diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index a2a12f61..676d715b 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ unwatch(paths_) {
 
 /**
  * Close watchers and remove all listeners from watched paths.
- * @returns {FSWatcher} for chaining.
+ * @returns {Promise<void>}.
 */
 close() {
   if (this.closed) return this;
@@ -488,7 +488,11 @@ close() {
 
   // Memory management.
   this.removeAllListeners();
-  this._closers.forEach(closerList => closerList.forEach(closer => closer()));
+  const closers = [];
+  this._closers.forEach(closerList => closerList.forEach(closer => {
+    const promise = closer();
+    if (promise instanceof Promise) closers.push(promise);
+  }));
   this._streams.forEach(stream => stream.destroy());
   this._userIgnored = undefined;
   this._readyCount = 0;
@@ -497,7 +501,7 @@ close() {
   ['closers', 'watched', 'streams', 'symlinkPaths', 'throttled'].forEach(key => {
     this[`_${key}`].clear();
   });
-  return this;
+  return closers.length ? Promise.all(closers).then(() => undefined) : Promise.resolve();
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
index e78c9f8d..9a61a915 100644
--- a/test.js
+++ b/test.js
@@ -2078,10 +2078,10 @@ describe('chokidar', function() {
     currentDir = getFixturePath('');
   });
 
-  afterEach(() => {
+  afterEach(async () => {
     let watcher;
     while ((watcher = allWatchers.pop())) {
-      watcher.close();
+      await watcher.close();
     }
   });
 
diff --git a/types/index.d.ts b/types/index.d.ts
index 36b0c298..af0b5585 100644
--- a/types/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/index.d.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ export class FSWatcher extends EventEmitter implements fs.FSWatcher {
   /**
    * Removes all listeners from watched files.
    */
-  close(): void;
+  close(): Promise<void>;
 
   on(event: 'add'|'addDir'|'change', listener: (path: string, stats?: fs.Stats) => void): this;