diff --git a/packages/rust/tests/table_anchor_watch.rs b/packages/rust/tests/table_anchor_watch.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6c8706fda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/rust/tests/table_anchor_watch.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+//! The live watcher covers every table's anchor, not only the index root.
+
+use dirsql::{DirSQL, Row, RowEvent, Table, Value};
+use std::fs;
+use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
+use tempfile::TempDir;
+
+fn name_table(name: &str, anchor: Option<&std::path::Path>) -> Table {
+    let table = Table::new(
+        name,
+        format!("CREATE TABLE {name} (name TEXT)"),
+        "**/*.txt",
+        |path| {
+            let body = fs::read_to_string(path).unwrap_or_default();
+            vec![Row::from([(
+                "name".to_string(),
+                Value::Text(body.trim().to_string()),
+            )])]
+        },
+    );
+    match anchor {
+        Some(anchor) => table.anchored(anchor),
+        None => table,
+    }
+}
+
+fn poll_until(db: &DirSQL, done: impl Fn(&[RowEvent]) -> bool) -> Vec<RowEvent> {
+    let deadline = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(10);
+    let mut seen = Vec::new();
+    while Instant::now() < deadline && !done(&seen) {
+        seen.extend(db.poll_events(Duration::from_millis(200)).unwrap());
+    }
+    seen
+}
+
+fn inserts_into(events: &[RowEvent], table: &str) -> usize {
+    events
+        .iter()
+        .filter(|e| matches!(e, RowEvent::Insert { table: t, .. } if t == table))
+        .count()
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn a_file_created_under_an_anchor_outside_the_root_emits_an_insert() {
+    let root = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let anchor = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let db = DirSQL::builder()
+        .root(root.path())
+        .table(name_table("elsewhere", Some(anchor.path())))
+        .build()
+        .unwrap();
+    db.start_watching().unwrap();
+    std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(200));
+
+    fs::write(anchor.path().join("new.txt"), "hello").unwrap();
+
+    let events = poll_until(&db, |seen| inserts_into(seen, "elsewhere") > 0);
+    assert_eq!(inserts_into(&events, "elsewhere"), 1, "got: {events:?}");
+    let rows = db.query("SELECT name FROM elsewhere").unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(rows.len(), 1);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn the_root_and_an_outside_anchor_are_both_watched() {
+    let root = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let anchor = TempDir::new().unwrap();
+    let db = DirSQL::builder()
+        .root(root.path())
+        .tables(vec![
+            name_table("at_root", None),
+            name_table("elsewhere", Some(anchor.path())),
+        ])
+        .build()
+        .unwrap();
+    db.start_watching().unwrap();
+    std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(200));
+
+    fs::write(root.path().join("a.txt"), "a").unwrap();
+    fs::write(anchor.path().join("b.txt"), "b").unwrap();
+
+    let events = poll_until(&db, |seen| {
+        inserts_into(seen, "at_root") > 0 && inserts_into(seen, "elsewhere") > 0
+    });
+    assert_eq!(inserts_into(&events, "at_root"), 1, "got: {events:?}");
+    assert_eq!(inserts_into(&events, "elsewhere"), 1, "got: {events:?}");
+}