diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b3a52ba..af4dc7a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ err = http.ListenAndServe(":3000", web.ErrorChecker(m))
 # The root of your application relative to your configuration file.
 app_root: .
 # List of folders you don't want to watch. The more folders you ignore, the 
-# faster things will be.
+# faster things will be. For cross-platform compatibility, use forward slashes
+# as the path separator (i.e. 'cmd/web/client', not 'cmd\\web\\client').
 ignored_folders:
   - vendor
   - log
diff --git a/refresh/watcher.go b/refresh/watcher.go
index aeb6426..cd39f1a 100644
--- a/refresh/watcher.go
+++ b/refresh/watcher.go
@@ -61,15 +61,20 @@ func (w *Watcher) Start() {
 }
 
 func (w Watcher) isIgnoredFolder(path string) bool {
-	paths := strings.Split(path, "/")
-	if len(paths) <= 0 {
-		return false
-	}
-
 	for _, e := range w.IgnoredFolders {
-		if strings.TrimSpace(e) == paths[0] {
-			return true
+		rel, err := filepath.Rel(e, path)
+		if err != nil {
+			// unable to construct relative path, not an ignored folder
+			continue
 		}
+
+		if strings.Contains(rel, "..") {
+			// to construct a relative path requires going up the directory tree, not
+			// an ignored folder
+			continue
+		}
+
+		return true
 	}
 	return false
 }
diff --git a/refresh/watcher_posix_test.go b/refresh/watcher_posix_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..112050e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/refresh/watcher_posix_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+// +build linux darwin
+
+package refresh
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestIsIgnoredFolder(t *testing.T) {
+	ignoredFolders := []string{
+		"cmd/web/client",
+		"vendor",
+	}
+
+	isIgnoredFolderTests := []struct {
+		path          string
+		ignoredFolder bool
+	}{
+		{"cmd/web", false},
+		{"cmd/web/main.go", false},
+		{"cmd/web/client", true},
+		{"cmd/web/client/src", true},
+		{"pkg", false},
+		{"pkg/cmd/web/client", false},
+		{".", false},
+	}
+
+	watcher := Watcher{
+		Manager: &Manager{
+			Configuration: &Configuration{
+				IgnoredFolders: ignoredFolders,
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range isIgnoredFolderTests {
+		if watcher.isIgnoredFolder(tc.path) != tc.ignoredFolder {
+			if tc.ignoredFolder {
+				t.Errorf("expected path '%s' to be ignored", tc.path)
+			} else {
+				t.Errorf("expected path '%s' not to be ignored", tc.path)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/refresh/watcher_windows_test.go b/refresh/watcher_windows_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd9b679
--- /dev/null
+++ b/refresh/watcher_windows_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+// +build windows
+
+package refresh
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestIsIgnoredFolder(t *testing.T) {
+	ignoredFolders := []string{
+		"cmd/web/client",
+		"vendor",
+	}
+
+	isIgnoredFolderTests := []struct {
+		path          string
+		ignoredFolder bool
+	}{
+		{"cmd\\web", false},
+		{"cmd\\web\\main.go", false},
+		{"cmd\\web\\client", true},
+		{"cmd\\web\\client\\src", true},
+		{"pkg", false},
+		{"pkg\\cmd\\web\\client", false},
+		{".", false},
+	}
+
+	watcher := Watcher{
+		Manager: &Manager{
+			Configuration: &Configuration{
+				IgnoredFolders: ignoredFolders,
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range isIgnoredFolderTests {
+		if watcher.isIgnoredFolder(tc.path) != tc.ignoredFolder {
+			if tc.ignoredFolder {
+				t.Errorf("expected path '%s' to be ignored", tc.path)
+			} else {
+				t.Errorf("expected path '%s' not to be ignored", tc.path)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}