diff --git a/loader/validate.go b/loader/validate.go
index cfaf139f..46cdda79 100644
--- a/loader/validate.go
+++ b/loader/validate.go
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ func checkConsistency(project *types.Project) error {
 
 		if s.Develop != nil && s.Develop.Watch != nil {
 			for _, watch := range s.Develop.Watch {
-				if watch.Action != types.WatchActionRebuild && watch.Target == "" {
+				if watch.Target == "" && watch.Action != types.WatchActionRebuild && watch.Action != types.WatchActionRestart {
 					return fmt.Errorf("services.%s.develop.watch: target is required for non-rebuild actions: %w", s.Name, errdefs.ErrInvalid)
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/schema/compose-spec.json b/schema/compose-spec.json
index fc50f193..f95a7b9d 100644
--- a/schema/compose-spec.json
+++ b/schema/compose-spec.json
@@ -500,7 +500,7 @@
             "properties": {
               "ignore": {"type": "array", "items": {"type": "string"}},
               "path": {"type": "string"},
-              "action": {"type": "string", "enum": ["rebuild", "sync", "sync+restart", "sync+exec"]},
+              "action": {"type": "string", "enum": ["rebuild", "sync", "restart", "sync+restart", "sync+exec"]},
               "target": {"type": "string"},
               "exec": {"$ref": "#/definitions/service_hook"}
             },
diff --git a/types/develop.go b/types/develop.go
index b904d685..8f7c8fa5 100644
--- a/types/develop.go
+++ b/types/develop.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ type WatchAction string
 const (
 	WatchActionSync        WatchAction = "sync"
 	WatchActionRebuild     WatchAction = "rebuild"
+	WatchActionRestart     WatchAction = "restart"
 	WatchActionSyncRestart WatchAction = "sync+restart"
 	WatchActionSyncExec    WatchAction = "sync+exec"
 )