diff --git a/gitwatch.sh b/gitwatch.sh
index 832b618..c503d47 100755
--- a/gitwatch.sh
+++ b/gitwatch.sh
@@ -156,14 +156,14 @@ if [ -z "$GW_INW_BIN" ]; then
     # if Mac, use fswatch
     if [ "$(uname)" != "Darwin" ]; then
         INW="inotifywait";
-        EVENTS="close_write,move,delete,create";
+        EVENTS="${EVENTS:-close_write,move,delete,create}"
     else
         INW="fswatch";
         # default events specified via a mask, see
         # https://emcrisostomo.github.io/fswatch/doc/1.14.0/fswatch.html/Invoking-fswatch.html#Numeric-Event-Flags
         # default of 414 = MovedTo + MovedFrom + Renamed + Removed + Updated + Created
         #                = 256 + 128+ 16 + 8 + 4 + 2
-        EVENTS="--event=414"
+        EVENTS="${EVENTS:---event=414}"
     fi;
 else
     INW="$GW_INW_BIN";