diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index d012c1a..55d2bdd 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [root]
 name = "watchexec"
-version = "1.6.2"
+version = "1.7.0"
 dependencies = [
  "clap 2.19.3 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "env_logger 0.3.5 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
diff --git a/src/cli.rs b/src/cli.rs
index 45e0d3b..353d28b 100644
--- a/src/cli.rs
+++ b/src/cli.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use clap::{App, Arg};
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub struct Args {
     pub cmd: String,
+    pub paths: Vec<String>,
     pub filters: Vec<String>,
     pub ignores: Vec<String>,
     pub clear_screen: bool,
@@ -44,6 +45,13 @@ pub fn get_args() -> Args {
             .short("e")
             .long("exts")
             .takes_value(true))
+        .arg(Arg::with_name("path")
+             .help("Watch a specific directory")
+             .short("w")
+             .long("watch")
+             .number_of_values(1)
+             .multiple(true)
+             .takes_value(true))
         .arg(Arg::with_name("clear")
             .help("Clear screen before executing command")
             .short("c")
@@ -93,6 +101,8 @@ pub fn get_args() -> Args {
         .get_matches();
 
     let cmd = values_t!(args.values_of("command"), String).unwrap().join(" ");
+    let paths = values_t!(args.values_of("path"), String).unwrap_or(vec![String::from(".")]);
+
     let mut filters = values_t!(args.values_of("filter"), String).unwrap_or(vec![]);
 
     if let Some(extensions) = args.values_of("extensions") {
@@ -121,6 +131,7 @@ pub fn get_args() -> Args {
 
     Args {
         cmd: cmd,
+        paths: paths,
         filters: filters,
         ignores: ignores,
         clear_screen: args.is_present("clear"),
diff --git a/src/gitignore.rs b/src/gitignore.rs
index 6691d08..61536ec 100644
--- a/src/gitignore.rs
+++ b/src/gitignore.rs
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ enum MatchResult {
     None,
 }
 
-pub fn load(paths: Vec<&Path>) -> Gitignore {
+pub fn load(paths: &Vec<PathBuf>) -> Gitignore {
     let mut files = vec![];
     let mut checked_dirs = HashSet::new();
 
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index fb598bb..2262860 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -27,8 +27,7 @@ mod signal;
 mod watcher;
 
 use std::collections::HashMap;
-use std::env;
-use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::sync::{Arc, RwLock};
 use std::sync::mpsc::{channel, Receiver};
 use std::time::Duration;
@@ -79,34 +78,31 @@ fn main() {
 
     init_logger(args.debug);
 
-    let cwd = env::current_dir()
-        .expect("unable to get cwd")
-        .canonicalize()
-        .expect("unable to canonicalize cwd");
+    let paths: Vec<PathBuf> = args.paths
+        .iter()
+        .map(|p| Path::new(&p)
+                    .canonicalize()
+                    .expect(&format!("unable to canonicalize \"{}\"", &p))
+                    .to_owned())
+        .collect();
 
     let gitignore = if !args.no_vcs_ignore {
-        gitignore::load(vec![&cwd])
+        gitignore::load(&paths)
     } else {
-        gitignore::load(vec![])
+        gitignore::load(&vec![])
     };
 
     let filter = NotificationFilter::new(args.filters, args.ignores, gitignore)
         .expect("unable to create notification filter");
 
     let (tx, rx) = channel();
-    let mut watcher = Watcher::new(tx, args.poll, args.poll_interval)
+    let watcher = Watcher::new(tx, &paths, args.poll, args.poll_interval)
         .expect("unable to create watcher");
 
     if watcher.is_polling() {
         warn!("Polling for changes every {} ms", args.poll_interval);
     }
 
-    let result = watcher.watch(cwd);
-    if let Err(e) = result {
-        error!("Unable to watch directory/subdirectory: {}", e);
-        return;
-    }
-
     // Start child process initially, if necessary
     if args.run_initially && !args.once {
         if args.clear_screen {
diff --git a/src/notification_filter.rs b/src/notification_filter.rs
index 7762081..f0a0302 100644
--- a/src/notification_filter.rs
+++ b/src/notification_filter.rs
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn test_allows_everything_by_default() {
-        let filter = NotificationFilter::new(vec![], vec![], gitignore::load(vec![])).unwrap();
+        let filter = NotificationFilter::new(vec![], vec![], gitignore::load(&vec![])).unwrap();
 
         assert!(!filter.is_excluded(&Path::new("foo")));
     }
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn test_multiple_filters() {
         let filters = vec![String::from("*.rs"), String::from("*.toml")];
-        let filter = NotificationFilter::new(filters, vec![], gitignore::load(vec![])).unwrap();
+        let filter = NotificationFilter::new(filters, vec![], gitignore::load(&vec![])).unwrap();
 
         assert!(!filter.is_excluded(&Path::new("hello.rs")));
         assert!(!filter.is_excluded(&Path::new("Cargo.toml")));
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn test_multiple_ignores() {
         let ignores = vec![String::from("*.rs"), String::from("*.toml")];
-        let filter = NotificationFilter::new(vec![], ignores, gitignore::load(vec![])).unwrap();
+        let filter = NotificationFilter::new(vec![], ignores, gitignore::load(&vec![])).unwrap();
 
         assert!(filter.is_excluded(&Path::new("hello.rs")));
         assert!(filter.is_excluded(&Path::new("Cargo.toml")));
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn test_ignores_take_precedence() {
         let ignores = vec![String::from("*.rs"), String::from("*.toml")];
-        let filter = NotificationFilter::new(ignores.clone(), ignores, gitignore::load(vec![]))
+        let filter = NotificationFilter::new(ignores.clone(), ignores, gitignore::load(&vec![]))
             .unwrap();
 
         assert!(filter.is_excluded(&Path::new("hello.rs")));
diff --git a/src/watcher.rs b/src/watcher.rs
index 1c5a926..c39b8f6 100644
--- a/src/watcher.rs
+++ b/src/watcher.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use std::path::Path;
+use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::sync::mpsc::Sender;
 
 use notify::{PollWatcher, RecommendedWatcher, RecursiveMode, raw_watcher};
@@ -22,14 +22,28 @@ enum WatcherImpl {
 }
 
 impl Watcher {
-    pub fn new(tx: Sender<Event>, poll: bool, interval_ms: u32) -> Result<Watcher, Error> {
+    pub fn new(tx: Sender<Event>, paths: &Vec<PathBuf>, poll: bool, interval_ms: u32) -> Result<Watcher, Error> {
+        use notify::Watcher;
+
         let imp = if poll {
-            WatcherImpl::Poll(try!(PollWatcher::with_delay_ms(tx, interval_ms)))
+            let mut watcher = try!(PollWatcher::with_delay_ms(tx, interval_ms));
+            for ref path in paths {
+                try!(watcher.watch(path, RecursiveMode::Recursive));
+                debug!("Watching {:?}", path);
+            }
+
+            WatcherImpl::Poll(watcher)
         } else {
-            WatcherImpl::Recommended(try!(raw_watcher(tx)))
+            let mut watcher = try!(raw_watcher(tx));
+            for ref path in paths {
+                try!(watcher.watch(path, RecursiveMode::Recursive));
+                debug!("Watching {:?}", path);
+            }
+
+            WatcherImpl::Recommended(watcher)
         };
 
-        Ok(Watcher { watcher_impl: imp })
+        Ok(self::Watcher { watcher_impl: imp })
     }
 
     pub fn is_polling(&self) -> bool {
@@ -39,13 +53,4 @@ impl Watcher {
             false
         }
     }
-
-    pub fn watch<P: AsRef<Path>>(&mut self, path: P) -> Result<(), Error> {
-        use notify::Watcher;
-
-        match self.watcher_impl {
-            WatcherImpl::Recommended(ref mut w) => w.watch(path, RecursiveMode::Recursive),
-            WatcherImpl::Poll(ref mut w) => w.watch(path, RecursiveMode::Recursive),
-        }
-    }
 }