diff --git a/test/cli/index.js b/test/cli/index.js
index 7f747a34024..267b0b27e2d 100644
--- a/test/cli/index.js
+++ b/test/cli/index.js
@@ -35,113 +35,116 @@ function runTest(dir, config, pass) {
 			if (pass > 0) {
 				getFileNamesAndRemoveOutput(dir);
 			}
-			if (config.before) config.before();
-
 			const command = config.command.replace(
 				/(^| )rollup($| )/g,
 				`node ${path.resolve(__dirname, '../../dist/bin')}${path.sep}rollup `
 			);
 
-			const childProcess = exec(
-				command,
-				{
-					timeout: 40000,
-					env: { ...process.env, FORCE_COLOR: '0', ...config.env }
-				},
-				(err, code, stderr) => {
-					if (config.after) config.after(err, code, stderr);
-					if (err && !err.killed) {
-						if (config.error) {
-							const shouldContinue = config.error(err);
+			Promise.resolve(config.before && config.before()).then(() => {
+				const childProcess = exec(
+					command,
+					{
+						timeout: 40000,
+						env: { ...process.env, FORCE_COLOR: '0', ...config.env }
+					},
+					(err, code, stderr) => {
+						if (config.after) config.after(err, code, stderr);
+						if (err && !err.killed) {
+							if (config.error) {
+								const shouldContinue = config.error(err);
+								if (!shouldContinue) return done();
+							} else {
+								throw err;
+							}
+						}
+
+						if ('stderr' in config) {
+							const shouldContinue = config.stderr(stderr);
 							if (!shouldContinue) return done();
-						} else {
-							throw err;
+						} else if (stderr) {
+							console.error(stderr);
 						}
-					}
 
-					if ('stderr' in config) {
-						const shouldContinue = config.stderr(stderr);
-						if (!shouldContinue) return done();
-					} else if (stderr) {
-						console.error(stderr);
-					}
+						let unintendedError;
 
-					let unintendedError;
+						if (config.execute) {
+							try {
+								const fn = new Function('require', 'module', 'exports', 'assert', code);
+								const module = {
+									exports: {}
+								};
+								fn(require, module, module.exports, assert);
 
-					if (config.execute) {
-						try {
-							const fn = new Function('require', 'module', 'exports', 'assert', code);
-							const module = {
-								exports: {}
-							};
-							fn(require, module, module.exports, assert);
+								if (config.error) {
+									unintendedError = new Error('Expected an error while executing output');
+								}
 
-							if (config.error) {
-								unintendedError = new Error('Expected an error while executing output');
+								if (config.exports) {
+									config.exports(module.exports);
+								}
+							} catch (err) {
+								if (config.error) {
+									config.error(err);
+								} else {
+									unintendedError = err;
+								}
 							}
 
-							if (config.exports) {
-								config.exports(module.exports);
+							if (config.show || unintendedError) {
+								console.log(code + '\n\n\n');
 							}
-						} catch (err) {
-							if (config.error) {
-								config.error(err);
-							} else {
-								unintendedError = err;
-							}
-						}
 
-						if (config.show || unintendedError) {
-							console.log(code + '\n\n\n');
-						}
+							if (config.solo) console.groupEnd();
 
-						if (config.solo) console.groupEnd();
-
-						unintendedError ? done(unintendedError) : done();
-					} else if (config.result) {
-						try {
-							config.result(code);
-							done();
-						} catch (err) {
-							done(err);
-						}
-					} else if (config.test) {
-						try {
-							config.test();
-							done();
-						} catch (err) {
-							done(err);
-						}
-					} else if (sander.existsSync('_expected') && sander.statSync('_expected').isDirectory()) {
-						try {
-							assertDirectoriesAreEqual('_actual', '_expected');
-							done();
-						} catch (err) {
-							done(err);
-						}
-					} else {
-						const expected = sander.readFileSync('_expected.js').toString();
-						try {
-							assert.equal(normaliseOutput(code), normaliseOutput(expected));
-							done();
-						} catch (err) {
-							done(err);
+							unintendedError ? done(unintendedError) : done();
+						} else if (config.result) {
+							try {
+								config.result(code);
+								done();
+							} catch (err) {
+								done(err);
+							}
+						} else if (config.test) {
+							try {
+								config.test();
+								done();
+							} catch (err) {
+								done(err);
+							}
+						} else if (
+							sander.existsSync('_expected') &&
+							sander.statSync('_expected').isDirectory()
+						) {
+							try {
+								assertDirectoriesAreEqual('_actual', '_expected');
+								done();
+							} catch (err) {
+								done(err);
+							}
+						} else {
+							const expected = sander.readFileSync('_expected.js').toString();
+							try {
+								assert.equal(normaliseOutput(code), normaliseOutput(expected));
+								done();
+							} catch (err) {
+								done(err);
+							}
 						}
 					}
-				}
-			);
+				);
 
-			childProcess.stderr.on('data', async data => {
-				if (config.abortOnStderr) {
-					try {
-						if (await config.abortOnStderr(data)) {
+				childProcess.stderr.on('data', async data => {
+					if (config.abortOnStderr) {
+						try {
+							if (await config.abortOnStderr(data)) {
+								childProcess.kill('SIGTERM');
+							}
+						} catch (err) {
 							childProcess.kill('SIGTERM');
+							done(err);
 						}
-					} catch (err) {
-						childProcess.kill('SIGTERM');
-						done(err);
 					}
-				}
+				});
 			});
 		}
 	).timeout(50000);
diff --git a/test/cli/samples/watch/watch-config-early-update/_config.js b/test/cli/samples/watch/watch-config-early-update/_config.js
index 67364aa8de3..f7a112f1ac8 100644
--- a/test/cli/samples/watch/watch-config-early-update/_config.js
+++ b/test/cli/samples/watch/watch-config-early-update/_config.js
@@ -16,11 +16,11 @@ module.exports = {
 		fs.writeFileSync(
 			configFile,
 			`
-		  import { watchFile, unwatchFile } from 'fs';
+		  import { watch } from 'fs';
       export default new Promise(resolve => {
-        const listener = () => {
+				const watcher = watch(${JSON.stringify(configFile)}, () => {
 				  console.error('config update detected');
-				  unwatchFile(${JSON.stringify(configFile)}, listener);
+				  watcher.close();
 				  setTimeout(() => {
 				    console.error('resolve original config');
 				    resolve({
@@ -32,12 +32,12 @@ module.exports = {
             })
           // wait a moment to make sure we do not trigger before Rollup's watcher
           }, 600)
-				};
-				watchFile(${JSON.stringify(configFile)}, { interval: 100 }, listener);
+				});
 				console.error('initial');
       });
   		`
 		);
+		return new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 600));
 	},
 	after() {
 		fs.unlinkSync(configFile);