diff --git a/src/xenia/kernel/xboxkrnl/xboxkrnl_io.cc b/src/xenia/kernel/xboxkrnl/xboxkrnl_io.cc
index 9d9a2753d..e910bfcf2 100644
--- a/src/xenia/kernel/xboxkrnl/xboxkrnl_io.cc
+++ b/src/xenia/kernel/xboxkrnl/xboxkrnl_io.cc
@@ -170,8 +170,8 @@ dword_result_t NtReadFile(dword_t file_handle, dword_t event_handle,
   if (XSUCCEEDED(result)) {
     if (true || file->is_synchronous()) {
       // some games NtReadFile() directly into texture memory
-      auto heap = kernel_memory()->LookupHeap(buffer.guest_address());
-      if (heap && heap->IsGuestPhysicalHeap()) {
+      // TODO(rick): better checking of physical address
+      if (buffer.guest_address() >= 0xA0000000) {
         kernel_memory()->TriggerWatches(buffer.guest_address(), buffer_length,
                                         true, true);
       }
diff --git a/src/xenia/memory.cc b/src/xenia/memory.cc
index bd6d58f44..cec4da18b 100644
--- a/src/xenia/memory.cc
+++ b/src/xenia/memory.cc
@@ -1355,11 +1355,6 @@ bool PhysicalHeap::Alloc(uint32_t size, uint32_t alignment,
     // TODO(benvanik): don't leak parent memory.
     return false;
   }
-
-  if (protect & kMemoryProtectWrite) {
-    TriggerWatches(address, size, true, true, false);
-  }
-
   *out_address = address;
   return true;
 }
@@ -1397,10 +1392,6 @@ bool PhysicalHeap::AllocFixed(uint32_t base_address, uint32_t size,
     return false;
   }
 
-  if (protect & kMemoryProtectWrite) {
-    TriggerWatches(address, size, true, true, false);
-  }
-
   return true;
 }
 
@@ -1441,11 +1432,6 @@ bool PhysicalHeap::AllocRange(uint32_t low_address, uint32_t high_address,
     // TODO(benvanik): don't leak parent memory.
     return false;
   }
-
-  if (protect & kMemoryProtectWrite) {
-    TriggerWatches(address, size, true, true, false);
-  }
-
   *out_address = address;
   return true;
 }
@@ -1463,10 +1449,17 @@ bool PhysicalHeap::Decommit(uint32_t address, uint32_t size) {
 bool PhysicalHeap::Release(uint32_t base_address, uint32_t* out_region_size) {
   auto global_lock = global_critical_region_.Acquire();
   uint32_t parent_base_address = GetPhysicalAddress(base_address);
+  uint32_t region_size = 0;
+  if (QuerySize(base_address, &region_size)) {
+    TriggerWatches(base_address, region_size, true, true,
+                   !cvars::protect_on_release);
+  }
+
   if (!parent_heap_->Release(parent_base_address, out_region_size)) {
     XELOGE("PhysicalHeap::Release failed due to parent heap failure");
     return false;
   }
+
   return BaseHeap::Release(base_address, out_region_size);
 }
 
@@ -1474,11 +1467,7 @@ bool PhysicalHeap::Protect(uint32_t address, uint32_t size, uint32_t protect,
                            uint32_t* old_protect) {
   auto global_lock = global_critical_region_.Acquire();
 
-  // Only invalidate if making writable again, for simplicity - not when simply
-  // marking some range as immutable, for instance.
-  if (protect & kMemoryProtectWrite) {
-    TriggerWatches(address, size, true, true, false);
-  }
+  TriggerWatches(address, size, true, true, false);
 
   if (!parent_heap_->Protect(GetPhysicalAddress(address), size, protect,
                              old_protect)) {
diff --git a/src/xenia/memory.h b/src/xenia/memory.h
index 8250b1787..570f98e1f 100644
--- a/src/xenia/memory.h
+++ b/src/xenia/memory.h
@@ -363,15 +363,15 @@ class Memory {
   // triggered multiple times for a single range, and for any watched page every
   // registered callbacks is triggered. This is a very simple one-shot method
   // for use primarily for cache invalidation - there may be spurious firing,
-  // for example, if the game only makes the pages writable without actually
-  // writing anything (done for simplicity).
+  // for example, if the game only changes the protection level without writing
+  // anything.
   //
   // A range of pages can be watched at any time, but pages are only unwatched
   // when watches are triggered (since multiple subscribers can depend on the
   // same memory, and one subscriber shouldn't interfere with another).
   //
   // Callbacks can be triggered for one page (if the guest just stores words) or
-  // for multiple pages (for file reading, making pages writable).
+  // for multiple pages (for file reading, protection level changes).
   //
   // Only guest physical memory mappings are watched - the host-only mapping is
   // not protected so it can be used to bypass the write protection (for file
@@ -392,12 +392,11 @@ class Memory {
 
   // Enables watching of the specified memory range, snapped to system page
   // boundaries. When something is written to a watched range (or when the
-  // protection of it changes in a a way that it becomes writable), the
-  // registered watch callbacks are triggered for the page (or pages, for file
-  // reads and protection changes) where something has been written to. This
-  // protects physical memory only under virtual_membase_, so writing to
-  // physical_membase_ can be done to bypass the protection placed by the
-  // watches.
+  // protection of it changes), the registered watch callbacks are triggered for
+  // the page (or pages, for file reads and protection changes) where something
+  // has been written to. This protects physical memory only under
+  // virtual_membase_, so writing to physical_membase_ can be done to bypass the
+  // protection placed by the watches.
   void WatchPhysicalMemoryWrite(uint32_t physical_address, uint32_t length);
 
   // Forces triggering of watch callbacks for a virtual address range if pages