diff --git a/aider/io.py b/aider/io.py
index 48d812d68..26c4d091a 100644
--- a/aider/io.py
+++ b/aider/io.py
@@ -379,24 +379,7 @@ class InputOutput:
                         self.changed_files = changed
 
                         #ai move all this ...
-                        dump(changed)
-                        # Check if any values contain !
-                        if any(
-                            "!" in comment
-                            for comments in changed.values()
-                            if comments
-                            for comment in comments
-                        ):
-                            self.changed_files = [
-                                "\n".join(
-                                    comment
-                                    for comments in changed.values()
-                                    if comments
-                                    for comment in comments
-                                )
-                            ]
-                        else:
-                            self.changed_files = list(changed.keys())
+                        self.changed_files = process_file_changes(changed)
                         self.interrupt_input()
                         break
             except Exception as e:
diff --git a/aider/watch.py b/aider/watch.py
index 3a0830ebe..5e623337e 100644
--- a/aider/watch.py
+++ b/aider/watch.py
@@ -135,6 +135,24 @@ def watch_source_files(
                 result[file] = comments
         yield result
 
+def process_file_changes(changed):
+    """Process file changes and handle special ! comments"""
+    if any(
+        "!" in comment
+        for comments in changed.values()
+        if comments
+        for comment in comments
+    ):
+        return [
+            "\n".join(
+                comment
+                for comments in changed.values()
+                if comments
+                for comment in comments
+            )
+        ]
+    return list(changed.keys())
+
 def get_ai_comment(filepath, encoding="utf-8"):
     """Extract all AI comments from a file"""
     comments = []