diff --git a/lib/Server.js b/lib/Server.js
index d33c3f9463..0a7610d34f 100644
--- a/lib/Server.js
+++ b/lib/Server.js
@@ -447,6 +447,10 @@ class Server {
     const compilerWatchOptions = compilerOptions.watchOptions || {};
 
     const getDefaultWatchOptions = (watchOptions = {}) => {
+      watchOptions = {
+        ...compilerWatchOptions,
+        ...watchOptions,
+      };
       // duplicate the same massaging of options that watchpack performs
       // https://github.com/webpack/watchpack/blob/master/lib/DirectoryWatcher.js#L49
       // this isn't an elegant solution, but we'll improve it in the future
@@ -464,6 +468,10 @@ class Server {
           : // eslint-disable-next-line no-undefined
             undefined;
 
+      if (watchOptions.poll) {
+        delete watchOptions.poll;
+      }
+
       const finalWatchOptions = {
         ignoreInitial: true,
         persistent: true,
@@ -471,17 +479,12 @@ class Server {
         atomic: false,
         alwaysStat: true,
         ignorePermissionErrors: true,
-        ...compilerWatchOptions,
         ...watchOptions,
         ignored: watchOptions.ignored,
         usePolling,
         interval,
       };
 
-      if (finalWatchOptions.poll) {
-        delete finalWatchOptions.poll;
-      }
-
       return finalWatchOptions;
     };