diff --git a/tools/ignorefiles/gitignore.go b/tools/ignorefiles/gitignore.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..98aa10443
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/ignorefiles/gitignore.go
@@ -0,0 +1,174 @@
+package ignorefiles
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io/fs"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"slices"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+var _ = fmt.Print
+
+type GitPattern struct {
+	only_dirs bool
+	negated   bool
+	parts     []string
+	matcher   func(path string) bool
+}
+
+func (p GitPattern) Match(path string, ftype fs.FileMode) bool {
+	if p.only_dirs && ftype&fs.ModeDir == 0 {
+		return false
+	}
+	if os.PathSeparator != '/' {
+		path = strings.ReplaceAll(path, string(os.PathSeparator), "/")
+	}
+	return p.matcher(path)
+}
+
+func anchored_single_match(path string, pattern string) bool {
+	name, _, _ := strings.Cut(path, "/")
+	matches, err := filepath.Match(pattern, name)
+	return err == nil && matches
+}
+
+func unanchored_single_match(path string, pattern string) bool {
+	for path != "" {
+		var name string
+		name, path, _ = strings.Cut(path, "/")
+		matches, err := filepath.Match(pattern, name)
+		if err != nil {
+			return false
+		}
+		if matches {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+func anchored_simple_match(path string, parts []string) bool {
+	for ; path != "" && len(parts) > 0; parts = parts[1:] {
+		var name string
+		name, path, _ = strings.Cut(path, "/")
+		if matches, err := filepath.Match(parts[0], name); err != nil || !matches {
+			return false
+		}
+	}
+	return path == "" && len(parts) == 0
+}
+
+func anchored_full_match(path string, parts []string) bool {
+	pos, last := 0, len(parts)-1
+	for pos <= last && path != "" {
+		var name string
+		name, path, _ = strings.Cut(path, "/")
+		switch name {
+		case "**":
+			for pos+1 < len(parts) && parts[pos+1] == "**" {
+				pos++
+			}
+			if pos == last {
+				return true
+			}
+			for {
+				matches, err := filepath.Match(parts[pos], name)
+				if err != nil {
+					return false
+				}
+				if matches {
+					return anchored_full_match(path, parts[pos+1:])
+				}
+				if path == "" {
+					return false
+				}
+				name, path, _ = strings.Cut(path, "/")
+			}
+		default:
+			if matches, err := filepath.Match(parts[pos], name); err != nil || !matches {
+				return false
+			}
+			pos++
+		}
+	}
+	return path == "" && pos > last
+}
+
+// Parse a line from a .gitignore file, see man gitignore for the syntax
+func CompileGitIgnoreLine(line string) (ans GitPattern, skipped_line bool) {
+	// Strip comments
+	if strings.HasPrefix(line, `#`) {
+		skipped_line = true
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Trim OS-specific carriage returns.
+	line = strings.TrimRight(line, "\r")
+
+	// Trim trailing spaces unless backslash escaped
+	for strings.HasSuffix(line, " ") {
+		if strings.HasSuffix(line, `\ `) {
+			line = line[:len(line)-2] + " "
+			break
+		}
+		line = line[:len(line)-1]
+	}
+
+	// Empty lines are ignored
+	if line == "" {
+		skipped_line = true
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Handle negated (accept) patterns
+	if line[0] == '!' {
+		line = line[1:]
+		ans.negated = true
+	}
+
+	// Handle leading slash used to escape leading # or !
+	if line[0] == '\\' && len(line) > 1 && (line[1] == '#' || line[1] == '!') {
+		line = line[1:]
+	}
+	if strings.HasSuffix(line, "/") {
+		ans.only_dirs = true
+		line = strings.TrimRight(line, "/")
+		if line == "" {
+			skipped_line = true
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	starts_with_slash := strings.HasPrefix(line, "/")
+	if starts_with_slash {
+		line = strings.TrimLeft(line, "/")
+	}
+	ans.parts = strings.Split(line, "/")
+	if slices.Contains(ans.parts, "") {
+		ans.parts = slices.DeleteFunc(ans.parts, func(x string) bool { return x == "" })
+	}
+	if len(ans.parts) == 0 {
+		skipped_line = true
+		return
+	}
+	if len(ans.parts) == 1 {
+		pattern := ans.parts[0]
+		if pattern == "**" {
+			ans.matcher = func(string) bool { return true }
+		} else {
+			if starts_with_slash {
+				ans.matcher = func(path string) bool { return anchored_single_match(path, pattern) }
+			} else {
+				ans.matcher = func(path string) bool { return unanchored_single_match(path, pattern) }
+			}
+		}
+	} else {
+		if slices.Contains(ans.parts, "**") {
+			ans.matcher = func(path string) bool { return anchored_full_match(path, ans.parts) }
+		} else {
+			ans.matcher = func(path string) bool { return anchored_simple_match(path, ans.parts) }
+		}
+	}
+	return
+}
diff --git a/tools/ignorefiles/gitignore_test.go b/tools/ignorefiles/gitignore_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..202791852
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/ignorefiles/gitignore_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+package ignorefiles
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io/fs"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
+	"github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty/tools/utils"
+)
+
+var _ = fmt.Print
+
+func TestGitignore(t *testing.T) {
+	for line, expected := range map[string]struct {
+		skipped, negated, only_dirs bool
+		parts                       []string
+	}{
+		"":           {skipped: true},
+		" ":          {skipped: true},
+		"  ":         {skipped: true},
+		"/":          {skipped: true},
+		"//":         {skipped: true},
+		"# abc":      {skipped: true},
+		`\!moose \ `: {parts: []string{`!moose  `}},
+		`\#m\oose  `: {parts: []string{`#m\oose`}},
+	} {
+		p, skipped := CompileGitIgnoreLine(line)
+		if skipped != expected.skipped {
+			t.Fatalf("skipped: %v != %v for line: %s", expected.skipped, skipped, line)
+		}
+		if !skipped {
+			if p.negated != expected.negated {
+				t.Fatalf("negated: %v != %v for line: %s", expected.negated, p.negated, line)
+			}
+			if p.only_dirs != expected.only_dirs {
+				t.Fatalf("only_dirs: %v != %v for line: %s", expected.only_dirs, p.only_dirs, line)
+			}
+			if diff := cmp.Diff(expected.parts, p.parts); diff != "" {
+				t.Fatalf("parts not equal for line: %s\n%s", line, diff)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	type ptest struct {
+		path     string
+		expected bool
+	}
+	for _, x := range []struct {
+		line  string
+		tests []ptest
+	}{
+		{"foo", []ptest{
+			{"foo", true}, {"x/foo", true}, {"foo/x", true},
+		}},
+		{"/foo", []ptest{
+			{"foo", true}, {"x/foo", false},
+		}},
+		{"doc/frotz/", []ptest{
+			{"doc/frotz/", true}, {"a/doc/frotz/", false}, {"doc/frotz", false},
+		}},
+		{"frotz/", []ptest{
+			{"frotz/", true}, {"a/doc/frotz/", true}, {"doc/frotz", false}, {"frotz/", true},
+		}},
+		{"foo.*", []ptest{
+			{"foo.txt", true}, {"foo", false}, {"a/foo.x", true}, {"foo.", true},
+		}},
+	} {
+		p, skipped := CompileGitIgnoreLine(x.line)
+		if skipped {
+			t.Fatalf("Unexpectedly failed to compile: %#v", x.line)
+		}
+		for _, test := range x.tests {
+			path := strings.TrimRight(test.path, "/")
+			ftype := utils.IfElse(len(path) < len(test.path), fs.ModeDir, 0)
+			if actual := p.Match(path, ftype); actual != test.expected {
+				t.Fatalf("matched: %v != %v for pattern: %#v and path: %#v", test.expected, actual, x.line, test.path)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}