search: Fix ignored file search in nested Git directories by vitallium · Pull Request #60772 · zed-industries/zed

vitallium · 2026-07-10T18:09:25Z

Objective

Fix ignored file search in nested Git directories (even just empty .git directories, not real git repositories)
Fixes Include ignored files in search results toggle not functioning #52328

Solution

Keep parent ignore rules when rebuilding a nested repository's ignore stack. This hides root-ignored files again after excluded-file search is turned off, without breaking global ignore handling.

For example:

project/
├── .git/
├── .gitignore    # log/
├── app/
│   └── a.txt     # hello
└── log/
    ├── .git/     # nested repository marker
    └── b.txt     # hello

Both a.txt and b.txt have string hello.
Initially, searching for hello returns only a.txt. Enabling Also search files ignored by configuration rescans log/ and returns both files.
Before this change, disabling the option still
returned both files because the rescan dropped the parent .gitignore and marked b.txt as included.

Testing

Did you test these changes? If so, how?

To test changes in this pull request create a simple project with the following dir structure:
```
.git
.gitignore
a/a.txt
b/b.txt
b/.git  # this is an empty directory
```
Add b folder as an ignore entry to the .gitignore file: b/
Are there any parts that need more testing?

No
How can other people (reviewers) test your changes? Is there anything specific they need to know?

Use the test scenario above
If relevant, what platforms did you test these changes on, and are there any important ones you can't test?

macOS

Self-Review Checklist:

I've reviewed my own diff for quality, security, and reliability
Unsafe blocks (if any) have justifying comments
The content adheres to Zed's UI standards (UX/UI and icon guidelines)
Tests cover the new/changed behavior
Performance impact has been considered and is acceptable

Showcase

By using the structure above here is how it works before changes here:

CleanShot.2026-07-10.at.20.01.39.mp4

Notice that hello string from file b.txt is listed in search results regardless of the option Include excluded files

And here is after:

CleanShot.2026-07-10.at.20.08.09.mp4

Notice that hello string from file b.txt is not listed in search results when the option Include excluded files is disabled.

Release Notes:

Fixed ignored file search in nested Git directories

Keep parent ignore rules when rebuilding a nested repository's ignore stack. This hides root-ignored files again after excluded-file search is turned off, without breaking global ignore handling. For example: ```ascii project/ ├── .git/ ├── .gitignore # log/ ├── app/ │ └── a.txt # hello └── log/ ├── .git/ # nested repository marker └── b.txt # hello ``` Both `a.txt` and `b.txt` have string `hello`. Initially, searching for `hello` returns only `a.txt`. Enabling `Also search files ignored by configuration` rescans `log/` and returns both files. Before this change, disabling the option still returned both files because the rescan dropped the parent `.gitignore` and marked `b.txt` as included.

ChristopherBiscardi

thanks!

…ed-industries#61492) Closes TRA-162 When an entry's ignore stack is rebuilt from scratch (opening a file, file system events, a search that includes ignored files), `ignore_stack_for_abs_path` only consulted the `.git/info/exclude` rules of the nearest ancestor containing `.git`. For a path inside a nested repository, that nearest ancestor is the nested repository itself, so the outer repository's exclude rules were silently dropped: entries that were correctly ignored after the initial scan would flip to unignored the moment they were loaded or changed on disk, and from then on project search would surface them. This is the same class of bug that zed-industries#60772 fixed for ancestor `.gitignore` files — this change extends the fix to `info/exclude` by collecting the exclude rules of every containing repository (outermost first, mirroring how ancestor gitignores are stacked) instead of just the innermost one. Added a regression test that models the affected layout: a bare clone and a linked worktree of it kept inside the repository, hidden via anchored patterns in the outer repository's `.git/info/exclude`. Release Notes: - Fixed project search returning results from inside nested repositories that are excluded by the containing repository's `.git/info/exclude` file.

…61492) (cherry-pick to preview) (#61506) Cherry-pick of #61492 to preview ---- Closes TRA-162 When an entry's ignore stack is rebuilt from scratch (opening a file, file system events, a search that includes ignored files), `ignore_stack_for_abs_path` only consulted the `.git/info/exclude` rules of the nearest ancestor containing `.git`. For a path inside a nested repository, that nearest ancestor is the nested repository itself, so the outer repository's exclude rules were silently dropped: entries that were correctly ignored after the initial scan would flip to unignored the moment they were loaded or changed on disk, and from then on project search would surface them. This is the same class of bug that #60772 fixed for ancestor `.gitignore` files — this change extends the fix to `info/exclude` by collecting the exclude rules of every containing repository (outermost first, mirroring how ancestor gitignores are stacked) instead of just the innermost one. Added a regression test that models the affected layout: a bare clone and a linked worktree of it kept inside the repository, hidden via anchored patterns in the outer repository's `.git/info/exclude`. Release Notes: - Fixed project search returning results from inside nested repositories that are excluded by the containing repository's `.git/info/exclude` file. Co-authored-by: Eric Holk <eric@zed.dev>

Fixes zed-industries#61687 Prior to zed-industries#60772, an abs_path outside the repo_root would cause a panic. That PR changed it to return the abs_path itself, preventing the panic, but allowing all parents of repo_root to be subject to the global ignore. This is not what git itself does. This change returns false when the abs_path is outside the repo_root.

# Objective Fixes zed-industries#61687 Prior to zed-industries#60772, an `abs_path` outside the `repo_root` would cause a panic. That PR changed it to return the `abs_path` itself, preventing the panic, but allowing all parents of `repo_root` to be subject to the global ignore. This is not what git itself does. ## Solution - This change returns `false` when the `abs_path` is outside the `root_repo`, preventing the panic but also not returning the `abs_path` ## Testing - One in-memory test - Manual test by building Zed and confirming the project pane changes (pictured below) ## Self-Review Checklist: - [x] I've reviewed my own diff for quality, security, and reliability - [x] Unsafe blocks (if any) have justifying comments - [x] The content adheres to Zed's UI standards ([UX/UI](https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#uiux-checklist) and [icon](https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/blob/main/crates/icons/README.md) guidelines) - [x] Tests cover the new/changed behavior - [x] Performance impact has been considered and is acceptable ## Showcase ### Before, with the bug <img width="1430" height="814" alt="Screenshot 2026-07-26 at 11 44 11 AM" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/66e3bb95-4f45-4fd9-a1e4-e7f253f092eb" /> ### After the fix <img width="1568" height="1042" alt="Screenshot 2026-07-26 at 12 34 58 PM" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/588eb01d-830a-4c22-93c0-667742de90b6" /> Release Notes: - Fixed the project panel's global gitignore incorrectly matching parent directories of a repository --------- Co-authored-by: dino <dinojoaocosta@gmail.com>

# Objective Fixes zed-industries#61687 Prior to zed-industries#60772, an `abs_path` outside the `repo_root` would cause a panic. That PR changed it to return the `abs_path` itself, preventing the panic, but allowing all parents of `repo_root` to be subject to the global ignore. This is not what git itself does. ## Solution - This change returns `false` when the `abs_path` is outside the `root_repo`, preventing the panic but also not returning the `abs_path` ## Testing - One in-memory test - Manual test by building Zed and confirming the project pane changes (pictured below) ## Self-Review Checklist: - [x] I've reviewed my own diff for quality, security, and reliability - [x] Unsafe blocks (if any) have justifying comments - [x] The content adheres to Zed's UI standards ([UX/UI](https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#uiux-checklist) and [icon](https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/blob/main/crates/icons/README.md) guidelines) - [x] Tests cover the new/changed behavior - [x] Performance impact has been considered and is acceptable ## Showcase ### Before, with the bug <img width="1430" height="814" alt="Screenshot 2026-07-26 at 11 44 11 AM" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/66e3bb95-4f45-4fd9-a1e4-e7f253f092eb" /> ### After the fix <img width="1568" height="1042" alt="Screenshot 2026-07-26 at 12 34 58 PM" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/588eb01d-830a-4c22-93c0-667742de90b6" /> Release Notes: - Fixed the project panel's global gitignore incorrectly matching parent directories of a repository --------- Co-authored-by: dino <dinojoaocosta@gmail.com> (cherry picked from commit c2db0f1)

…ries#60772) # Objective - Fix ignored file search in nested Git directories (even just empty `.git` directories, not real git repositories) - Fixes zed-industries#52328 ## Solution Keep parent ignore rules when rebuilding a nested repository's ignore stack. This hides root-ignored files again after excluded-file search is turned off, without breaking global ignore handling. For example: ```ascii project/ ├── .git/ ├── .gitignore # log/ ├── app/ │ └── a.txt # hello └── log/ ├── .git/ # nested repository marker └── b.txt # hello ``` Both `a.txt` and `b.txt` have string `hello`. Initially, searching for `hello` returns only `a.txt`. Enabling `Also search files ignored by configuration` rescans `log/` and returns both files. Before this change, disabling the option still returned both files because the rescan dropped the parent `.gitignore` and marked `b.txt` as included. ## Testing - Did you test these changes? If so, how? To test changes in this pull request create a simple project with the following dir structure: ``` .git .gitignore a/a.txt b/b.txt b/.git # this is an empty directory ``` Add `b` folder as an ignore entry to the `.gitignore` file: `b/` - Are there any parts that need more testing? No - How can other people (reviewers) test your changes? Is there anything specific they need to know? Use the test scenario above - If relevant, what platforms did you test these changes on, and are there any important ones you can't test? macOS ## Self-Review Checklist: - [x] I've reviewed my own diff for quality, security, and reliability - [x] Unsafe blocks (if any) have justifying comments - [x] The content adheres to Zed's UI standards ([UX/UI](https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#uiux-checklist) and [icon](https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/blob/main/crates/icons/README.md) guidelines) - [x] Tests cover the new/changed behavior - [x] Performance impact has been considered and is acceptable ## Showcase By using the structure above here is how it works before changes here: https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2028123e-388e-4390-b131-ddf4642ab5f3 Notice that `hello` string from file `b.txt` is listed in search results regardless of the option `Include excluded files` And here is after: https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/99c627a2-e16a-4fdd-979b-2e0bacbd827d Notice that `hello` string from file `b.txt` is **not** listed in search results when the option `Include excluded files` is disabled. Release Notes: - Fixed ignored file search in nested Git directories

…ed-industries#61492) (cherry-pick to preview) (zed-industries#61506) Cherry-pick of zed-industries#61492 to preview ---- Closes TRA-162 When an entry's ignore stack is rebuilt from scratch (opening a file, file system events, a search that includes ignored files), `ignore_stack_for_abs_path` only consulted the `.git/info/exclude` rules of the nearest ancestor containing `.git`. For a path inside a nested repository, that nearest ancestor is the nested repository itself, so the outer repository's exclude rules were silently dropped: entries that were correctly ignored after the initial scan would flip to unignored the moment they were loaded or changed on disk, and from then on project search would surface them. This is the same class of bug that zed-industries#60772 fixed for ancestor `.gitignore` files — this change extends the fix to `info/exclude` by collecting the exclude rules of every containing repository (outermost first, mirroring how ancestor gitignores are stacked) instead of just the innermost one. Added a regression test that models the affected layout: a bare clone and a linked worktree of it kept inside the repository, hidden via anchored patterns in the outer repository's `.git/info/exclude`. Release Notes: - Fixed project search returning results from inside nested repositories that are excluded by the containing repository's `.git/info/exclude` file. Co-authored-by: Eric Holk <eric@zed.dev>

…ed-industries#61492) Closes TRA-162 When an entry's ignore stack is rebuilt from scratch (opening a file, file system events, a search that includes ignored files), `ignore_stack_for_abs_path` only consulted the `.git/info/exclude` rules of the nearest ancestor containing `.git`. For a path inside a nested repository, that nearest ancestor is the nested repository itself, so the outer repository's exclude rules were silently dropped: entries that were correctly ignored after the initial scan would flip to unignored the moment they were loaded or changed on disk, and from then on project search would surface them. This is the same class of bug that zed-industries#60772 fixed for ancestor `.gitignore` files — this change extends the fix to `info/exclude` by collecting the exclude rules of every containing repository (outermost first, mirroring how ancestor gitignores are stacked) instead of just the innermost one. Added a regression test that models the affected layout: a bare clone and a linked worktree of it kept inside the repository, hidden via anchored patterns in the outer repository's `.git/info/exclude`. Release Notes: - Fixed project search returning results from inside nested repositories that are excluded by the containing repository's `.git/info/exclude` file.

# Objective Fixes zed-industries#61687 Prior to zed-industries#60772, an `abs_path` outside the `repo_root` would cause a panic. That PR changed it to return the `abs_path` itself, preventing the panic, but allowing all parents of `repo_root` to be subject to the global ignore. This is not what git itself does. ## Solution - This change returns `false` when the `abs_path` is outside the `root_repo`, preventing the panic but also not returning the `abs_path` ## Testing - One in-memory test - Manual test by building Zed and confirming the project pane changes (pictured below) ## Self-Review Checklist: - [x] I've reviewed my own diff for quality, security, and reliability - [x] Unsafe blocks (if any) have justifying comments - [x] The content adheres to Zed's UI standards ([UX/UI](https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#uiux-checklist) and [icon](https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/blob/main/crates/icons/README.md) guidelines) - [x] Tests cover the new/changed behavior - [x] Performance impact has been considered and is acceptable ## Showcase ### Before, with the bug <img width="1430" height="814" alt="Screenshot 2026-07-26 at 11 44 11 AM" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/66e3bb95-4f45-4fd9-a1e4-e7f253f092eb" /> ### After the fix <img width="1568" height="1042" alt="Screenshot 2026-07-26 at 12 34 58 PM" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/588eb01d-830a-4c22-93c0-667742de90b6" /> Release Notes: - Fixed the project panel's global gitignore incorrectly matching parent directories of a repository --------- Co-authored-by: dino <dinojoaocosta@gmail.com>

… (cherry-pick to preview) (#62484) Cherry-pick of #62325 to preview ---- Since #60772, a worktree's ignore rules are also applied to the directories above its root. Because of this, an `info/exclude` pattern naming one of those parent directories marks it as ignored, and with it the whole worktree below. Stop the walk at the repository containing the worktree root. Also skip exclude rules for paths outside the work directory they are anchored at, as `.gitignore` and global gitignore rules already do. Release Notes: - Fixed a worktree being reported as entirely ignored when its repository's `info/exclude` named one of the worktree's parent directories Co-authored-by: Henrique Ferreiro <hferreiro@igalia.com>

…ries#60772) # Objective - Fix ignored file search in nested Git directories (even just empty `.git` directories, not real git repositories) - Fixes zed-industries#52328 ## Solution Keep parent ignore rules when rebuilding a nested repository's ignore stack. This hides root-ignored files again after excluded-file search is turned off, without breaking global ignore handling. For example: ```ascii project/ ├── .git/ ├── .gitignore # log/ ├── app/ │ └── a.txt # hello └── log/ ├── .git/ # nested repository marker └── b.txt # hello ``` Both `a.txt` and `b.txt` have string `hello`. Initially, searching for `hello` returns only `a.txt`. Enabling `Also search files ignored by configuration` rescans `log/` and returns both files. Before this change, disabling the option still returned both files because the rescan dropped the parent `.gitignore` and marked `b.txt` as included. ## Testing - Did you test these changes? If so, how? To test changes in this pull request create a simple project with the following dir structure: ``` .git .gitignore a/a.txt b/b.txt b/.git # this is an empty directory ``` Add `b` folder as an ignore entry to the `.gitignore` file: `b/` - Are there any parts that need more testing? No - How can other people (reviewers) test your changes? Is there anything specific they need to know? Use the test scenario above - If relevant, what platforms did you test these changes on, and are there any important ones you can't test? macOS ## Self-Review Checklist: - [x] I've reviewed my own diff for quality, security, and reliability - [x] Unsafe blocks (if any) have justifying comments - [x] The content adheres to Zed's UI standards ([UX/UI](https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#uiux-checklist) and [icon](https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/blob/main/crates/icons/README.md) guidelines) - [x] Tests cover the new/changed behavior - [x] Performance impact has been considered and is acceptable ## Showcase By using the structure above here is how it works before changes here: https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2028123e-388e-4390-b131-ddf4642ab5f3 Notice that `hello` string from file `b.txt` is listed in search results regardless of the option `Include excluded files` And here is after: https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/99c627a2-e16a-4fdd-979b-2e0bacbd827d Notice that `hello` string from file `b.txt` is **not** listed in search results when the option `Include excluded files` is disabled. Release Notes: - Fixed ignored file search in nested Git directories

…ed-industries#61492) Closes TRA-162 When an entry's ignore stack is rebuilt from scratch (opening a file, file system events, a search that includes ignored files), `ignore_stack_for_abs_path` only consulted the `.git/info/exclude` rules of the nearest ancestor containing `.git`. For a path inside a nested repository, that nearest ancestor is the nested repository itself, so the outer repository's exclude rules were silently dropped: entries that were correctly ignored after the initial scan would flip to unignored the moment they were loaded or changed on disk, and from then on project search would surface them. This is the same class of bug that zed-industries#60772 fixed for ancestor `.gitignore` files — this change extends the fix to `info/exclude` by collecting the exclude rules of every containing repository (outermost first, mirroring how ancestor gitignores are stacked) instead of just the innermost one. Added a regression test that models the affected layout: a bare clone and a linked worktree of it kept inside the repository, hidden via anchored patterns in the outer repository's `.git/info/exclude`. Release Notes: - Fixed project search returning results from inside nested repositories that are excluded by the containing repository's `.git/info/exclude` file.

# Objective Fixes zed-industries#61687 Prior to zed-industries#60772, an `abs_path` outside the `repo_root` would cause a panic. That PR changed it to return the `abs_path` itself, preventing the panic, but allowing all parents of `repo_root` to be subject to the global ignore. This is not what git itself does. ## Solution - This change returns `false` when the `abs_path` is outside the `root_repo`, preventing the panic but also not returning the `abs_path` ## Testing - One in-memory test - Manual test by building Zed and confirming the project pane changes (pictured below) ## Self-Review Checklist: - [x] I've reviewed my own diff for quality, security, and reliability - [x] Unsafe blocks (if any) have justifying comments - [x] The content adheres to Zed's UI standards ([UX/UI](https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#uiux-checklist) and [icon](https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/blob/main/crates/icons/README.md) guidelines) - [x] Tests cover the new/changed behavior - [x] Performance impact has been considered and is acceptable ## Showcase ### Before, with the bug <img width="1430" height="814" alt="Screenshot 2026-07-26 at 11 44 11 AM" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/66e3bb95-4f45-4fd9-a1e4-e7f253f092eb" /> ### After the fix <img width="1568" height="1042" alt="Screenshot 2026-07-26 at 12 34 58 PM" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/588eb01d-830a-4c22-93c0-667742de90b6" /> Release Notes: - Fixed the project panel's global gitignore incorrectly matching parent directories of a repository --------- Co-authored-by: dino <dinojoaocosta@gmail.com>

…ndustries#62325) Since zed-industries#60772, a worktree's ignore rules are also applied to the directories above its root. Because of this, an `info/exclude` pattern naming one of those parent directories marks it as ignored, and with it the whole worktree below. Stop the walk at the repository containing the worktree root. Also skip exclude rules for paths outside the work directory they are anchored at, as `.gitignore` and global gitignore rules already do. Release Notes: - Fixed a worktree being reported as entirely ignored when its repository's `info/exclude` named one of the worktree's parent directories

cla-bot Bot added the cla-signed The user has signed the Contributor License Agreement label Jul 10, 2026

zed-community-bot Bot added community champion Issues filed by our amazing community champions! 🫶 guild Pull requests by someone in Zed Guild. NOTE: the label application is automated via github actions labels Jul 10, 2026

vitallium force-pushed the vs/fix-ignored-nested-git-search branch from b9ce056 to 9a5f224 Compare July 10, 2026 18:11

ChristopherBiscardi approved these changes Jul 12, 2026

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ChristopherBiscardi added this pull request to the merge queue Jul 12, 2026

ChristopherBiscardi self-assigned this Jul 12, 2026

Merged via the queue into zed-industries:main with commit 5524207 Jul 12, 2026
35 checks passed

vitallium deleted the vs/fix-ignored-nested-git-search branch July 13, 2026 14:26

kczx3 mentioned this pull request Jul 20, 2026

search in git submodules been blocked #61320

Open

eholk mentioned this pull request Jul 23, 2026

worktree: Apply outer repository excludes within nested repositories #61492

Merged

zed-zippy Bot mentioned this pull request Jul 23, 2026

worktree: Apply outer repository excludes within nested repositories (#61492) (cherry-pick to preview) #61506

Merged

arbourd mentioned this pull request Jul 26, 2026

Project panel shows all files as "ignored" when an ancestor matches the global gitignore #61687

Closed

arbourd mentioned this pull request Jul 26, 2026

worktree: Fix global gitignore on ancestors #61689

Merged

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This was referenced Jul 31, 2026

🎨 Zed GPUI Release Tracker gpui-archipelago/gpui-release-notes#2

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🎨 Zed GPUI Release Tracker gpui-archipelago/gpui-release-notes#3

Open

floesche mentioned this pull request Aug 3, 2026

Global gitignore ignores an entire non-git worktree when an ancestor directory name matches a global ignore pattern #62126

Closed

hferreiro mentioned this pull request Aug 7, 2026

worktree: Anchor ignore rules at the repository they belong to #62325

Merged

zed-zippy Bot mentioned this pull request Aug 11, 2026

worktree: Anchor ignore rules at the repository they belong to (#62325) (cherry-pick to preview) #62484

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search: Fix ignored file search in nested Git directories - #60772

search: Fix ignored file search in nested Git directories#60772
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vitallium commented Jul 10, 2026 • edited Loading Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page.

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vitallium commented Jul 10, 2026 •

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