diff --git a/tokio/src/sync/watch.rs b/tokio/src/sync/watch.rs
index 184ba4b6041..82bd40b01ea 100644
--- a/tokio/src/sync/watch.rs
+++ b/tokio/src/sync/watch.rs
@@ -335,12 +335,11 @@ impl<T> Receiver<T> {
         Ref { inner }
     }
 
-    /// Returns a reference to the most recently sent value and mark that value
+    /// Returns a reference to the most recently sent value and marks that value
     /// as seen.
     ///
-    /// This method marks the value as seen, so [`changed`] will not return
-    /// immediately if the newest value is one previously returned by
-    /// `borrow_and_update`.
+    /// This method marks the current value as seen. Subsequent calls to [`changed()`]
+    /// will not return immediately until the producer has modified the shared value again.
     ///
     /// Outstanding borrows hold a read lock. This means that long lived borrows
     /// could cause the send half to block. It is recommended to keep the borrow
@@ -365,9 +364,52 @@ impl<T> Receiver<T> {
     ///
     /// [`changed`]: Receiver::changed
     pub fn borrow_and_update(&mut self) -> Ref<'_, T> {
+        self.borrow_and_update_if_changed().0
+    }
+
+    /// Returns a reference to the most recently sent value with an *updated*
+    /// flag indicating if that value has been detected as *changed* and marked
+    /// as seen.
+    ///
+    /// This method marks the current value as seen. Subsequent calls to [`changed()`]
+    /// will not return immediately until the producer has modified the shared value again.
+    ///
+    /// Outstanding borrows hold a read lock. This means that long lived borrows
+    /// could cause the send half to block. It is recommended to keep the borrow
+    /// as short lived as possible.
+    ///
+    /// The priority policy of the lock is dependent on the underlying lock
+    /// implementation, and this type does not guarantee that any particular policy
+    /// will be used. In particular, a producer which is waiting to acquire the lock
+    /// in `send` might or might not block concurrent calls to `borrow`, e.g.:
+    ///
+    /// <details><summary>Potential deadlock example</summary>
+    ///
+    /// ```text
+    /// // Task 1 (on thread A)                       |  // Task 2 (on thread B)
+    /// let (_ref1, _updated1) =                      |
+    ///         rx1.borrow_and_update_if_changed();   |
+    ///                                               |  // will block
+    ///                                               |  let _ = tx.send(());
+    /// // may deadlock                               |
+    /// let (_ref2, _updated2) =                      |
+    ///         rx2.borrow_and_update_if_changed();   |
+    /// ```
+    /// </details>
+    ///
+    /// [`changed`]: Receiver::changed
+    pub fn borrow_and_update_if_changed(&mut self) -> (Ref<'_, T>, bool) {
         let inner = self.shared.value.read().unwrap();
-        self.version = self.shared.state.load().version();
-        Ref { inner }
+        // After obtaining a read-lock no concurrent writes could occur
+        // and the loaded version matches that of the borrowed reference.
+        let new_version = self.shared.state.load().version();
+        let updated = if self.version != new_version {
+            self.version = new_version;
+            true
+        } else {
+            false
+        };
+        (Ref { inner }, updated)
     }
 
     /// Checks if this channel contains a message that this receiver has not yet