diff --git a/include/config/config.hpp b/include/config/config.hpp
index f614e7c..92057b2 100644
--- a/include/config/config.hpp
+++ b/include/config/config.hpp
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 #include <vulkan/vulkan_core.h>
 
+#include <filesystem>
+#include <chrono>
 #include <cstddef>
 #include <vector>
 #include <atomic>
@@ -33,24 +35,17 @@ namespace Config {
         /// Experimental flag for limiting the framerate of DXVK games.
         uint32_t e_fps_limit;
 
-        /// Atomic property to check if the configuration is valid or outdated.
-        std::shared_ptr<std::atomic_bool> valid;
+        /// Path to the configuration file.
+        std::filesystem::path config_file;
+        /// File timestamp of the configuration file
+        std::chrono::time_point<std::chrono::file_clock> timestamp;
     };
 
     /// Active configuration. Must be set in main.cpp.
     extern Configuration activeConf;
 
     ///
-    /// Load the config file and create a file watcher.
-    ///
-    /// @param file The path to the configuration file.
-    ///
-    /// @throws std::runtime_error if an error occurs while loading the configuration file.
-    ///
-    void loadAndWatchConfig(const std::string& file);
-
-    ///
-    /// Reread the configuration file while preserving the old configuration
+    /// Read the configuration file while preserving the previous configuration
     /// in case of an error.
     ///
     /// @param file The path to the configuration file.
diff --git a/src/config/config.cpp b/src/config/config.cpp
index 0041afd..659b71a 100644
--- a/src/config/config.cpp
+++ b/src/config/config.cpp
@@ -4,14 +4,9 @@
 #include "config/default_conf.hpp"
 
 #include <vulkan/vulkan_core.h>
-#include <linux/limits.h>
-#include <sys/inotify.h>
-#include <sys/poll.h>
 #include <toml11/find.hpp>
 #include <toml11/parser.hpp>
 #include <toml.hpp>
-#include <unistd.h>
-#include <poll.h>
 
 #include <unordered_map>
 #include <filesystem>
@@ -21,19 +16,11 @@
 #include <iostream>
 #include <optional>
 #include <fstream>
-#include <cstddef>
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <cstdlib>
 #include <utility>
-#include <cstring>
 #include <vector>
-#include <chrono>
-#include <thread>
-#include <cerrno>
-#include <atomic>
-#include <memory>
 #include <string>
-#include <array>
 
 using namespace Config;
 
@@ -44,103 +31,6 @@ namespace {
 
 Configuration Config::activeConf{};
 
-namespace {
-    [[noreturn]] void thread(
-            const std::string& file,
-            const std::shared_ptr<std::atomic_bool>& valid) {
-        const int fd = inotify_init();
-        if (fd < 0)
-            throw std::runtime_error("Failed to initialize inotify:\n"
-                "- " + std::string(strerror(errno)));
-
-        const std::string parent = std::filesystem::path(file).parent_path().string();
-        const int wd = inotify_add_watch(fd, parent.c_str(),
-            IN_MODIFY | IN_CLOSE_WRITE | IN_MOVE_SELF);
-        if (wd < 0) {
-            close(fd);
-
-            throw std::runtime_error("Failed to add inotify watch for " + parent + ":\n"
-                "- " + std::string(strerror(errno)));
-        }
-
-        // watch for changes
-        std::optional<std::chrono::steady_clock::time_point> discard_until;
-        const std::string filename = std::filesystem::path(file).filename().string();
-
-        std::array<char, (sizeof(inotify_event) + NAME_MAX + 1) * 20> buffer{};
-        while (true) {
-            // poll fd
-            struct pollfd pfd{};
-            pfd.fd = fd;
-            pfd.events = POLLIN;
-            const int pollRes = poll(&pfd, 1, 100);
-            if (pollRes < 0 && errno != EINTR) {
-                inotify_rm_watch(fd, wd);
-                close(fd);
-
-                throw std::runtime_error("Error polling inotify events:\n"
-                    "- " + std::string(strerror(errno)));
-            }
-
-            // read fd if there are events
-            const ssize_t len = pollRes == 0 ? 0 : read(fd, buffer.data(), buffer.size());
-            if (len <= 0 && errno != EINTR && pollRes > 0) {
-                inotify_rm_watch(fd, wd);
-                close(fd);
-
-                throw std::runtime_error("Error reading inotify events:\n"
-                    "- " + std::string(strerror(errno)));
-            }
-
-            size_t i{};
-            while (std::cmp_less(i, len)) {
-                auto* event = reinterpret_cast<inotify_event*>(&buffer.at(i));
-                i += sizeof(inotify_event) + event->len;
-                if (event->len <= 0 || event->mask & IN_IGNORED)
-                    continue;
-
-                const std::string name(reinterpret_cast<char*>(event->name));
-                if (name != filename)
-                    continue;
-
-                // stall a bit, then mark as invalid
-                discard_until.emplace(std::chrono::steady_clock::now()
-                    + std::chrono::milliseconds(500));
-            }
-
-            auto now = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
-            if (discard_until.has_value() && now > *discard_until) {
-                discard_until.reset();
-
-                // mark config as invalid
-                valid->store(false, std::memory_order_release);
-
-                // and wait until it has been marked as valid again
-                while (!valid->load(std::memory_order_acquire))
-                    std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(50));
-            }
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-void Config::loadAndWatchConfig(const std::string& file) {
-    globalConf.valid = std::make_shared<std::atomic_bool>(true);
-    updateConfig(file);
-
-    // prepare config watcher
-    if (std::getenv("LSFG_NO_HOT_RELOAD"))
-        return;
-
-    std::thread([file = file, valid = globalConf.valid]() {
-        try {
-            thread(file, valid);
-        } catch (const std::exception& e) {
-            std::cerr << "lsfg-vk: Error in config watcher thread:\n";
-            std::cerr << "- " << e.what() << '\n';
-        }
-    }).detach();
-}
-
 namespace {
     /// Turn a string into a VkPresentModeKHR enum value.
     VkPresentModeKHR into_present(const std::string& mode) {
@@ -195,7 +85,6 @@ namespace {
 }
 
 void Config::updateConfig(const std::string& file) {
-    globalConf.valid->store(true, std::memory_order_relaxed);
     if (!std::filesystem::exists(file)) {
         std::cerr << "lsfg-vk: Placing default configuration file at " << file << '\n';
         const auto parent = std::filesystem::path(file).parent_path();
@@ -227,7 +116,8 @@ void Config::updateConfig(const std::string& file) {
     const toml::value globalTable = toml::find_or_default<toml::table>(toml, "global");
     const Configuration global{
         .dll =   toml::find_or(globalTable, "dll", std::string()),
-        .valid = globalConf.valid // use the same validity flag
+        .config_file = file,
+        .timestamp = std::filesystem::last_write_time(file)
     };
 
     // validate global configuration
@@ -256,7 +146,8 @@ void Config::updateConfig(const std::string& file) {
             .hdr = toml::find_or(gameTable, "hdr_mode", false),
             .e_present =   into_present(toml::find_or(gameTable, "experimental_present_mode", "")),
             .e_fps_limit = toml::find_or(gameTable, "experimental_fps_limit", 0U),
-            .valid = global.valid // only need a single validity flag
+            .config_file = file,
+            .timestamp = global.timestamp
         };
 
         // validate the configuration
@@ -279,8 +170,7 @@ Configuration Config::getConfig(const std::pair<std::string, std::string>& name)
             .enable = true,
             .multiplier = 2,
             .flowScale = 1.0F,
-            .e_present = VkPresentModeKHR::VK_PRESENT_MODE_FIFO_KHR,
-            .valid = std::make_shared<std::atomic_bool>(true)
+            .e_present = VkPresentModeKHR::VK_PRESENT_MODE_FIFO_KHR
         };
 
         const char* dll = std::getenv("LSFG_DLL_PATH");
diff --git a/src/context.cpp b/src/context.cpp
index 0f747dc..e00804a 100644
--- a/src/context.cpp
+++ b/src/context.cpp
@@ -11,14 +11,16 @@
 #include <lsfg_3_1.hpp>
 #include <lsfg_3_1p.hpp>
 
+#include <filesystem>
 #include <exception>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <cstdlib>
-#include <atomic>
-#include <string>
-#include <memory>
 #include <vector>
+#include <chrono>
+#include <memory>
+#include <string>
+#include <thread>
 #include <array>
 
 LsContext::LsContext(const Hooks::DeviceInfo& info, VkSwapchainKHR swapchain,
@@ -27,8 +29,13 @@ LsContext::LsContext(const Hooks::DeviceInfo& info, VkSwapchainKHR swapchain,
           extent(extent) {
     // get updated configuration
     auto& conf = Config::activeConf;
-    if (!conf.valid->load(std::memory_order_relaxed)) {
+    if (!conf.config_file.empty()
+            && (
+                    !std::filesystem::exists(conf.config_file)
+                  || conf.timestamp != std::filesystem::last_write_time(conf.config_file)
+            )) {
         std::cerr << "lsfg-vk: Rereading configuration, as it is no longer valid.\n";
+        std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(100));
 
         // reread configuration
         const std::string file = Utils::getConfigFile();
diff --git a/src/hooks.cpp b/src/hooks.cpp
index 72bf702..a4f7aed 100644
--- a/src/hooks.cpp
+++ b/src/hooks.cpp
@@ -8,13 +8,13 @@
 #include <vulkan/vulkan_core.h>
 
 #include <unordered_map>
+#include <filesystem>
 #include <stdexcept>
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <exception>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <cstdlib>
-#include <atomic>
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 
@@ -261,7 +261,11 @@ namespace {
         try {
             // ensure config is valid
             auto& conf = Config::activeConf;
-            if (!conf.valid->load(std::memory_order_relaxed)) {
+            if (!conf.config_file.empty()
+                    && (
+                            !std::filesystem::exists(conf.config_file)
+                          || conf.timestamp != std::filesystem::last_write_time(conf.config_file)
+                    )) {
                 Layer::ovkQueuePresentKHR(queue, pPresentInfo);
                 return VK_ERROR_OUT_OF_DATE_KHR;
             }
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 2d3afcf..0e1543c 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ namespace {
         // read configuration
         const std::string file = Utils::getConfigFile();
         try {
-            Config::loadAndWatchConfig(file);
+            Config::updateConfig(file);
         } catch (const std::exception& e) {
             std::cerr << "lsfg-vk: An error occured while trying to parse the configuration, IGNORING:\n";
             std::cerr << "- " << e.what() << '\n';