How to Stop Git from Tracking File Permissions

When working with Git, you may notice that some commits show changes unrelated to your code — especially modifications to file permissions such as the executable bit. These permission-only changes often appear like this:

100644 → 100755

Although minor, these variations can clutter your commit history and even cause merge conflicts. This is particularly common when collaborating across Linux, macOS, and Windows, where file modes behave differently. If your project doesn’t rely on executable scripts, these permission changes are unnecessary and frustrating.

Thankfully, Git provides a clean way to disable permission tracking completely.

Why Git Tracks File Permissions

Git tracks two things for every file:

1. File content

2. Executable bit (chmod +x or not)

It doesn’t track full Unix permissions — only whether a file is executable.

This behavior becomes problematic when:

• Contributors use different operating systems

• Text editors auto-adjust file modes

• Deployment scripts modify permissions

• You accidentally change a file’s mode

These situations cause Git to show irrelevant diffs.

How to Stop Git from Tracking Permission Changes

Git includes an option called core.fileMode, which determines whether Git should monitor file permission changes.

To stop tracking permission changes, set:

core.fileMode = false

You can apply this globally or only to a specific repository.

1. Disable File Mode Tracking Globally

This prevents Git on your machine from tracking permission changes for any repository:

git config --global core.fileMode false

Ideal if you switch between OS environments.

2. Disable File Mode Tracking for a Single Repository

Inside your project directory:

git config core.fileMode false

This affects only the current repository.

3. Add Setting Directly in .git/config

Open the file:

.git/config

And under [core] add:

fileMode = false

Same effect as running the CLI command.

4. Verify the Setting

Use:

git config --get core.fileMode

If you see false, Git will now ignore executable-bit changes.

If Git Still Shows Permission Changes

Try refreshing the index:

git update-index --really-refresh

Or reset file modes:

git add --chmod=-x <file>

Important Notes

Git ignores permission changes but not real system permissions

Your OS file permissions remain untouched.

Only executable bit is ignored

Git still won’t track read/write/ownership bits — it never did.

Useful for cross-platform workflows

Windows users especially benefit from disabling fileMode.

Keep fileMode enabled if your project uses scripts

Projects containing .sh files, deployment scripts, or CLI tools depend on executable bits.

When Should You Disable fileMode?

Disable it if:

• You collaborate across different OS environments

• You want clean diffs

• Your app doesn’t rely on executable scripts

• Your editor keeps altering file permissions

Keep it enabled if:

• You maintain shell scripts

• You manage deployment tools

• Your CI/CD pipeline relies on executable files

Conclusion

Git file permission tracking often causes unnecessary noise in your commit history—especially when working across multiple operating systems. By configuring core.fileMode to false, you ensure Git focuses on meaningful code changes while ignoring irrelevant permission differences. This leads to cleaner commits, fewer conflicts, and a smoother development workflow.

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