diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/core/builder.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/core/builder.ts
index d3b882e888b..a13dfc03a01 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/core/builder.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/core/builder.ts
@@ -13,11 +13,11 @@ export async function build (nuxt: Nuxt) {
   if (nuxt.options.dev) {
     watch(nuxt)
     nuxt.hook('builder:watch', async (event, path) => {
-      if (event !== 'change' && /app|error|plugins/i.test(path)) {
-        if (path.match(/app/i)) {
+      if (event !== 'change' && /^(app\.|error\.|plugins\/|layouts\/)/i.test(path)) {
+        if (path.startsWith('app')) {
           app.mainComponent = null
         }
-        if (path.match(/error/i)) {
+        if (path.startsWith('error')) {
           app.errorComponent = null
         }
         await generateApp()
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ export async function build (nuxt: Nuxt) {
 }
 
 function watch (nuxt: Nuxt) {
-  const watcher = chokidar.watch(nuxt.options.srcDir, {
+  const watcher = chokidar.watch(nuxt.options._layers.map(i => i.config.srcDir), {
     ...nuxt.options.watchers.chokidar,
     cwd: nuxt.options.srcDir,
     ignoreInitial: true,
@@ -49,8 +49,7 @@ function watch (nuxt: Nuxt) {
     ]
   })
 
-  const watchHook = debounce((event: 'add' | 'addDir' | 'change' | 'unlink' | 'unlinkDir', path: string) => nuxt.callHook('builder:watch', event, normalize(path)))
-  watcher.on('all', watchHook)
+  watcher.on('all', (event, path) => nuxt.callHook('builder:watch', event, normalize(path)))
   nuxt.hook('close', () => watcher.close())
   return watcher
 }
diff --git a/packages/nuxt/src/pages/module.ts b/packages/nuxt/src/pages/module.ts
index 31853c8d7c1..4d22a2d4a5d 100644
--- a/packages/nuxt/src/pages/module.ts
+++ b/packages/nuxt/src/pages/module.ts
@@ -33,11 +33,10 @@ export default defineNuxtModule({
     nuxt.hook('builder:watch', async (event, path) => {
       const dirs = [
         nuxt.options.dir.pages,
-        nuxt.options.dir.layouts,
         nuxt.options.dir.middleware
       ].filter(Boolean)
 
-      const pathPattern = new RegExp(`^(${dirs.map(escapeRE).join('|')})/`)
+      const pathPattern = new RegExp(`(^|\\/)(${dirs.map(escapeRE).join('|')})/`)
       if (event !== 'change' && path.match(pathPattern)) {
         await nuxt.callHook('builder:generateApp')
       }