diff --git a/config/config.sample.php b/config/config.sample.php
index 708e8367023011dfef041e976424e5822bfdf58a..80694837edc71091f10ac0bf82bbd5c62e191049 100755
--- a/config/config.sample.php
+++ b/config/config.sample.php
@@ -283,5 +283,14 @@ $CONFIG = array(
  * cache directory and "$user" is the user.
  *
  */
-'cache_path' => ''
+'cache_path' => '',
+
+/*
+ * specifies how often the filesystem is checked for changes made outside owncloud
+ * 0 -> never check the filesystem for outside changes, provides a performance increase when it's certain that no changes are made directly to the filesystem
+ * 1 -> check each file or folder at most once per request, recomended for general use if outside changes might happen
+ * 2 -> check every time the filesystem is used, causes a performance hit when using external storages, not recomended for regular use
+ */
+'filesystem_check_changes' => 1
+
 );
diff --git a/lib/private/files/cache/watcher.php b/lib/private/files/cache/watcher.php
index 599752a6effa46974dbeabbe8d5b611d1d8cc4b3..5a4f53fb73d539413af96ccc48c4cacdcc361a6d 100644
--- a/lib/private/files/cache/watcher.php
+++ b/lib/private/files/cache/watcher.php
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ class Watcher {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * @param int $policy either \OC\Files\Cache\Watcher::UPDATE_NEVER, \OC\Files\Cache\Watcher::UPDATE_ONCE, \OC\Files\Cache\Watcher::UPDATE_ALWAYS
+	 * @param int $policy either \OC\Files\Cache\Watcher::CHECK_NEVER, \OC\Files\Cache\Watcher::CHECK_ONCE, \OC\Files\Cache\Watcher::CHECK_ALWAYS
 	 */
 	public function setPolicy($policy) {
 		$this->watchPolicy = $policy;
diff --git a/lib/private/files/storage/common.php b/lib/private/files/storage/common.php
index b03ae7d051775f331e4658644456510dd3d583cd..cfca8ca008c239ca2959d0e999c46e877a357f8c 100644
--- a/lib/private/files/storage/common.php
+++ b/lib/private/files/storage/common.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
  */
 
 namespace OC\Files\Storage;
+use OC\Files\Cache\Watcher;
 
 /**
  * Storage backend class for providing common filesystem operation methods
@@ -280,6 +281,7 @@ abstract class Common implements \OC\Files\Storage\Storage {
 	public function getWatcher($path = '') {
 		if (!isset($this->watcher)) {
 			$this->watcher = new \OC\Files\Cache\Watcher($this);
+			$this->watcher->setPolicy(\OC::$server->getConfig()->getSystemValue('filesystem_check_changes', Watcher::CHECK_ONCE));
 		}
 		return $this->watcher;
 	}