diff --git a/source3/smbd/notifyd/notifyd.c b/source3/smbd/notifyd/notifyd.c
index 6ff1de5b5fec0e5f52b3c51cfad951e1f2b49d78..c82b61fd14cec1efa94cc1172e348f6b5cf47caa 100644
--- a/source3/smbd/notifyd/notifyd.c
+++ b/source3/smbd/notifyd/notifyd.c
@@ -379,6 +379,8 @@ static bool notifyd_apply_rec_change(
 	size_t num_instances;
 	size_t i;
 	struct notifyd_instance *instance;
+	struct notifyd_instance *inst;
+	void *sys_watch;
 	TDB_DATA value;
 	NTSTATUS status;
 	bool ok = false;
@@ -460,24 +462,52 @@ static bool notifyd_apply_rec_change(
 	if ((instance->instance.filter != 0) ||
 	    (instance->instance.subdir_filter != 0)) {
 		int ret;
+		sys_watch = NULL;
 
-		TALLOC_FREE(instance->sys_watch);
+		for (i=0; i<num_instances; i++) {
+			inst = &instances[i];
+			if(inst == instance)
+				continue;
+			if(instance->instance.filter == inst->instance.filter &&
+			   instance->instance.subdir_filter == inst->instance.subdir_filter) {
+				sys_watch = inst->sys_watch;
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+		if(sys_watch != NULL) {
+			/* reuse sys_watch */
+			instance->sys_watch = sys_watch;
+		} else {
+			TALLOC_FREE(instance->sys_watch);
 
-		ret = sys_notify_watch(entries, sys_notify_ctx, path,
+			ret = sys_notify_watch(entries, sys_notify_ctx, path,
 				       &instance->internal_filter,
 				       &instance->internal_subdir_filter,
 				       notifyd_sys_callback, msg_ctx,
 				       &instance->sys_watch);
-		if (ret != 0) {
-			DBG_WARNING("sys_notify_watch for [%s] returned %s\n",
+			if (ret != 0) {
+				DBG_WARNING("sys_notify_watch for [%s] returned %s\n",
 				    path, strerror(errno));
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
 	if ((instance->instance.filter == 0) &&
 	    (instance->instance.subdir_filter == 0)) {
-		/* This is a delete request */
-		TALLOC_FREE(instance->sys_watch);
+		bool found = false;
+		for (i=0; i<num_instances; i++) {
+			inst = &instances[i];
+			if(inst == instance)
+				continue;
+			if(instance->sys_watch == inst->sys_watch) {
+				found = true;
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+		if(!found) {
+			/* This is a delete request */
+			TALLOC_FREE(instance->sys_watch);
+		}
 		*instance = instances[num_instances-1];
 		num_instances -= 1;
 	}