diff --git a/src/app.rs b/src/app.rs
index 44f4b0c..b8846de 100644
--- a/src/app.rs
+++ b/src/app.rs
@@ -416,6 +416,7 @@ pub enum Message {
     PendingPauseAll(bool),
     PermanentlyDelete(Option<Entity>),
     Preview(Option<Entity>),
+    ReloadMimeAppCache,
     ReorderTab(ReorderEvent),
     RescanRecents,
     RescanTrash,
@@ -448,7 +449,6 @@ pub enum Message {
         Option<Vec<PathBuf>>,
     ),
     TabView(Option<Entity>, tab::View),
-    TerminalDefault(Box<str>),
     TimeConfigChange(TimeConfig),
     ToggleContextPage(ContextPage),
     ToggleFoldersFirst,
@@ -4221,6 +4221,9 @@ impl Application for App {
                 let paths: Box<[_]> = self.selected_paths(entity_opt).collect();
                 return self.operation(Operation::RemoveFromRecents { paths });
             }
+            Message::ReloadMimeAppCache => {
+                self.mime_app_cache.reload();
+            }
             Message::RescanRecents => {
                 return self.rescan_recents();
             }
@@ -4794,7 +4797,6 @@ impl Application for App {
                     tab.refresh_cut(&paths);
                 }
             }
-            Message::TerminalDefault(command) => {}
             Message::TimeConfigChange(time_config) => {
                 self.config.tab.military_time = time_config.military_time;
                 return self.update_config();
@@ -6775,6 +6777,22 @@ impl Application for App {
                     },
                 )
             }),
+            Subscription::run(|| {
+                eprintln!("loading mime app watcher");
+                stream::channel(
+                    1,
+                    |mut output: futures::channel::mpsc::Sender<Message>| async move {
+                        mime_app::watch(move || {
+                            futures::executor::block_on(async {
+                                _ = output.send(Message::ReloadMimeAppCache).await;
+                            })
+                        })
+                        .await;
+
+                        std::future::pending().await
+                    },
+                )
+            }),
             Subscription::run_with(TypeId::of::<TrashWatcherSubscription>(), |_| {
                 stream::channel(
                     1,
diff --git a/src/mime_app.rs b/src/mime_app.rs
index c830ab7..706c80d 100644
--- a/src/mime_app.rs
+++ b/src/mime_app.rs
@@ -6,15 +6,64 @@ use bstr::{BString, ByteSlice, ByteVec};
 use cosmic::desktop;
 use cosmic::widget;
 pub use mime_guess::Mime;
+use notify_debouncer_full::notify;
 use rustc_hash::FxHashMap;
 use std::ffi::OsStr;
 use std::os::unix::ffi::OsStrExt;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::sync::atomic::AtomicBool;
 use std::sync::{Arc, atomic};
-use std::time::Instant;
+use std::time::{self, Instant};
 use std::{fs, io, process};
 
+pub async fn watch(mut emitter: impl FnMut() + 'static + Send) {
+    let watcher_result = notify_debouncer_full::new_debouncer(
+        time::Duration::from_millis(250),
+        Some(time::Duration::from_millis(250)),
+        move |event_res: notify_debouncer_full::DebounceEventResult| {
+            let Ok(events) = event_res else {
+                return;
+            };
+
+            if events.iter().any(|event| {
+                event.kind.is_create() || event.kind.is_modify() || event.kind.is_remove()
+            }) {
+                emitter();
+            }
+        },
+    );
+
+    if let Ok(mut watcher) = watcher_result {
+        let system_paths = cosmic_mime_apps::list_paths();
+        let local_paths = (|| {
+            let base_dirs = xdg::BaseDirectories::new();
+            let Some(home) = base_dirs.get_config_home() else {
+                return Err(std::io::Error::other("XDG config home not set"));
+            };
+
+            let Ok(desktop) = std::env::var("XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP") else {
+                return Err(std::io::Error::other("XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP unset"));
+            };
+
+            let default_mimeapps = home.join("mimeapps.list");
+            let desktop_mimeapps =
+                home.join([&desktop.to_ascii_lowercase(), "-mimeapps.list"].concat());
+
+            Ok([desktop_mimeapps, default_mimeapps])
+        })()
+        .ok();
+
+        for path in system_paths
+            .iter()
+            .chain(local_paths.as_ref().into_iter().flatten())
+        {
+            _ = watcher.watch(path.as_path(), notify::RecursiveMode::NonRecursive);
+        }
+
+        std::future::pending().await
+    }
+}
+
 pub fn exec_to_command(
     exec: &str,
     entry_name: &str,