diff --git a/docs/recipes/watch-mode.md b/docs/recipes/watch-mode.md
index 39d7c4bee..bab9220fc 100644
--- a/docs/recipes/watch-mode.md
+++ b/docs/recipes/watch-mode.md
@@ -42,10 +42,6 @@ Dependency tracking works for `require()` and `import` syntax, as supported by [
 
 Files accessed using the `fs` module are not tracked.
 
-## Watch mode and the `.only` modifier
-
-The [`.only` modifier] disables watch mode's dependency tracking algorithm. When a change is made, all `.only` tests will be rerun, regardless of whether the test depends on the changed file.
-
 ## Watch mode and CI
 
 If you run AVA in your CI with watch mode, the execution will exit with an error (`Error : Watch mode is not available in CI, as it prevents AVA from terminating.`). AVA will not run with the `--watch` (`-w`) option in CI, because CI processes should terminate, and with the `--watch` option, AVA will never terminate.
diff --git a/lib/api.js b/lib/api.js
index f43fad799..77d8cef40 100644
--- a/lib/api.js
+++ b/lib/api.js
@@ -203,7 +203,6 @@ export default class Api extends Emittery {
 				files: selectedFiles,
 				matching: apiOptions.match.length > 0,
 				previousFailures: runtimeOptions.previousFailures ?? 0,
-				runOnlyExclusive: runtimeOptions.runOnlyExclusive === true,
 				firstRun: runtimeOptions.firstRun ?? true,
 				status: runStatus,
 			});
@@ -272,8 +271,6 @@ export default class Api extends Emittery {
 					providerStates,
 					lineNumbers,
 					recordNewSnapshots: !isCi,
-					// If we're looking for matches, run every single test process in exclusive-only mode
-					runOnlyExclusive: apiOptions.match.length > 0 || runtimeOptions.runOnlyExclusive === true,
 				};
 
 				if (runtimeOptions.updateSnapshots) {
diff --git a/lib/runner.js b/lib/runner.js
index fac04e344..2a9bb3bf3 100644
--- a/lib/runner.js
+++ b/lib/runner.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import process from 'node:process';
 import {pathToFileURL} from 'node:url';
 
 import Emittery from 'emittery';
-import {matcher} from 'matcher';
+import * as matcher from 'matcher';
 
 import ContextRef from './context-ref.js';
 import createChain from './create-chain.js';
@@ -13,6 +13,15 @@ import Runnable from './test.js';
 import {waitForReady} from './worker/state.cjs';
 
 const makeFileURL = file => file.startsWith('file://') ? file : pathToFileURL(file).toString();
+
+const isTitleMatch = (title, patterns) => {
+	if (patterns.length === 0) {
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	return matcher.isMatch(title, patterns);
+};
+
 export default class Runner extends Emittery {
 	constructor(options = {}) {
 		super();
@@ -22,10 +31,9 @@ export default class Runner extends Emittery {
 		this.failWithoutAssertions = options.failWithoutAssertions !== false;
 		this.file = options.file;
 		this.checkSelectedByLineNumbers = options.checkSelectedByLineNumbers;
-		this.match = options.match ?? [];
+		this.matchPatterns = options.match ?? [];
 		this.projectDir = options.projectDir;
 		this.recordNewSnapshots = options.recordNewSnapshots === true;
-		this.runOnlyExclusive = options.runOnlyExclusive === true;
 		this.serial = options.serial === true;
 		this.snapshotDir = options.snapshotDir;
 		this.updateSnapshots = options.updateSnapshots;
@@ -34,6 +42,7 @@ export default class Runner extends Emittery {
 		this.boundCompareTestSnapshot = this.compareTestSnapshot.bind(this);
 		this.boundSkipSnapshot = this.skipSnapshot.bind(this);
 		this.interrupted = false;
+		this.runOnlyExclusive = false;
 
 		this.nextTaskIndex = 0;
 		this.tasks = {
@@ -92,9 +101,7 @@ export default class Runner extends Emittery {
 
 			const {args, implementation, title} = parseTestArgs(testArgs);
 
-			if (this.checkSelectedByLineNumbers) {
-				metadata.selected = this.checkSelectedByLineNumbers();
-			}
+			metadata.selected &&= this.checkSelectedByLineNumbers?.() ?? true;
 
 			if (metadata.todo) {
 				if (implementation) {
@@ -110,10 +117,7 @@ export default class Runner extends Emittery {
 				}
 
 				// --match selects TODO tests.
-				if (this.match.length > 0 && matcher(title.value, this.match).length === 1) {
-					metadata.exclusive = true;
-					this.runOnlyExclusive = true;
-				}
+				metadata.selected &&= isTitleMatch(title.value, this.matchPatterns);
 
 				this.tasks.todo.push({title: title.value, metadata});
 				this.emit('stateChange', {
@@ -154,14 +158,10 @@ export default class Runner extends Emittery {
 				};
 
 				if (metadata.type === 'test') {
-					if (this.match.length > 0) {
-						// --match overrides .only()
-						task.metadata.exclusive = matcher(title.value, this.match).length === 1;
-					}
-
-					if (task.metadata.exclusive) {
-						this.runOnlyExclusive = true;
-					}
+					task.metadata.selected &&= isTitleMatch(title.value, this.matchPatterns);
+					// Unmatched .only() are not selected and won't run. However, runOnlyExclusive can only be true if no titles
+					// are being matched.
+					this.runOnlyExclusive ||= this.matchPatterns.length === 0 && task.metadata.exclusive && task.metadata.selected;
 
 					this.tasks[metadata.serial ? 'serial' : 'concurrent'].push(task);
 
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ export default class Runner extends Emittery {
 			serial: false,
 			exclusive: false,
 			skipped: false,
+			selected: true,
 			todo: false,
 			failing: false,
 			callback: false,
@@ -402,16 +403,11 @@ export default class Runner extends Emittery {
 		return alwaysOk && hooksOk && testOk;
 	}
 
-	async start() { // eslint-disable-line complexity
+	async start() {
 		const concurrentTests = [];
 		const serialTests = [];
 		for (const task of this.tasks.serial) {
-			if (this.runOnlyExclusive && !task.metadata.exclusive) {
-				this.snapshots.skipBlock(task.title, task.metadata.taskIndex);
-				continue;
-			}
-
-			if (this.checkSelectedByLineNumbers && !task.metadata.selected) {
+			if (!task.metadata.selected || (this.runOnlyExclusive && !task.metadata.exclusive)) {
 				this.snapshots.skipBlock(task.title, task.metadata.taskIndex);
 				continue;
 			}
@@ -432,12 +428,7 @@ export default class Runner extends Emittery {
 		}
 
 		for (const task of this.tasks.concurrent) {
-			if (this.runOnlyExclusive && !task.metadata.exclusive) {
-				this.snapshots.skipBlock(task.title, task.metadata.taskIndex);
-				continue;
-			}
-
-			if (this.checkSelectedByLineNumbers && !task.metadata.selected) {
+			if (!task.metadata.selected || (this.runOnlyExclusive && !task.metadata.exclusive)) {
 				this.snapshots.skipBlock(task.title, task.metadata.taskIndex);
 				continue;
 			}
@@ -460,11 +451,7 @@ export default class Runner extends Emittery {
 		}
 
 		for (const task of this.tasks.todo) {
-			if (this.runOnlyExclusive && !task.metadata.exclusive) {
-				continue;
-			}
-
-			if (this.checkSelectedByLineNumbers && !task.metadata.selected) {
+			if (!task.metadata.selected || (this.runOnlyExclusive && !task.metadata.exclusive)) {
 				continue;
 			}
 
diff --git a/lib/watcher.js b/lib/watcher.js
index 2ee7d23b2..bae6c9e6c 100644
--- a/lib/watcher.js
+++ b/lib/watcher.js
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ async function * plan({api, filter, globs, projectDir, providers, stdin, abortSi
 	}))));
 
 	// State tracked for test runs.
-	const filesWithExclusiveTests = new Set();
 	const touchedFiles = new Set();
 	const temporaryFiles = new Set();
 	const failureCounts = new Map();
@@ -117,17 +116,6 @@ async function * plan({api, filter, globs, projectDir, providers, stdin, abortSi
 					break;
 				}
 
-				case 'worker-finished': {
-					const fileStats = status.stats.byFile.get(evt.testFile);
-					if (fileStats.selectedTests > 0 && fileStats.declaredTests > fileStats.selectedTests) {
-						filesWithExclusiveTests.add(nodePath.relative(projectDir, evt.testFile));
-					} else {
-						filesWithExclusiveTests.delete(nodePath.relative(projectDir, evt.testFile));
-					}
-
-					break;
-				}
-
 				default: {
 					break;
 				}
@@ -329,18 +317,6 @@ async function * plan({api, filter, globs, projectDir, providers, stdin, abortSi
 
 		// Select the test files to run, and how to run them.
 		let testFiles = [...uniqueTestFiles];
-		let runOnlyExclusive = false;
-
-		if (testFiles.length > 0) {
-			const exclusiveFiles = testFiles.filter(path => filesWithExclusiveTests.has(path));
-			runOnlyExclusive = exclusiveFiles.length !== filesWithExclusiveTests.size;
-			if (runOnlyExclusive) {
-				// The test files that previously contained exclusive tests are always
-				// run, together with the test files.
-				debug('Running exclusive tests in %o', [...filesWithExclusiveTests]);
-				testFiles = [...new Set([...filesWithExclusiveTests, ...testFiles])];
-			}
-		}
 
 		if (filter.length > 0) {
 			testFiles = applyTestFileFilter({
@@ -355,14 +331,14 @@ async function * plan({api, filter, globs, projectDir, providers, stdin, abortSi
 		if (nonTestFiles.length > 0) {
 			debug('Non-test files changed, running all tests');
 			failureCounts.clear(); // All tests are run, so clear previous failures.
-			signalChanged({runOnlyExclusive});
+			signalChanged({});
 		} else if (testFiles.length > 0) {
 			// Remove previous failures for tests that will run again.
 			for (const path of testFiles) {
 				failureCounts.delete(path);
 			}
 
-			signalChanged({runOnlyExclusive, testFiles});
+			signalChanged({testFiles});
 		}
 
 		takeCoverageForSelfTests?.();
@@ -383,7 +359,7 @@ async function * plan({api, filter, globs, projectDir, providers, stdin, abortSi
 
 	// And finally, the watch loop.
 	while (abortSignal?.aborted !== true) {
-		const {testFiles: files = [], runOnlyExclusive = false} = await changed; // eslint-disable-line no-await-in-loop
+		const {testFiles: files = []} = await changed; // eslint-disable-line no-await-in-loop
 
 		if (abortSignal?.aborted) {
 			break;
@@ -398,7 +374,6 @@ async function * plan({api, filter, globs, projectDir, providers, stdin, abortSi
 			files: files.map(file => nodePath.join(projectDir, file)),
 			firstRun, // Value is changed by refresh() so record now.
 			previousFailures,
-			runOnlyExclusive,
 			updateSnapshots, // Value is changed by refresh() so record now.
 		};
 		reset(); // Make sure the next run can be triggered.
diff --git a/lib/worker/base.js b/lib/worker/base.js
index 28f174bb6..520107dd3 100644
--- a/lib/worker/base.js
+++ b/lib/worker/base.js
@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@ const run = async options => {
 		match: options.match,
 		projectDir: options.projectDir,
 		recordNewSnapshots: options.recordNewSnapshots,
-		runOnlyExclusive: options.runOnlyExclusive,
 		serial: options.serial,
 		snapshotDir: options.snapshotDir,
 		updateSnapshots: options.updateSnapshots,
diff --git a/test-tap/runner.js b/test-tap/runner.js
index d36137bdf..e8c1975e1 100644
--- a/test-tap/runner.js
+++ b/test-tap/runner.js
@@ -345,20 +345,6 @@ test('only test', t => {
 	});
 });
 
-test('options.runOnlyExclusive means only exclusive tests are run', t => {
-	t.plan(1);
-
-	return promiseEnd(new Runner({file: import.meta.url, runOnlyExclusive: true}), runner => {
-		runner.chain('test', () => {
-			t.fail();
-		});
-
-		runner.chain.only('test 2', () => {
-			t.pass();
-		});
-	});
-});
-
 test('options.serial forces all tests to be serial', t => {
 	t.plan(1);
 
diff --git a/test/watch-mode/scenarios.js b/test/watch-mode/scenarios.js
index b9daa8113..59ca14117 100644
--- a/test/watch-mode/scenarios.js
+++ b/test/watch-mode/scenarios.js
@@ -95,24 +95,6 @@ test('runs test file when source it depends on is deleted', withFixture('basic')
 	});
 });
 
-test('once test files containing .only() tests are encountered, always run those, but exclusively the .only tests', withFixture('exclusive'), async (t, fixture) => {
-	await fixture.watch({
-		async 1({stats}) {
-			t.is(stats.failed.length, 2);
-			t.is(stats.passed.length, 3);
-			const contents = await this.read('a.test.js');
-			await this.write('a.test.js', contents.replace('test(\'pass', 'test.only(\'pass'));
-			return stats.passed.filter(({file}) => file !== 'c.test.js');
-		},
-		async 2({stats}, passed) {
-			t.is(stats.failed.length, 0);
-			t.is(stats.passed.length, 2);
-			t.deepEqual(stats.passed, passed);
-			this.done();
-		},
-	});
-});
-
 test('filters test files', withFixture('basic'), async (t, fixture) => {
 	await fixture.watch({
 		async 1({stats}) {