diff --git a/example/example.js b/example/example.js
index 6c55cd8..f761f90 100644
--- a/example/example.js
+++ b/example/example.js
@@ -2,7 +2,11 @@ import Watcher from '../src/watcher'
 import onDeath from  'ondeath'
 
 (async () => {
-  let options = {source:'./example/repo/**', ignored:['**/dontwatch.js'],ignoreList:['./example/repo/.gitignore']}
+  let options = {
+    source:'./example/repo/**', 
+    ignored:['**/dontwatch.js'],
+    ignoreList:['./example/repo/.gitignore'],
+    readyTimeout:null}
   // let options = {source:'./readme.md'}
   // let options = {source:'./example/*'}
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index c0ed3ff..1c0909d 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@uci-utils/watcher",
-  "version": "0.3.0",
+  "version": "0.4.0",
   "description": "File System Watcher Class that emits events",
   "main": "src/watcher.js",
   "scripts": {
@@ -30,15 +30,15 @@
   },
   "homepage": "https://github.com/uCOMmandIt/uci-utils#readme",
   "dependencies": {
-    "@uci-utils/logger": "0.0.16",
+    "@uci-utils/logger": "0.0.18",
     "@uci-utils/read-lines": "^0.2.2",
-    "chokidar": "^3.0.2"
+    "chokidar": "^3.5.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "chai": "^4.2.0",
+    "chai": "^4.3.3",
     "esm": "^3.2.25",
-    "mocha": "^6.2.0",
-    "nodemon": "^1.19.1",
+    "mocha": "^8.3.1",
+    "nodemon": "^2.0.7",
     "ondeath": "^1.0.0"
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/watcher.js b/src/watcher.js
index 792cadc..29803cd 100644
--- a/src/watcher.js
+++ b/src/watcher.js
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ import logger from '@uci-utils/logger'
 
 let log = {}
 
-const READY_TIMEOUT = 2000
+const READY_TIMEOUT = 10000 //default 
+
 
 class Watcher extends Emitter {
   constructor(opts={}) {
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ class Watcher extends Emitter {
     log = logger({ package:'@uci-utils/watcher', class:'Watcher', file:'src/watcher.js'})
     opts.unlinkDir = Object.hasOwnProperty(opts.unlinkDir) ? opts.unlinkDir : true
     this.opts = opts
+    this.timeout = process.env.READY_TIMEOUT || opts.readyTimeout || READY_TIMEOUT
     this._ignored = []
     this._ready=false
     this.watching=false
@@ -44,10 +46,11 @@ class Watcher extends Emitter {
           this.opts = opts // save options
           resolve()
         })
+        log.debug(`initial scanning, timeout in ${this.timeout}ms`)
         let readyTimeout = setTimeout(() =>{
-          log.fatal({options:opts, timeout:READY_TIMEOUT, msg:'Timeout: unable to complete initial scan'})
-          reject('timeout during intial scan')
-        },READY_TIMEOUT)
+          log.fatal({options:opts, timeout:this.timeout, msg:'Timeout: unable to complete initial scan'})
+          reject('timeout during initial scan')
+        },this.timeout)
       }
       else {
         log.fatal('MUST provide a source directory(s) option to watch')