diff --git a/cmd/check-ip/main.go b/cmd/check-ip/main.go
index 5d74180..ddb497b 100644
--- a/cmd/check-ip/main.go
+++ b/cmd/check-ip/main.go
@@ -292,7 +292,10 @@ func openBlocklists(cfg Config) (
 func newBlocklistFetcher(cfg Config) (fetcher dataset.Fetcher, inPaths, outPaths []string, err error) {
 	switch {
 	case cfg.Inbound != "" || cfg.Outbound != "":
-		return dataset.NopFetcher{}, splitCSV(cfg.Inbound), splitCSV(cfg.Outbound), nil
+		inPaths := splitCSV(cfg.Inbound)
+		outPaths := splitCSV(cfg.Outbound)
+		all := append(append([]string(nil), inPaths...), outPaths...)
+		return dataset.PollFiles(all...), inPaths, outPaths, nil
 
 	case cfg.GitURL != "":
 		dir, err := cacheDir(cfg.DataDir)
diff --git a/sync/dataset/dataset.go b/sync/dataset/dataset.go
index 6d9a633..f35693d 100644
--- a/sync/dataset/dataset.go
+++ b/sync/dataset/dataset.go
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ package dataset
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"os"
+	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -32,12 +34,52 @@ type FetcherFunc func() (bool, error)
 
 func (f FetcherFunc) Fetch() (bool, error) { return f() }
 
-// NopFetcher always reports no update. Use for groups backed by local files
-// that don't need a refresh cycle.
+// NopFetcher always reports no update. Use for groups whose source never
+// changes (test fixtures, embedded data).
 type NopFetcher struct{}
 
 func (NopFetcher) Fetch() (bool, error) { return false, nil }
 
+// PollFiles returns a Fetcher that stat's the given paths and reports
+// "updated" whenever any file's size or modtime has changed since the last
+// call. The first call always reports updated=true.
+//
+// Use for Group's whose source is local files that may be edited out of band
+// (e.g. a user-provided --inbound list) — pair with Group.Tick to pick up
+// changes automatically.
+func PollFiles(paths ...string) Fetcher {
+	return &filePoller{paths: paths, stats: make(map[string]fileStat, len(paths))}
+}
+
+type fileStat struct {
+	size    int64
+	modTime time.Time
+}
+
+type filePoller struct {
+	mu    sync.Mutex
+	paths []string
+	stats map[string]fileStat
+}
+
+func (p *filePoller) Fetch() (bool, error) {
+	p.mu.Lock()
+	defer p.mu.Unlock()
+	changed := false
+	for _, path := range p.paths {
+		info, err := os.Stat(path)
+		if err != nil {
+			return false, err
+		}
+		cur := fileStat{size: info.Size(), modTime: info.ModTime()}
+		if prev, ok := p.stats[path]; !ok || prev != cur {
+			changed = true
+			p.stats[path] = cur
+		}
+	}
+	return changed, nil
+}
+
 // Group ties one Fetcher to one or more views. A Load call fetches once and,
 // on the first call or when the source reports a change, reloads every view
 // and atomically swaps its current value.
diff --git a/sync/dataset/dataset_test.go b/sync/dataset/dataset_test.go
index f5d12b1..3cf64dd 100644
--- a/sync/dataset/dataset_test.go
+++ b/sync/dataset/dataset_test.go
@@ -2,8 +2,10 @@ package dataset_test
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"os"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/therootcompany/golib/sync/dataset"
 )
@@ -127,6 +129,49 @@ func TestGroup_LoaderError(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestPollFiles(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	a := dir + "/a.txt"
+	b := dir + "/b.txt"
+	if err := os.WriteFile(a, []byte("1"), 0o644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(b, []byte("2"), 0o644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p := dataset.PollFiles(a, b)
+
+	if u, err := p.Fetch(); err != nil || !u {
+		t.Fatalf("first Fetch: updated=%v err=%v, want true/nil", u, err)
+	}
+	if u, err := p.Fetch(); err != nil || u {
+		t.Fatalf("unchanged Fetch: updated=%v err=%v, want false/nil", u, err)
+	}
+
+	// Bump mtime + change contents on b.
+	future := time.Now().Add(2 * time.Second)
+	if err := os.WriteFile(b, []byte("22"), 0o644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.Chtimes(b, future, future); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if u, err := p.Fetch(); err != nil || !u {
+		t.Errorf("after change: updated=%v err=%v, want true/nil", u, err)
+	}
+	if u, err := p.Fetch(); err != nil || u {
+		t.Errorf("steady Fetch: updated=%v err=%v, want false/nil", u, err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPollFiles_MissingFile(t *testing.T) {
+	p := dataset.PollFiles(t.TempDir() + "/nope.txt")
+	if _, err := p.Fetch(); err == nil {
+		t.Error("expected error for missing file")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestFetcherFunc(t *testing.T) {
 	var called bool
 	f := dataset.FetcherFunc(func() (bool, error) {