diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index f97272e..170ca3d 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -84,6 +84,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "generic-array",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "block2"
+version = "0.6.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "cdeb9d870516001442e364c5220d3574d2da8dc765554b4a617230d33fa58ef5"
+dependencies = [
+ "objc2",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "bytes"
 version = "1.11.1"
@@ -96,6 +105,12 @@ version = "1.0.4"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "9330f8b2ff13f34540b44e946ef35111825727b38d33286ef986142615121801"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "cfg_aliases"
+version = "0.2.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "613afe47fcd5fac7ccf1db93babcb082c5994d996f20b8b159f2ad1658eb5724"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "clap"
 version = "4.6.0"
@@ -189,6 +204,17 @@ dependencies = [
  "typenum",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "ctrlc"
+version = "3.5.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "e0b1fab2ae45819af2d0731d60f2afe17227ebb1a1538a236da84c93e9a60162"
+dependencies = [
+ "dispatch2",
+ "nix",
+ "windows-sys 0.61.2",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "digest"
 version = "0.10.7"
@@ -199,6 +225,18 @@ dependencies = [
  "crypto-common",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "dispatch2"
+version = "0.3.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "1e0e367e4e7da84520dedcac1901e4da967309406d1e51017ae1abfb97adbd38"
+dependencies = [
+ "bitflags 2.11.0",
+ "block2",
+ "libc",
+ "objc2",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "equivalent"
 version = "1.0.2"
@@ -340,6 +378,18 @@ dependencies = [
  "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "nix"
+version = "0.31.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "5d6d0705320c1e6ba1d912b5e37cf18071b6c2e9b7fa8215a1e8a7651966f5d3"
+dependencies = [
+ "bitflags 2.11.0",
+ "cfg-if",
+ "cfg_aliases",
+ "libc",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "notify"
 version = "8.2.0"
@@ -367,6 +417,21 @@ dependencies = [
  "bitflags 2.11.0",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "objc2"
+version = "0.6.4"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "3a12a8ed07aefc768292f076dc3ac8c48f3781c8f2d5851dd3d98950e8c5a89f"
+dependencies = [
+ "objc2-encode",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "objc2-encode"
+version = "4.1.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "ef25abbcd74fb2609453eb695bd2f860d389e457f67dc17cafc8b8cbc89d0c33"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "once_cell_polyfill"
 version = "1.70.2"
@@ -381,6 +446,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "clap_complete",
  "clap_complete_nushell",
  "colored",
+ "ctrlc",
  "glob",
  "notify",
  "serde",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 5dc9c76..d2a626d 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ clap = { version = "4.6.0", features = ["derive"] }
 clap_complete = "4.6.0"
 clap_complete_nushell = "4.6.0"
 colored = "3.1.1"
+ctrlc = "3.5.2"
 glob = "0.3.3"
 notify = "8.2.0"
 serde = { version = "1.0.228", features = ["derive"] }
diff --git a/src/app.rs b/src/app.rs
index 94a022a..9664f27 100644
--- a/src/app.rs
+++ b/src/app.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ use std::{
     env::set_current_dir,
     path::{Path, PathBuf},
     process::Command,
+    sync::{Arc, atomic::Ordering},
 };
 
 use clap::CommandFactory;
@@ -206,25 +207,37 @@ impl App {
 
 fn watch(mode: &Option<String>, args: Option<Vec<String>>) -> std::io::Result<()> {
     use std::io::Write;
+    use std::sync::Arc;
+    use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
 
-    // save terminal state
     let mut stdout = std::io::stdout();
-    // enter alternate screen — this is a separate terminal buffer,
-    // exiting it restores everything exactly as it was
+
+    // enter alternate screen
     write!(stdout, "\x1b[?1049h")?;
     stdout.flush()?;
 
-    // make sure we always restore the terminal, even on panic
-    let result = watch_inner(mode, args);
+    // set up ctrl+c handler BEFORE doing anything else
+    let running = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(true));
+    let running_clone = running.clone();
+    ctrlc::set_handler(move || {
+        running_clone.store(false, Ordering::SeqCst);
+    })
+    .map_err(|e| std::io::Error::other(format!("{e}")))?;
 
-    // exit alternate screen
+    let result = watch_inner(mode, args, running);
+
+    // exit alternate screen — guaranteed to run now
     write!(stdout, "\x1b[?1049l")?;
     stdout.flush()?;
 
     result
 }
 
-fn watch_inner(mode: &Option<String>, args: Option<Vec<String>>) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+fn watch_inner(
+    mode: &Option<String>,
+    args: Option<Vec<String>>,
+    running: Arc<std::sync::atomic::AtomicBool>,
+) -> std::io::Result<()> {
     use notify::{Event, RecursiveMode, Watcher, recommended_watcher};
     use std::io::Write;
     use std::sync::mpsc;
@@ -294,8 +307,8 @@ fn watch_inner(mode: &Option<String>, args: Option<Vec<String>>) -> std::io::Res
         .checked_sub(Duration::from_secs(1))
         .unwrap_or(Instant::now());
 
-    loop {
-        match rx.recv() {
+    while running.load(Ordering::SeqCst) {
+        match rx.recv_timeout(Duration::from_millis(100)) {
             Ok(Ok(event)) => {
                 let is_relevant = matches!(
                     event.kind,
@@ -332,10 +345,8 @@ fn watch_inner(mode: &Option<String>, args: Option<Vec<String>>) -> std::io::Res
                 }
             }
             Ok(Err(e)) => eprintln!("  {} watch error: {e}", "Error".red().bold()),
-            Err(e) => {
-                eprintln!("  {} channel error: {e}", "Error".red().bold());
-                break;
-            }
+            Err(mpsc::RecvTimeoutError::Timeout) => continue, // check running flag and loop
+            Err(mpsc::RecvTimeoutError::Disconnected) => break,
         }
     }