diff --git a/src/dune_config/dune_config.ml b/src/dune_config/dune_config.ml
index fdc12ae1bf1..6d0735a4719 100644
--- a/src/dune_config/dune_config.ml
+++ b/src/dune_config/dune_config.ml
@@ -458,8 +458,8 @@ let auto_concurrency =
       in
       loop commands)
 
-let for_scheduler (t : t) ?watch_exclusions stats ~insignificant_changes
-    ~signal_watcher =
+let for_scheduler (t : t) ?(watch_exclusions = standard_watch_exclusions) stats
+    ~insignificant_changes ~signal_watcher =
   let concurrency =
     match t.concurrency with
     | Fixed i -> i
@@ -476,6 +476,5 @@ let for_scheduler (t : t) ?watch_exclusions stats ~insignificant_changes
   ; stats
   ; insignificant_changes
   ; signal_watcher
-  ; watch_exclusions =
-      Option.value watch_exclusions ~default:standard_watch_exclusions
+  ; watch_exclusions
   }
diff --git a/src/dune_config/dune_config.mli b/src/dune_config/dune_config.mli
index cd222776e33..5182ad317db 100644
--- a/src/dune_config/dune_config.mli
+++ b/src/dune_config/dune_config.mli
@@ -122,6 +122,12 @@ val hash : t -> int
 
 val equal : t -> t -> bool
 
+(** [for_scheduler config ?watch_exclusions stats_opt ~insignificant_changes
+    ~signal_watcher]
+    creates a configuration for a scheduler from the user-visible Dune [config].
+
+    [watch_exclusions] defaults to {!standard_watch_exclusions} if not
+    specified. *)
 val for_scheduler :
      t
   -> ?watch_exclusions:string list
diff --git a/test/expect-tests/dune_file_watcher/dune_file_watcher_tests_patterns.ml b/test/expect-tests/dune_file_watcher/dune_file_watcher_tests_patterns.ml
index 338a0e1853d..876c46e1c49 100644
--- a/test/expect-tests/dune_file_watcher/dune_file_watcher_tests_patterns.ml
+++ b/test/expect-tests/dune_file_watcher/dune_file_watcher_tests_patterns.ml
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 let printf = Printf.printf
 
 let test string =
-  printf "should_exclude(%s) = %s\n" string
+  printf "should_exclude(%s) = %b\n" string
     (Dune_file_watcher.For_tests.should_exclude string
-       Dune_config.standard_watch_exclusions
-    |> Bool.to_string)
+       Dune_config.standard_watch_exclusions)
 
 let%expect_test _ =
   test "file.ml";