diff --git a/crates/bevy_asset/src/asset_server.rs b/crates/bevy_asset/src/asset_server.rs
index 60fb7f5cbb5bf1..0d8f1fe9512c7b 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_asset/src/asset_server.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_asset/src/asset_server.rs
@@ -624,14 +624,7 @@ mod test {
                 handle_to_path: Default::default(),
                 asset_lifecycles: Default::default(),
                 task_pool: Default::default(),
-                asset_io: Box::new(FileAssetIo::new(
-                    asset_path,
-                    #[cfg(all(
-                        feature = "filesystem_watcher",
-                        all(not(target_arch = "wasm32"), not(target_os = "android"))
-                    ))]
-                    false,
-                )),
+                asset_io: Box::new(FileAssetIo::new(asset_path, false)),
             }),
         }
     }
diff --git a/crates/bevy_asset/src/io/file_asset_io.rs b/crates/bevy_asset/src/io/file_asset_io.rs
index fb06b538c5a67b..22bf33ef80fb64 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_asset/src/io/file_asset_io.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_asset/src/io/file_asset_io.rs
@@ -27,17 +27,23 @@ pub struct FileAssetIo {
 }
 
 impl FileAssetIo {
-    pub fn new<P: AsRef<Path>>(
-        path: P,
-        #[cfg(feature = "filesystem_watcher")] watch_for_changes: bool,
-    ) -> Self {
+    pub fn new<P: AsRef<Path>>(path: P, watch_for_changes: bool) -> Self {
         let file_asset_io = FileAssetIo {
             #[cfg(feature = "filesystem_watcher")]
             filesystem_watcher: Default::default(),
             root_path: Self::get_root_path().join(path.as_ref()),
         };
-        #[cfg(feature = "filesystem_watcher")]
         if watch_for_changes {
+            #[cfg(any(
+                not(feature = "filesystem_watcher"),
+                target_arch = "wasm32",
+                target_os = "android"
+            ))]
+            panic!(
+                "Watch for changes requires the filesystem_watcher feature and cannot be used on \
+                wasm32 / android targets"
+            );
+            #[cfg(feature = "filesystem_watcher")]
             file_asset_io.watch_for_changes().unwrap();
         }
         file_asset_io
diff --git a/crates/bevy_asset/src/lib.rs b/crates/bevy_asset/src/lib.rs
index 1446fd9b99a0ab..b62d7537f2c7f7 100644
--- a/crates/bevy_asset/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/bevy_asset/src/lib.rs
@@ -44,10 +44,8 @@ pub struct AssetPlugin;
 
 pub struct AssetServerSettings {
     pub asset_folder: String,
-    #[cfg(all(
-        feature = "filesystem_watcher",
-        all(not(target_arch = "wasm32"), not(target_os = "android"))
-    ))]
+    /// Whether to watch for changes in asset files. Requires the `filesystem_watcher` feature,
+    /// and cannot be supported on the wasm32 arch nor android os.
     pub watch_for_changes: bool,
 }
 
@@ -55,10 +53,6 @@ impl Default for AssetServerSettings {
     fn default() -> Self {
         Self {
             asset_folder: "assets".to_string(),
-            #[cfg(all(
-                feature = "filesystem_watcher",
-                all(not(target_arch = "wasm32"), not(target_os = "android"))
-            ))]
             watch_for_changes: false,
         }
     }
@@ -74,11 +68,7 @@ pub fn create_platform_default_asset_io(app: &mut App) -> Box<dyn AssetIo> {
         .get_resource_or_insert_with(AssetServerSettings::default);
 
     #[cfg(all(not(target_arch = "wasm32"), not(target_os = "android")))]
-    let source = FileAssetIo::new(
-        &settings.asset_folder,
-        #[cfg(feature = "filesystem_watcher")]
-        settings.watch_for_changes,
-    );
+    let source = FileAssetIo::new(&settings.asset_folder, settings.watch_for_changes);
     #[cfg(target_arch = "wasm32")]
     let source = WasmAssetIo::new(&settings.asset_folder);
     #[cfg(target_os = "android")]