diff --git a/bundles/org.openhab.core/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/internal/service/WatchServiceImpl.java b/bundles/org.openhab.core/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/internal/service/WatchServiceImpl.java
index b9c093d9220..c77010e37d9 100644
--- a/bundles/org.openhab.core/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/internal/service/WatchServiceImpl.java
+++ b/bundles/org.openhab.core/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/internal/service/WatchServiceImpl.java
@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@ public void unregisterListener(WatchEventListener watchEventListener) {
 
     @Override
     public void onEvent(@Nullable DirectoryChangeEvent directoryChangeEvent) throws IOException {
+        logger.trace("onEvent {}", directoryChangeEvent);
         if (directoryChangeEvent == null || directoryChangeEvent.isDirectory()
                 || directoryChangeEvent.eventType() == DirectoryChangeEvent.EventType.OVERFLOW) {
             // exit early, we are neither interested in directory events nor in OVERFLOW events
@@ -223,12 +224,6 @@ public void onEvent(@Nullable DirectoryChangeEvent directoryChangeEvent) throws
 
         Path path = directoryChangeEvent.path();
 
-        if (directoryChangeEvent.eventType() != DirectoryChangeEvent.EventType.DELETE
-                && directoryChangeEvent.hash() == null) {
-            logger.warn("Detected invalid event (hash must not be null for CREATE/MODIFY): {}", directoryChangeEvent);
-            return;
-        }
-
         synchronized (scheduledEvents) {
             ScheduledFuture<?> future = scheduledEvents.remove(path);
             if (future != null && !future.isDone()) {
@@ -259,9 +254,17 @@ private void notifyListeners(Path path) {
             hashCache.remove(lastElement.path());
             doNotify(path, Kind.DELETE);
         } else if (firstElement.eventType() == DirectoryChangeEvent.EventType.CREATE) {
+            if (lastElement.hash() == null) {
+                logger.warn("Detected invalid event (hash must not be null for CREATE/MODIFY): {}", lastElement);
+                return;
+            }
             hashCache.put(lastElement.path(), lastElement.hash());
             doNotify(path, Kind.CREATE);
         } else {
+            if (lastElement.hash() == null) {
+                logger.warn("Detected invalid event (hash must not be null for CREATE/MODIFY): {}", lastElement);
+                return;
+            }
             FileHash oldHash = hashCache.put(lastElement.path(), lastElement.hash());
             if (!Objects.equals(oldHash, lastElement.hash())) {
                 // only notify if hashes are different, otherwise the file content did not chnge