_symlinks", Hyprlang::INT{0});
     m_pConfig->addConfigValue("misc:enable_swallow", Hyprlang::INT{0});
     m_pConfig->addConfigValue("misc:swallow_regex", {STRVAL_EMPTY});
     m_pConfig->addConfigValue("misc:swallow_exception_regex", {STRVAL_EMPTY});
@@ -914,7 +915,8 @@ std::optional<std::string> CConfigManager::resetHLConfig() {
 
 void CConfigManager::updateWatcher() {
     static const auto PDISABLEAUTORELOAD = CConfigValue<Hyprlang::INT>("misc:disable_autoreload");
-    g_pConfigWatcher->setWatchList(*PDISABLEAUTORELOAD ? std::vector<std::string>{} : m_configPaths);
+    static const auto WATCHSYMLINKS = CConfigValue<Hyprlang::INT>("misc:watch_symlinks");
+    g_pConfigWatcher->setWatchList(*PDISABLEAUTORELOAD ? std::vector<std::string>{} : m_configPaths, *WATCHSYMLINKS);
 }
 
 void CConfigManager::postConfigReload(const Hyprlang::CParseResult& result) {
diff --git a/src/config/ConfigWatcher.cpp b/src/config/ConfigWatcher.cpp
index c0a9c5917b8..252d79168cb 100644
--- a/src/config/ConfigWatcher.cpp
+++ b/src/config/ConfigWatcher.cpp
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ int CConfigWatcher::getInotifyFD() {
     return m_inotifyFd;
 }
 
-void CConfigWatcher::setWatchList(const std::vector<std::string>& paths) {
+void CConfigWatcher::setWatchList(const std::vector<std::string>& paths, const bool watchSymlinks) {
 
     // we clear all watches first, because whichever fired is now invalid
     // or that is at least what it seems to be.
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ void CConfigWatcher::setWatchList(const std::vector<std::string>& paths) {
     // add new paths
     for (const auto& path : paths) {
         m_watches.emplace_back(SInotifyWatch{
-            .wd   = inotify_add_watch(m_inotifyFd, path.c_str(), IN_MODIFY),
+            .wd   = inotify_add_watch(m_inotifyFd, path.c_str(), IN_MODIFY | (watchSymlinks ? IN_DONT_FOLLOW : 0)),
             .file = path,
         });
     }
diff --git a/src/config/ConfigWatcher.hpp b/src/config/ConfigWatcher.hpp
index c36ecd17663..0454b3ec884 100644
--- a/src/config/ConfigWatcher.hpp
+++ b/src/config/ConfigWatcher.hpp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ class CConfigWatcher {
     };
 
     int  getInotifyFD();
-    void setWatchList(const std::vector<std::string>& paths);
+    void setWatchList(const std::vector<std::string>& paths, const bool watchSymlinks);
     void setOnChange(const std::function<void(const SConfigWatchEvent&)>& fn);
     void onInotifyEvent();
 
@@ -29,4 +29,4 @@ class CConfigWatcher {
     int                                           m_inotifyFd = -1;
 };
 
-inline UP<CConfigWatcher> g_pConfigWatcher = makeUnique<CConfigWatcher>();
\ No newline at end of file
+inline UP<CConfigWatcher> g_pConfigWatcher = makeUnique<CConfigWatcher>();
diff --git a/src/debug/HyprCtl.cpp b/src/debug/HyprCtl.cpp
index 359428b1af5..b81f86a8c44 100644
--- a/src/debug/HyprCtl.cpp
+++ b/src/debug/HyprCtl.cpp
@@ -1100,7 +1100,7 @@ static std::string dispatchKeyword(eHyprCtlOutputFormat format, std::string in)
         }
     }
 
-    if (COMMAND.contains("misc:disable_autoreload"))
+    if (COMMAND.contains("misc:disable_autoreload") || COMMAND.contains("misc:watch_symlinks"))
         g_pConfigManager->updateWatcher();
 
     // decorations will probably need a repaint