diff --git a/packages/playwright/src/fsWatcher.ts b/packages/playwright/src/fsWatcher.ts
index c0d4e4d04e..a1c09c343d 100644
--- a/packages/playwright/src/fsWatcher.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright/src/fsWatcher.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 
 import { chokidar } from './utilsBundle';
 import type { FSWatcher } from 'chokidar';
-import path from 'path';
 
 export type FSEvent = { event: 'add' | 'addDir' | 'change' | 'unlink' | 'unlinkDir', file: string };
 
@@ -52,7 +51,7 @@ export class Watcher {
     if (!this._watchedFiles.length)
       return;
 
-    const ignored = [...this._ignoredFolders, (name: string) => name.includes(path.sep + 'node_modules' + path.sep)];
+    const ignored = [...this._ignoredFolders, '**/node_modules/**'];
     this._fsWatcher = chokidar.watch(watchedFiles, { ignoreInitial: true, ignored }).on('all', async (event, file) => {
       if (this._throttleTimer)
         clearTimeout(this._throttleTimer);