diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile b/docker/Dockerfile
index 8ef021b990..d567c4c844 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ ENV DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=intel_owl.settings
 ENV PYTHONPATH=/opt/deploy/intel_owl
 ENV LOG_PATH=/var/log/intel_owl
 ARG REPO_DOWNLOADER_ENABLED=true
-ENV WATCHMAN=false
 ARG TARGETARCH
 ENV watch_logs_cmd="watch -n1 tail -n10 /var/log/intel_owl/django/api_app.log"
 # This is required to allow compatibility with different OpenCTI instances
@@ -50,7 +49,6 @@ RUN apt-get update \
 
 COPY requirements/project-requirements.txt $PYTHONPATH/project-requirements.txt
 COPY requirements/certego-requirements.txt $PYTHONPATH/certego-requirements.txt
-COPY requirements/django-server-requirements.txt $PYTHONPATH/requirements/django-server-requirements.txt
 WORKDIR $PYTHONPATH
 
 RUN pip3 install --no-cache-dir --use-pep517 --compile -r project-requirements.txt \
@@ -58,7 +56,6 @@ RUN pip3 install --no-cache-dir --use-pep517 --compile -r project-requirements.t
     && pip3 install --no-cache-dir --compile -r certego-requirements.txt
 
 COPY api_app/analyzers_manager/repo_downloader.sh ${PYTHONPATH}/api_app/analyzers_manager/repo_downloader.sh
-COPY docker/scripts/watchman_install.sh ${PYTHONPATH}/docker/scripts/watchman_install.sh
 
 RUN touch ${LOG_PATH}/django/api_app.log ${LOG_PATH}/django/api_app_errors.log \
     && touch ${LOG_PATH}/django/intel_owl.log ${LOG_PATH}/django/intel_owl_errors.log \
@@ -68,8 +65,8 @@ RUN touch ${LOG_PATH}/django/api_app.log ${LOG_PATH}/django/api_app_errors.log \
     && touch ${LOG_PATH}/django/authentication.log ${LOG_PATH}/django/authentication_errors.log \
     && touch ${LOG_PATH}/asgi/daphne.log \
     && mkdir -p -m 755 ${PYTHONPATH}/.cache \
-    && ${PYTHONPATH}/api_app/analyzers_manager/repo_downloader.sh \
-    && ${PYTHONPATH}/docker/scripts/watchman_install.sh
+    # download github stuff
+    && ${PYTHONPATH}/api_app/analyzers_manager/repo_downloader.sh
 
 COPY . $PYTHONPATH
 
diff --git a/docker/scripts/watchman_install.sh b/docker/scripts/watchman_install.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 010810da1f..0000000000
--- a/docker/scripts/watchman_install.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash  
-
-echo "WATCHMAN value is "
-echo "$WATCHMAN"
-
-# This script can be disabled during development using WATCHMAN=false env variable
-if [ "$WATCHMAN" = "false" ]; then echo "Skipping WATCHMAN installation because we are not in test mode"; exit 0;  fi
-
-pip3 install --compile -r requirements/django-server-requirements.txt
-
-# install Watchman to enhance performance on the Django development Server
-# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.2/ref/django-admin/#runserver
-cd /tmp || exit  
-wget https://github.com/facebook/watchman/archive/refs/tags/v2026.02.02.00.zip
-unzip v2026.02.02.00.zip
-cd watchman-2026.02.02.00 || exit
-mkdir -p /usr/local/{bin,lib} /usr/local/var/run/watchman
-cp bin/* /usr/local/bin
-cp lib/* /usr/local/lib
-chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/watchman
-chmod 2777 /usr/local/var/run/watchman
-rm -rf v2026.02.02.00.zip
diff --git a/docker/test.override.yml b/docker/test.override.yml
index 9fa2a6aebe..b347ed9a4c 100644
--- a/docker/test.override.yml
+++ b/docker/test.override.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ services:
       dockerfile: docker/Dockerfile
       args:
         REPO_DOWNLOADER_ENABLED: ${REPO_DOWNLOADER_ENABLED}
-        WATCHMAN: "true"
         PYCTI_VERSION: ${PYCTI_VERSION:-6.8.8}
     image: intelowlproject/intelowl:test
     volumes:
@@ -13,7 +12,6 @@ services:
     environment:
       - DEBUG=True
       - DJANGO_TEST_SERVER=True
-      - DJANGO_WATCHMAN_TIMEOUT=60
 
   daphne:
     image: intelowlproject/intelowl:test
diff --git a/intel_owl/settings/__init__.py b/intel_owl/settings/__init__.py
index 2e38d51f2a..acdc5319b0 100644
--- a/intel_owl/settings/__init__.py
+++ b/intel_owl/settings/__init__.py
@@ -58,6 +58,16 @@
     "django_extensions",
 ]
 
+from .commons import DEBUG  # noqa: E402
+
+if DEBUG:
+    try:
+        import django_watchfiles  # type: ignore[import]
+    except ImportError:
+        pass
+    else:
+        INSTALLED_APPS.append("django_watchfiles")
+
 from .a_secrets import *  # lgtm [py/polluting-import]
 from .auth import *  # lgtm [py/polluting-import]
 from .aws import *  # lgtm [py/polluting-import]
diff --git a/requirements/django-server-requirements.txt b/requirements/django-server-requirements.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index fa2160f5aa..0000000000
--- a/requirements/django-server-requirements.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-# to allow Watchman to be used with Django Development Server
-pywatchman==2.0.0
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/requirements/project-requirements.txt b/requirements/project-requirements.txt
index 131c5da28d..a2eeaaada9 100644
--- a/requirements/project-requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements/project-requirements.txt
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ django-silk==5.4.3
 django-treebeard==4.7
 django-solo==2.4.0
 django_extensions==3.2.3
+django-watchfiles==1.4.0
 jsonschema==4.25.1
 # django rest framework libs
 Authlib==1.6.5