diff --git a/gio/inotify/ginotifyfilemonitor.c b/gio/inotify/ginotifyfilemonitor.c
index 9bd19d0c1..4c95e87fb 100644
--- a/gio/inotify/ginotifyfilemonitor.c
+++ b/gio/inotify/ginotifyfilemonitor.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ g_inotify_file_monitor_start (GLocalFileMonitor  *local_monitor,
   success = _ih_startup ();
   g_assert (success);
 
-  inotify_monitor->sub = _ih_sub_new (dirname, basename, filename != NULL, source);
+  inotify_monitor->sub = _ih_sub_new (dirname, basename, filename, source);
   _ih_sub_add (inotify_monitor->sub);
 }
 
diff --git a/gio/inotify/inotify-sub.c b/gio/inotify/inotify-sub.c
index feb63fae2..b161557db 100644
--- a/gio/inotify/inotify-sub.c
+++ b/gio/inotify/inotify-sub.c
@@ -44,16 +44,27 @@ dup_dirname (const gchar *dirname)
 
 inotify_sub*
 _ih_sub_new (const gchar *dirname, 
+             const gchar *basename,
              const gchar *filename,
-             gboolean     watch_hardlinks,
              gpointer     user_data)
 {
   inotify_sub *sub = NULL;
   
   sub = g_new0 (inotify_sub, 1);
-  sub->dirname = dup_dirname (dirname);
-  sub->filename = g_strdup (filename);
-  sub->hardlinks = watch_hardlinks;
+
+  if (filename)
+    {
+      sub->dirname = g_path_get_dirname (filename);
+      sub->filename = g_path_get_basename (filename);
+      sub->hardlinks = TRUE;
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      sub->dirname = dup_dirname (dirname);
+      sub->filename = g_strdup (basename);
+      sub->hardlinks = FALSE;
+    }
+
   sub->user_data = user_data;
 
   IS_W ("new subscription for %s being setup\n", sub->dirname);
diff --git a/gio/inotify/inotify-sub.h b/gio/inotify/inotify-sub.h
index b0844fd99..fcde4f4cd 100644
--- a/gio/inotify/inotify-sub.h
+++ b/gio/inotify/inotify-sub.h
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ typedef struct
 } inotify_sub;
 
 inotify_sub *_ih_sub_new (const gchar  *dirname,
+			  const gchar  *basename,
 			  const gchar  *filename,
-			  gboolean      watch_hardlinks,
 			  gpointer      user_data);
 void         _ih_sub_free (inotify_sub *sub);