diff --git a/packages/glob/__tests__/internal-globber.test.ts b/packages/glob/__tests__/internal-globber.test.ts
index 36dec23d7b..fe471e5700 100644
--- a/packages/glob/__tests__/internal-globber.test.ts
+++ b/packages/glob/__tests__/internal-globber.test.ts
@@ -97,6 +97,23 @@ describe('globber', () => {
     ])
   })
 
+  it('defaults to matchDirectories=true', async () => {
+    // Create the following layout:
+    //   <root>
+    //   <root>/folder-a
+    //   <root>/folder-a/file
+    const root = path.join(getTestTemp(), 'defaults-to-match-directories-true')
+    await fs.mkdir(path.join(root, 'folder-a'), {recursive: true})
+    await fs.writeFile(path.join(root, 'folder-a', 'file'), 'test file content')
+
+    const itemPaths = await glob(root, {})
+    expect(itemPaths).toEqual([
+      root,
+      path.join(root, 'folder-a'),
+      path.join(root, 'folder-a', 'file')
+    ])
+  })
+
   it('does not match file with trailing slash when implicitDescendants=true', async () => {
     // Create the following layout:
     //   <root>
@@ -361,6 +378,34 @@ describe('globber', () => {
     expect(itemPaths).toEqual([])
   })
 
+  it('does not return directories when match directories false', async () => {
+    // Create the following layout:
+    //   <root>/file-1
+    //   <root>/dir-1
+    //   <root>/dir-1/file-2
+    //   <root>/dir-1/dir-2
+    //   <root>/dir-1/dir-2/file-3
+    const root = path.join(
+      getTestTemp(),
+      'does-not-return-directories-when-match-directories-false'
+    )
+    await fs.mkdir(path.join(root, 'dir-1', 'dir-2'), {recursive: true})
+    await fs.writeFile(path.join(root, 'file-1'), '')
+    await fs.writeFile(path.join(root, 'dir-1', 'file-2'), '')
+    await fs.writeFile(path.join(root, 'dir-1', 'dir-2', 'file-3'), '')
+
+    const pattern = `${root}${path.sep}**`
+    expect(
+      await glob(pattern, {
+        matchDirectories: false
+      })
+    ).toEqual([
+      path.join(root, 'dir-1', 'dir-2', 'file-3'),
+      path.join(root, 'dir-1', 'file-2'),
+      path.join(root, 'file-1')
+    ])
+  })
+
   it('does not search paths that are not partial matches', async () => {
     // Create the following layout:
     //   <root>
diff --git a/packages/glob/src/internal-glob-options-helper.ts b/packages/glob/src/internal-glob-options-helper.ts
index 3c81b67194..c798b16510 100644
--- a/packages/glob/src/internal-glob-options-helper.ts
+++ b/packages/glob/src/internal-glob-options-helper.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ export function getOptions(copy?: GlobOptions): GlobOptions {
   const result: GlobOptions = {
     followSymbolicLinks: true,
     implicitDescendants: true,
+    matchDirectories: true,
     omitBrokenSymbolicLinks: true
   }
 
@@ -22,6 +23,11 @@ export function getOptions(copy?: GlobOptions): GlobOptions {
       core.debug(`implicitDescendants '${result.implicitDescendants}'`)
     }
 
+    if (typeof copy.matchDirectories === 'boolean') {
+      result.matchDirectories = copy.matchDirectories
+      core.debug(`matchDirectories '${result.matchDirectories}'`)
+    }
+
     if (typeof copy.omitBrokenSymbolicLinks === 'boolean') {
       result.omitBrokenSymbolicLinks = copy.omitBrokenSymbolicLinks
       core.debug(`omitBrokenSymbolicLinks '${result.omitBrokenSymbolicLinks}'`)
diff --git a/packages/glob/src/internal-glob-options.ts b/packages/glob/src/internal-glob-options.ts
index 54d8b544c3..ac1e93f177 100644
--- a/packages/glob/src/internal-glob-options.ts
+++ b/packages/glob/src/internal-glob-options.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,14 @@ export interface GlobOptions {
    */
   implicitDescendants?: boolean
 
+  /**
+   * Indicates whether matching directories should be included in the
+   * result set.
+   *
+   * @default true
+   */
+  matchDirectories?: boolean
+
   /**
    * Indicates whether broken symbolic should be ignored and omitted from the
    * result set. Otherwise an error will be thrown.
diff --git a/packages/glob/src/internal-globber.ts b/packages/glob/src/internal-globber.ts
index 98cbb8191a..3978d625bf 100644
--- a/packages/glob/src/internal-globber.ts
+++ b/packages/glob/src/internal-globber.ts
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ export class DefaultGlobber implements Globber {
       // Directory
       if (stats.isDirectory()) {
         // Matched
-        if (match & MatchKind.Directory) {
+        if (match & MatchKind.Directory && options.matchDirectories) {
           yield item.path
         }
         // Descend?