diff --git a/core/local/channel_watcher/index.js b/core/local/channel_watcher/index.js
index 62c8a9fcd..3a889f09e 100644
--- a/core/local/channel_watcher/index.js
+++ b/core/local/channel_watcher/index.js
@@ -165,6 +165,18 @@ class ChannelWatcher {
     await scanDone
   }
 
+  resume() {
+    log.info('Resuming watcher...')
+
+    return this.producer.resume()
+  }
+
+  suspend() {
+    log.info('Suspending watcher...')
+
+    return this.producer.suspend()
+  }
+
   async stop() /*: Promise<*> */ {
     log.info('Stopping watcher...')
 
diff --git a/core/local/channel_watcher/parcel_producer.js b/core/local/channel_watcher/parcel_producer.js
index e2d9916dc..12fe4f164 100644
--- a/core/local/channel_watcher/parcel_producer.js
+++ b/core/local/channel_watcher/parcel_producer.js
@@ -102,15 +102,7 @@ class Producer {
   async start() {
     log.info('Starting producer...')
 
-    this.watcher = await parcel.subscribe(
-      this.config.syncPath,
-      async (err, events) => {
-        // FIXME: use async queue to run processEvents calls in order
-        await this.processEvents(events)
-      },
-      { backend }
-    )
-    if (!this.watcher) throw new Error('Could not start @parcel/watcher')
+    await this.subscribe()
 
     this.events.emit('buffering-start')
 
@@ -123,6 +115,47 @@ class Producer {
     this.events.emit('buffering-end')
   }
 
+  async resume() {
+    log.info('Resuming producer...')
+
+    await this.subscribe()
+  }
+
+  async suspend() {
+    log.info('Suspending producer...')
+
+    await this.unsubscribe()
+  }
+
+  async stop() {
+    log.info('Stopping producer...')
+
+    await this.unsubscribe()
+  }
+
+  async subscribe() {
+    if (!this.watcher) {
+      this.watcher = await parcel.subscribe(
+        this.config.syncPath,
+        async (err, events) => {
+          // FIXME: use async queue to run processEvents calls in order
+          await this.processEvents(events)
+        },
+        { backend }
+      )
+    }
+    if (!this.watcher) throw new Error('Could not start @parcel/watcher')
+  }
+
+  async unsubscribe() {
+    if (this.watcher) {
+      await this.watcher.unsubscribe()
+      // XXX: unsubscribe() resolves before it was actually finished
+      await Promise.delay(1000)
+      this.watcher = null
+    }
+  }
+
   async scan(relPath /*: string */) {
     const stopParcelScanMeasure = measureTime('Parcel#scan')
     const scanEvents = await parcel.scan(
@@ -187,17 +220,6 @@ class Producer {
       this.channel.push(batch)
     }
   }
-
-  async stop() {
-    log.info('Stopping producer...')
-
-    if (this.watcher) {
-      await this.watcher.unsubscribe()
-      // XXX: unsubscribe() resolves before it was actually finished
-      await Promise.delay(1000)
-      this.watcher = null
-    }
-  }
 }
 
 module.exports = Producer
diff --git a/core/local/chokidar/event_buffer.js b/core/local/chokidar/event_buffer.js
index 90a1ce224..eb782b8c4 100644
--- a/core/local/chokidar/event_buffer.js
+++ b/core/local/chokidar/event_buffer.js
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ class EventBuffer /*:: <EventType> */ {
   }
 
   switchMode(mode /*: EventBufferMode */) /*: void */ {
-    this.flush()
+    this.clearTimeout()
     this.mode = mode
   }
 
diff --git a/core/local/chokidar/watcher.js b/core/local/chokidar/watcher.js
index 50923f2da..fe6f914d7 100644
--- a/core/local/chokidar/watcher.js
+++ b/core/local/chokidar/watcher.js
@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ class LocalWatcher {
         .on('ready', () => {
           stopChokidarScanMeasure()
           log.info('Folder scan done')
+          this.buffer.flush()
           this.buffer.switchMode('timeout')
         })
         .on('raw', async (event, path, details) => {
@@ -223,6 +224,68 @@ class LocalWatcher {
     return started
   }
 
+  async resume() {
+    log.info('Resuming watcher...')
+
+    if (this.watcher && this.watcher.getWatched().length === 0) {
+      this.watcher.add('.')
+    }
+
+    // Flush previously buffered events
+    this.buffer.flush()
+    // Restart flushes loop
+    this.buffer.switchMode('timeout')
+  }
+
+  async suspend() {
+    log.info('Suspending watcher...')
+
+    // Stop flushes loop but keep buffered events
+    this.buffer.switchMode('idle')
+
+    // Stop underlying Chokidar watcher
+    if (this.watcher) {
+      this.watcher.unwatch('.')
+    }
+  }
+
+  async stop(force /*: ?bool */ = false) {
+    log.info('Stopping watcher...')
+
+    if (!this.watcher) return
+
+    if (force || !this.initialScanParams.flushed) {
+      // Drop buffered events
+      this.buffer.clear()
+    } else {
+      // XXX manually fire events for added file, because chokidar will cancel
+      // them if they are still in the awaitWriteFinish period
+      for (let relpath in this.watcher._pendingWrites) {
+        try {
+          const fullpath = path.join(this.watcher.options.cwd, relpath)
+          const curStat = await stater.stat(fullpath)
+          this.watcher.emit('add', relpath, curStat)
+        } catch (err) {
+          log.warn('Could not fire remaining add events', { err })
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Stop underlying Chokidar watcher
+    await this.watcher.close()
+    this.watcher = null
+    // Flush buffer and stop flushes loop
+    this.buffer.flush()
+    this.buffer.switchMode('idle')
+
+    if (!force) {
+      // Give some time for awaitWriteFinish events to be managed
+      return new Promise(resolve => {
+        setTimeout(resolve, 1000)
+      })
+    }
+  }
+
   // TODO: Start checksuming as soon as an add/change event is buffered
   // TODO: Put flushed event batches in a queue
   async onFlush(rawEvents /*: ChokidarEvent[] */) {
@@ -283,42 +346,6 @@ class LocalWatcher {
     this.endInitialScan()
   }
 
-  async stop(force /*: ?bool */ = false) {
-    log.info('Stopping watcher...')
-
-    if (!this.watcher) return
-
-    if (force || !this.initialScanParams.flushed) {
-      // Drop buffered events
-      this.buffer.clear()
-    } else {
-      // XXX manually fire events for added file, because chokidar will cancel
-      // them if they are still in the awaitWriteFinish period
-      for (let relpath in this.watcher._pendingWrites) {
-        try {
-          const fullpath = path.join(this.watcher.options.cwd, relpath)
-          const curStat = await stater.stat(fullpath)
-          this.watcher.emit('add', relpath, curStat)
-        } catch (err) {
-          log.warn('Could not fire remaining add events', { err })
-        }
-      }
-    }
-
-    // Stop underlying Chokidar watcher
-    await this.watcher.close()
-    this.watcher = null
-    // Flush buffer and stop flushes loop
-    this.buffer.switchMode('idle')
-
-    if (!force) {
-      // Give some time for awaitWriteFinish events to be managed
-      return new Promise(resolve => {
-        setTimeout(resolve, 1000)
-      })
-    }
-  }
-
   resetInitialScanParams() {
     this.initialScanParams = {
       paths: [],
diff --git a/core/local/index.js b/core/local/index.js
index fdaaeac2d..4bd60ce9e 100644
--- a/core/local/index.js
+++ b/core/local/index.js
@@ -115,6 +115,17 @@ class Local /*:: implements Reader, Writer */ {
     return this.watcher.start()
   }
 
+  resume() {
+    syncDir.ensureExistsSync(this)
+    this.syncDirCheckInterval = syncDir.startIntervalCheck(this)
+    return this.watcher.resume()
+  }
+
+  suspend() {
+    clearInterval(this.syncDirCheckInterval)
+    return this.watcher.suspend()
+  }
+
   /** Stop watching the file system */
   stop() {
     clearInterval(this.syncDirCheckInterval)
diff --git a/core/local/watcher.js b/core/local/watcher.js
index b6d476ff7..4d1c541ed 100644
--- a/core/local/watcher.js
+++ b/core/local/watcher.js
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ import type { Checksumer } from './checksumer'
 export interface Watcher {
   checksumer: Checksumer,
   start (): Promise<*>,
+  resume (): Promise<*>,
+  suspend (): Promise<*>,
   stop (force: ?bool): Promise<*>,
   onFatal (listener: Error => any): void,
   fatal (err: Error): void,
diff --git a/core/remote/index.js b/core/remote/index.js
index be097b7df..f8ad3df6e 100644
--- a/core/remote/index.js
+++ b/core/remote/index.js
@@ -117,6 +117,15 @@ class Remote /*:: implements Reader, Writer */ {
     return this.warningsPoller.start()
   }
 
+  async resume() {
+    await this.watcher.resume()
+    return this.warningsPoller.start()
+  }
+
+  async suspend() {
+    await Promise.all([this.watcher.suspend(), this.warningsPoller.stop()])
+  }
+
   async stop() {
     await Promise.all([this.watcher.stop(), this.warningsPoller.stop()])
   }
diff --git a/core/remote/watcher/index.js b/core/remote/watcher/index.js
index 3fcea43f0..5f916823b 100644
--- a/core/remote/watcher/index.js
+++ b/core/remote/watcher/index.js
@@ -110,7 +110,8 @@ class RemoteWatcher {
 
   async start() {
     if (!this.running) {
-      log.info('Starting watcher')
+      log.info('Starting watcher...')
+
       this.running = true
       this.startClock()
 
@@ -127,9 +128,21 @@ class RemoteWatcher {
     }
   }
 
+  resume() {
+    log.info('Resuming watcher...')
+
+    return this.start()
+  }
+
+  suspend() {
+    log.info('Suspending watcher...')
+
+    return this.stop()
+  }
+
   async stop() {
     if (this.running) {
-      log.info('Stopping watcher')
+      log.info('Stopping watcher...')
 
       if (this.realtimeManager) {
         this.realtimeManager.stop()
diff --git a/core/sync/index.js b/core/sync/index.js
index 9bc0a8aa7..fda6a404d 100644
--- a/core/sync/index.js
+++ b/core/sync/index.js
@@ -298,14 +298,21 @@ class Sync {
     }
   }
 
-  async started() {
-    await this.lifecycle.started()
-  }
+  async resume() {
+    log.info('resuming synchronization')
 
-  // Manually force a full synchronization
-  async forceSync() {
-    await this.stop()
-    await this.start()
+    try {
+      this.lifecycle.begin('start')
+    } catch (err) {
+      return
+    }
+
+    this.events.once('power-suspend', this.suspend)
+
+    this.lifecycle.unblockFor('all')
+    this.local.resume()
+    this.remote.resume()
+    this.lifecycle.end('start')
   }
 
   suspend() {
@@ -319,19 +326,14 @@ class Sync {
       return
     }
 
-    this.local.stop()
-    this.remote.stop()
+    this.local.suspend()
+    this.remote.suspend()
     clearInterval(this.retryInterval)
     this.retryInterval = null
     this.lifecycle.unblockFor('all')
     this.lifecycle.end('stop')
   }
 
-  async resume() {
-    log.info('resuming synchronization')
-    await this.start()
-  }
-
   // Stop the synchronization
   async stop() /*: Promise<void> */ {
     // In case an interval timer was started, we clear it to make sure it won't
@@ -361,10 +363,20 @@ class Sync {
     this.lifecycle.end('stop')
   }
 
+  async started() {
+    await this.lifecycle.started()
+  }
+
   async stopped() {
     await this.lifecycle.stopped()
   }
 
+  // Manually force a full synchronization
+  async forceSync() {
+    await this.stop()
+    await this.start()
+  }
+
   fatal(err /*: Error */) {
     log.fatal(`Sync fatal: ${err.message}`, { err, sentry: true })
 
diff --git a/test/unit/local/chokidar/event_buffer.js b/test/unit/local/chokidar/event_buffer.js
index 0db9bfdaf..eab9ad0ab 100644
--- a/test/unit/local/chokidar/event_buffer.js
+++ b/test/unit/local/chokidar/event_buffer.js
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ onPlatform('darwin', () => {
 
       it('can be switched to timeout mode', () => {
         buffer.switchMode('timeout')
-        should(flushed).have.been.calledWith([event1, event2])
+        should(flushed).not.have.been.called()
       })
     })
 
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ onPlatform('darwin', () => {
         buffer.push(event1)
         buffer.switchMode('idle')
         clock.tick(TIMEOUT_IN_MS)
-        should(flushed).have.been.calledWith([event1])
+        should(flushed).not.have.been.called()
       })
 
       it('does not flush without events', () => {