diff --git a/viper.go b/viper.go
index b533306..088cd2b 100644
--- a/viper.go
+++ b/viper.go
@@ -216,7 +216,8 @@ type Viper struct {
 	aliases        map[string]string
 	typeByDefValue bool
 
-	onConfigChange func(fsnotify.Event)
+	onConfigChange   func(fsnotify.Event)
+	stopWatchingFunc func()
 
 	logger Logger
 
@@ -432,13 +433,10 @@ func (v *Viper) OnConfigChange(run func(in fsnotify.Event)) {
 }
 
 // WatchConfig starts watching a config file for changes.
-// The function returned for stop watching manually.
-func WatchConfig() func() { return v.WatchConfig() }
+func WatchConfig() { v.WatchConfig() }
 
 // WatchConfig starts watching a config file for changes.
-// The function returned for stop watching manually.
-func (v *Viper) WatchConfig() func() {
-	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+func (v *Viper) WatchConfig() {
 	initWG := sync.WaitGroup{}
 	initWG.Add(1)
 	go func() {
@@ -460,6 +458,10 @@ func (v *Viper) WatchConfig() func() {
 		configDir, _ := filepath.Split(configFile)
 		realConfigFile, _ := filepath.EvalSymlinks(filename)
 
+		// init the stopWatchingFunc
+		watchingCtx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+		v.stopWatchingFunc = cancel
+
 		eventsWG := sync.WaitGroup{}
 		eventsWG.Add(1)
 		go func() {
@@ -496,8 +498,9 @@ func (v *Viper) WatchConfig() func() {
 					}
 					eventsWG.Done()
 					return
-				case <-ctx.Done(): // cancel function called
-					watcher.Close()
+				case <-watchingCtx.Done(): // StopWatching function called
+					eventsWG.Done()
+					return
 				}
 			}
 		}()
@@ -506,7 +509,16 @@ func (v *Viper) WatchConfig() func() {
 		eventsWG.Wait() // now, wait for event loop to end in this go-routine...
 	}()
 	initWG.Wait() // make sure that the go routine above fully ended before returning
-	return cancel
+}
+
+// StopWatching stop watching a config file for changes.
+func StopWatching() { v.StopWatching() }
+
+// StopWatching stop watching a config file for changes.
+func (v *Viper) StopWatching() {
+	if v.stopWatchingFunc != nil {
+		v.stopWatchingFunc()
+	}
 }
 
 // SetConfigFile explicitly defines the path, name and extension of the config file.
diff --git a/viper_test.go b/viper_test.go
index e0bfc57..06a1671 100644
--- a/viper_test.go
+++ b/viper_test.go
@@ -2545,6 +2545,46 @@ func TestWatchFile(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestStopWatching(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run(
+		"file content changed after stop watching", func(t *testing.T) {
+			// given a `config.yaml` file being watched
+			v, configFile, cleanup := newViperWithConfigFile(t)
+			defer cleanup()
+			_, err := os.Stat(configFile)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			t.Logf("test config file: %s\n", configFile)
+
+			v.WatchConfig()
+			v.StopWatching()
+
+			// overwriting the file after StopWatching called
+			err = ioutil.WriteFile(configFile, []byte("foo: baz\n"), 0o640)
+			time.Sleep(time.Second) // wait for file changed event
+			// then the config value should not be changed
+			require.Nil(t, err)
+			assert.Equal(t, "bar", v.Get("foo"))
+
+			// watch again
+			wg := sync.WaitGroup{}
+			wg.Add(1)
+			var wgDoneOnce sync.Once // OnConfigChange is called twice on Windows
+			v.OnConfigChange(
+				func(in fsnotify.Event) {
+					t.Logf("config file changed again")
+					wgDoneOnce.Do(func() { wg.Done() })
+				},
+			)
+			v.WatchConfig()
+			// overwriting the file after StopWatching and Watch again
+			err = ioutil.WriteFile(configFile, []byte("foo: qux\n"), 0o640)
+			wg.Wait()
+			require.Nil(t, err)
+			assert.Equal(t, "qux", v.Get("foo"))
+		},
+	)
+}
+
 func TestUnmarshal_DotSeparatorBackwardCompatibility(t *testing.T) {
 	flags := pflag.NewFlagSet("test", pflag.ContinueOnError)
 	flags.String("foo.bar", "cobra_flag", "")