diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ccee628c..2fc63517 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
     "@parcel/reporter-cli": "2.0.0-beta.3.1",
     "ajv": "^6.12.2",
     "chalk": "^4.0.0",
-    "chokidar": "^3.4.2",
+    "chokidar": "^3.5.2",
     "cli-ux": "^5.4.5",
     "debug": "^4.1.1",
     "dedent-js": "^1.0.1",
diff --git a/src/lib/actions-watcher.js b/src/lib/actions-watcher.js
index a473cf49..6e0e6bed 100644
--- a/src/lib/actions-watcher.js
+++ b/src/lib/actions-watcher.js
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ function createChangeHandler (watcherOptions) {
   let undeployedFile = ''
 
   return async (filePath) => {
+    aioLogger.debug('Code change triggered...')
     if (deploymentInProgress) {
       aioLogger.debug(`${filePath} has changed. Deploy in progress. This change will be deployed after completion of current deployment.`)
       undeployedFile = filePath
@@ -91,8 +92,12 @@ function createChangeHandler (watcherOptions) {
     try {
       aioLogger.debug(`${filePath} has changed. Redeploying actions.`)
       const filterActions = getActionNameFromPath(filePath, watcherOptions)
-      await buildAndDeploy(watcherOptions, filterActions)
-      aioLogger.debug('Deployment successful')
+      if (!filterActions.length) {
+        log('  -> A non-action file was changed, restart is required to deploy...')
+      } else {
+        await buildAndDeploy(watcherOptions, filterActions)
+        aioLogger.debug('Deployment successful')
+      }
     } catch (err) {
       log('  -> Error encountered while deploying actions. Stopping auto refresh.')
       aioLogger.debug(err)
diff --git a/test/commands/lib/actions-watcher.test.js b/test/commands/lib/actions-watcher.test.js
index 0e2c9bd2..7d1ebc06 100644
--- a/test/commands/lib/actions-watcher.test.js
+++ b/test/commands/lib/actions-watcher.test.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const chokidar = require('chokidar')
 const mockLogger = require('@adobe/aio-lib-core-logging')
 const buildActions = require('../../../src/lib/build-actions')
 const deployActions = require('../../../src/lib/deploy-actions')
+const buildAndDeploy = require('../../../src/lib/deploy-actions')
 const util = require('util')
 const dataMocks = require('../../data-mocks/config-loader')
 const sleep = util.promisify(setTimeout)
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ beforeEach(() => {
 
   buildActions.mockReset()
   deployActions.mockReset()
+  buildAndDeploy.mockReset()
 })
 
 test('exports', () => {
@@ -153,7 +155,7 @@ test('onChange handler calls buildActions with filterActions', async () => {
   )
 })
 
-test('onChange handler calls buildActions without filterActions when actions are undefined', async () => {
+test('on non-action file changed, skip build&deploy', async () => {
   const { application } = createAppConfig()
   const cloneApplication = cloneDeep(application)
   Object.entries(cloneApplication.manifest.full.packages).forEach(([, pkg]) => {
@@ -176,10 +178,10 @@ test('onChange handler calls buildActions without filterActions when actions are
   await actionsWatcher({ config: cloneApplication, log })
   expect(typeof onChangeHandler).toEqual('function')
 
-  deployActions.mockImplementation(async () => await sleep(2000))
-  onChangeHandler('/myactions/action.js')
+  buildAndDeploy.mockImplementation(async () => await sleep(2000))
+  onChangeHandler('/myactions/utils.js')
 
   await jest.runAllTimers()
 
-  expect(buildActions).toHaveBeenCalledWith(cloneApplication, [])
+  expect(buildAndDeploy).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
 })