diff --git a/confluent_server/confluent/sockapi.py b/confluent_server/confluent/sockapi.py
index 6fe50770..2e827eb8 100644
--- a/confluent_server/confluent/sockapi.py
+++ b/confluent_server/confluent/sockapi.py
@@ -473,9 +473,10 @@ class SockApi(object):
     def watch_for_cert(self):
         libc = ctypes.CDLL(ctypes.util.find_library('c'))
         watcher = libc.inotify_init()
-        if libc.inotify_add_watch(watcher, '/etc/confluent/', 0x100) > -1:
+        if libc.inotify_add_watch(watcher, b'/etc/confluent/', 0x100) > -1:
             while True:
                 select.select((watcher,), (), (), 86400)
+                os.read(watcher, 1024)
                 if self.should_run_remoteapi():
                     os.close(watcher)
                     self.start_remoteapi()