diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1625113..f981c22 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # fzwatch
 A lightweight and cross-platform file watcher for your Zig projects.
-> [!NOTE]  
+> [!NOTE]
 > This project exists to support [fancy-cat](https://github.com/freref/fancy-cat) and has limited features.
 
 ## Instructions
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@ zig build run-<filename>
 ### Usage
 A basic example can be found under [examples](./examples/basic.zig). The API is defined as follows:
 ```zig
-pub const Event = enum { modified };
+pub const Event = struct { kind: enum { modified }, item: usize };
 pub const Callback = fn (context: *anyopaque, event: Event) void;
 pub const Opts = struct { latency: f16 = 1.0 };
- 
+
 pub fn init(allocator: std.mem.Allocator) !Watcher;
 pub fn deinit(self: *Watcher) void;
 pub fn addFile(self: *Watcher, path: []const u8) !void;
diff --git a/examples/basic.zig b/examples/basic.zig
index 575fac8..e68dbcf 100644
--- a/examples/basic.zig
+++ b/examples/basic.zig
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ const fzwatch = @import("fzwatch");
 
 fn callback(context: ?*anyopaque, event: fzwatch.Event) void {
     _ = context;
-    switch (event) {
-        .modified => std.debug.print("File was modified!\n", .{}),
+    switch (event.kind) {
+        .modified => std.debug.print("File {d} was modified!\n", .{event.item}),
     }
 }
 
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@ pub fn main() !void {
     defer watcher.deinit();
 
     try watcher.addFile("README.md");
+    // try watcher.removeFile("README.md");
+    try watcher.addFile("build.zig");
+    // try watcher.removeFile("build.zig");
+    try watcher.addFile("build.zig.zon");
+    try watcher.removeFile("build.zig.zon");
     watcher.setCallback(callback, null);
 
     const thread = try std.Thread.spawn(.{}, watcherThread, .{&watcher});
diff --git a/examples/context.zig b/examples/context.zig
index 049a764..4787dd0 100644
--- a/examples/context.zig
+++ b/examples/context.zig
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ const Object = struct {
     thread: ?std.Thread,
 
     fn callback(context: ?*anyopaque, event: fzwatch.Event) void {
-        switch (event) {
+        switch (event.kind) {
             .modified => {
                 const to_increment: *usize = @as(*usize, @ptrCast(@alignCast(context.?)));
                 to_increment.* += 1;
diff --git a/src/watchers/interfaces.zig b/src/watchers/interfaces.zig
index 403016e..30c57db 100644
--- a/src/watchers/interfaces.zig
+++ b/src/watchers/interfaces.zig
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
-pub const Event = enum { modified };
+pub const Event = struct {
+    kind: enum { modified },
+    /// the index into `Watcher.paths.items` which this event came from
+    item: usize
+};
 pub const Callback = fn (context: ?*anyopaque, event: Event) void;
 pub const Opts = struct { latency: f16 = 1.0 };
diff --git a/src/watchers/linux.zig b/src/watchers/linux.zig
index b38e028..54cbc72 100644
--- a/src/watchers/linux.zig
+++ b/src/watchers/linux.zig
@@ -3,12 +3,15 @@ const interfaces = @import("interfaces.zig");
 
 pub const LinuxWatcher = struct {
     allocator: std.mem.Allocator,
-    inotify_fd: i32,
     paths: std.ArrayList([]const u8),
-    offset: usize,
+    inotify: struct {
+        fd: i32,
+        /// inotify wd offset from removing files
+        offset: usize,
+    },
     callback: ?*const interfaces.Callback,
-    running: bool,
     context: ?*anyopaque,
+    running: bool,
 
     pub fn init(allocator: std.mem.Allocator) !LinuxWatcher {
         const fd = try std.posix.inotify_init1(std.os.linux.IN.NONBLOCK);
@@ -16,24 +19,26 @@ pub const LinuxWatcher = struct {
 
         return LinuxWatcher{
             .allocator = allocator,
-            .inotify_fd = @intCast(fd),
             .paths = std.ArrayList([]const u8).init(allocator),
-            .offset = 1,
+            .inotify = .{
+                .fd = @intCast(fd),
+                .offset = 1,
+            },
             .callback = null,
-            .running = false,
             .context = null,
+            .running = false,
         };
     }
 
     pub fn deinit(self: *LinuxWatcher) void {
         self.stop();
         self.paths.deinit();
-        std.posix.close(self.inotify_fd);
+        std.posix.close(self.inotify.fd);
     }
 
     pub fn addFile(self: *LinuxWatcher, path: []const u8) !void {
         _ = try std.posix.inotify_add_watch(
-            self.inotify_fd,
+            self.inotify.fd,
             path,
             std.os.linux.IN.MODIFY,
         );
@@ -42,13 +47,15 @@ pub const LinuxWatcher = struct {
     }
 
     pub fn removeFile(self: *LinuxWatcher, path: []const u8) !void {
-        for (0.., self.paths) |idx, mem_path| {
-            if (mem_path == path) {
-                _ = std.posix.inotify_rm_watch(self.inotify_fd, idx - self.offset);
-                try self.paths.items().remove(idx);
-                self.offset += 1;
-                return;
-            }
+        for (0.., self.paths.items) |idx, mem_path| {
+            if (!std.mem.eql(u8, mem_path, path))
+                continue;
+
+            _ = std.posix.inotify_rm_watch(self.inotify.fd, @intCast(idx + self.inotify.offset));
+            self.inotify.offset += 1;
+            _ = self.paths.orderedRemove(idx);
+
+            return;
         }
     }
 
@@ -62,10 +69,10 @@ pub const LinuxWatcher = struct {
         if (self.paths.items.len == 0) return error.NoFilesToWatch;
 
         self.running = true;
-        var buffer: [4096]u8 align(@alignOf(std.os.linux.inotify_event)) = undefined;
+        var buffer: [4096]std.os.linux.inotify_event = undefined;
 
         while (self.running) {
-            const length = std.posix.read(self.inotify_fd, &buffer) catch |err| switch (err) {
+            const length = std.posix.read(self.inotify.fd, std.mem.sliceAsBytes(&buffer)) catch |err| switch (err) {
                 error.WouldBlock => {
                     std.time.sleep(@as(u64, @intFromFloat(@as(f64, opts.latency) * @as(f64, @floatFromInt(std.time.ns_per_s)))));
                     continue;
@@ -75,30 +82,27 @@ pub const LinuxWatcher = struct {
                 },
             };
 
-            var ptr: [*]u8 = &buffer;
-            const end_ptr = ptr + @as(usize, @intCast(length));
+            // in bytes
+            var i: usize = 0;
+            while (i < length) : (i += buffer[i].len + @sizeOf(std.os.linux.inotify_event)) {
+                const ev = buffer[i];
+
+                if(ev.wd < self.inotify.offset) {continue;}
+                else if (ev.wd > self.paths.items.len + self.inotify.offset)
+                    return error.InvalidWatchDescriptor;
+
+                if (ev.mask & std.os.linux.IN.IGNORED == 0 and ev.mask & std.os.linux.IN.MODIFY == 0)
+                    continue;
 
-            while (@intFromPtr(ptr) < @intFromPtr(end_ptr)) {
-                const ev = @as(*const std.os.linux.inotify_event, @ptrCast(@alignCast(ptr)));
+                const index = @as(usize, @intCast(@max(0, ev.wd))) - self.inotify.offset;
                 // Editors like vim create temporary files when saving
                 // So we have to re-add the file to the watcher
-                if (ev.mask & std.os.linux.IN.IGNORED != 0) {
-                    const wd_usize = @as(usize, @intCast(@max(0, ev.wd)));
-                    if (wd_usize < self.offset) {
-                        return error.InvalidWatchDescriptor;
-                    }
-                    const index = wd_usize - self.offset;
+                if(ev.mask & std.os.linux.IN.IGNORED != 0)
                     try self.addFile(self.paths.items[index]);
-                    if (self.callback) |callback| {
-                        callback(self.context, interfaces.Event.modified);
-                    }
-                } else if (ev.mask & std.os.linux.IN.MODIFY != 0) {
-                    if (self.callback) |callback| {
-                        callback(self.context, interfaces.Event.modified);
-                    }
-                }
-
-                ptr = @alignCast(ptr + @sizeOf(std.os.linux.inotify_event) + ev.len);
+                if (self.callback) |callback| callback(self.context, .{
+                    .kind = .modified,
+                    .item = index
+                });
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/watchers/macos.zig b/src/watchers/macos.zig
index de600cd..c190820 100644
--- a/src/watchers/macos.zig
+++ b/src/watchers/macos.zig
@@ -87,7 +87,10 @@ pub const MacosWatcher = struct {
         while (i < numEvents) : (i += 1) {
             const flags = eventFlags[i];
             if (flags & c.kFSEventStreamEventFlagItemModified != 0) {
-                self.callback.?(self.context, interfaces.Event.modified);
+                self.callback.?(self.context, .{
+                    .kind = .modified,
+                    .item = i
+                });
             }
         }
     }