diff --git a/src/aiousbwatcher/impl.py b/src/aiousbwatcher/impl.py
index 6571bfa..e63870e 100644
--- a/src/aiousbwatcher/impl.py
+++ b/src/aiousbwatcher/impl.py
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@
 
 _PATH = "/dev/bus/usb"
 
+# How long to wait before restarting the watcher after an unexpected
+# OSError. USB hotplug churns /dev/bus/usb constantly, so a transient
+# failure should self-heal rather than permanently stop the watcher.
+_AUTO_RECOVER_TIME = 5
+
 _LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
@@ -69,30 +74,59 @@ def _async_stop(self) -> None:
         self._task.cancel()
         self._task = None
 
+    def _add_watches(
+        self, inotify: Inotify, mask: Mask, directories: list[Path]
+    ) -> None:
+        """Add a watch for each directory, skipping any that have vanished."""
+        # USB hotplug races mean a directory discovered by the recursive walk
+        # can disappear before we get to watch it. Skip those rather than
+        # letting the whole watcher crash.
+        for directory in directories:
+            try:
+                inotify.add_watch(directory, mask)
+            except OSError as ex:
+                _LOGGER.debug("Could not watch %s: %s", directory, ex)
+
     async def _watcher(self) -> None:
+        """Run the watcher, auto-recovering from transient OS errors."""
+        while True:
+            try:
+                await self._run_watcher()
+            except asyncio.CancelledError:
+                raise
+            except OSError as ex:
+                _LOGGER.warning(
+                    "USB watcher stopped unexpectedly (%s); restarting in %s seconds",
+                    ex,
+                    _AUTO_RECOVER_TIME,
+                )
+                await asyncio.sleep(_AUTO_RECOVER_TIME)
+
+    async def _run_watcher(self) -> None:
         mask = (
             Mask.CREATE
             | Mask.MOVED_FROM
             | Mask.MOVED_TO
-            | Mask.CREATE
             | Mask.DELETE_SELF
             | Mask.DELETE
             | Mask.IGNORED
         )
 
         with Inotify() as inotify:
-            for directory in await _async_get_directories_recursive(
-                self._loop, self._path
-            ):
-                inotify.add_watch(directory, mask)
+            self._add_watches(
+                inotify,
+                mask,
+                await _async_get_directories_recursive(self._loop, self._path),
+            )
 
             async for event in inotify:
                 # Add subdirectories to watch if a new directory is added.
                 if Mask.CREATE in event.mask and event.path is not None:
-                    for directory in await _async_get_directories_recursive(
-                        self._loop, event.path
-                    ):
-                        inotify.add_watch(directory, mask)
+                    self._add_watches(
+                        inotify,
+                        mask,
+                        await _async_get_directories_recursive(self._loop, event.path),
+                    )
 
                 # If there is at least some overlap, assume the user wants this event.
                 if event.mask & mask:
diff --git a/tests/test_impl.py b/tests/test_impl.py
index 8a0bc6c..be0ef1e 100644
--- a/tests/test_impl.py
+++ b/tests/test_impl.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 
-from aiousbwatcher import AIOUSBWatcher, InotifyNotAvailableError
+from aiousbwatcher import AIOUSBWatcher, InotifyNotAvailableError, impl
 
 _INOTIFY_WAIT_TIME = 0.2
 
@@ -80,6 +80,90 @@ def broken_callback() -> None:
         assert not called
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    platform != "linux", reason="Inotify not available on this platform"
+)
+async def test_aiousbwatcher_recovers_from_oserror(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """A transient OSError in the watch loop must not kill the watcher."""
+    called: bool = False
+
+    def callback() -> None:
+        nonlocal called
+        called = True
+
+    attempts: int = 0
+    real_run_watcher = AIOUSBWatcher._run_watcher
+
+    async def flaky_run_watcher(self: AIOUSBWatcher) -> None:
+        nonlocal attempts
+        attempts += 1
+        if attempts == 1:
+            raise OSError("transient inotify failure")
+        await real_run_watcher(self)
+
+    with (
+        patch("aiousbwatcher.impl._PATH", str(tmp_path)),
+        patch.object(impl, "_AUTO_RECOVER_TIME", 0),
+        patch.object(AIOUSBWatcher, "_run_watcher", flaky_run_watcher),
+    ):
+        watcher = AIOUSBWatcher()
+        watcher.async_register_callback(callback)
+        stop = watcher.async_start()
+        # First run raises OSError, watcher sleeps (0s) then restarts.
+        await asyncio.sleep(_INOTIFY_WAIT_TIME)
+        assert attempts >= 2
+        assert not called
+        (tmp_path / "test").touch()
+        await asyncio.sleep(_INOTIFY_WAIT_TIME)
+        assert called
+        stop()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    platform != "linux", reason="Inotify not available on this platform"
+)
+async def test_aiousbwatcher_skips_unwatchable_directory(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """A directory that vanishes before add_watch must not crash the watcher."""
+    called: bool = False
+
+    def callback() -> None:
+        nonlocal called
+        called = True
+
+    from asyncinotify import Inotify
+
+    real_add_watch = Inotify.add_watch
+
+    def flaky_add_watch(self, directory, mask):  # type: ignore[no-untyped-def]
+        # Simulate a hotplug race: a freshly created subdir has already vanished.
+        if Path(directory).name == "ghost":
+            raise FileNotFoundError("directory vanished")
+        return real_add_watch(self, directory, mask)
+
+    with (
+        patch("aiousbwatcher.impl._PATH", str(tmp_path)),
+        patch.object(Inotify, "add_watch", flaky_add_watch),
+    ):
+        watcher = AIOUSBWatcher()
+        watcher.async_register_callback(callback)
+        stop = watcher.async_start()
+        await asyncio.sleep(_INOTIFY_WAIT_TIME)
+        assert not called
+        # Creating "ghost" triggers a CREATE on the watched root (callback
+        # fires) and then a failing add_watch on the new subdir (swallowed).
+        (tmp_path / "ghost").mkdir()
+        await asyncio.sleep(_INOTIFY_WAIT_TIME)
+        assert called
+        called = False  # type: ignore[unreachable]
+        # The watcher must still be alive and processing root-level events.
+        (tmp_path / "after").touch()
+        await asyncio.sleep(_INOTIFY_WAIT_TIME)
+        assert called
+        stop()
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 @pytest.mark.skipif(
     platform != "linux", reason="Inotify not available on this platform"