diff --git a/tools/fs/watch.js b/tools/fs/watch.js
index f0dd088070..a5a2e01f56 100644
--- a/tools/fs/watch.js
+++ b/tools/fs/watch.js
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ import {
   optimisticHashOrNull,
 } from "./optimistic.js";
 
+const WATCH_COALESCE_MS =
+  process.env.METEOR_FILE_WATCH_COALESCE_MS || 100;
+
 // Watch for changes to a set of files, and the first time that any of
 // the files change, call a user-provided callback. (If you want a
 // second callback, you'll need to create a second Watcher.)
@@ -501,8 +504,7 @@ export class Watcher {
     // additional calls if they happen within that window of time, so that
     // a rapid succession of calls will tend to trigger only one inspection
     // of the file system.
-    const coalesceMs = process.env.METEOR_FILE_WATCH_COALESCE_MS || 100;
-    return coalesce(coalesceMs, function onWatchEvent() {
+    return coalesce(WATCH_COALESCE_MS, function onWatchEvent() {
       if (self.stopped) {
         return;
       }