diff --git a/dir.c b/dir.c
index 1045cc9c6f..b5082ca05f 100644
--- a/dir.c
+++ b/dir.c
@@ -1792,9 +1792,12 @@ static enum path_treatment treat_directory(struct dir_struct *dir,
 		nested_repo = is_nonbare_repository_dir(&sb);
 		strbuf_release(&sb);
 	}
-	if (nested_repo)
-		return ((dir->flags & DIR_SKIP_NESTED_GIT) ? path_none :
-			(excluded ? path_excluded : path_untracked));
+	if (nested_repo) {
+		if ((dir->flags & DIR_SKIP_NESTED_GIT) ||
+		    (matches_how == MATCHED_RECURSIVELY_LEADING_PATHSPEC))
+			return path_none;
+		return excluded ? path_excluded : path_untracked;
+	}
 
 	if (!(dir->flags & DIR_SHOW_OTHER_DIRECTORIES)) {
 		if (excluded &&
diff --git a/t/t3000-ls-files-others.sh b/t/t3000-ls-files-others.sh
index 1b9327b780..740ce56eab 100755
--- a/t/t3000-ls-files-others.sh
+++ b/t/t3000-ls-files-others.sh
@@ -212,4 +212,20 @@ test_expect_success 'ls-files -o --directory to get immediate paths under one di
 	)
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'ls-files -o avoids listing untracked non-matching gitdir' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf nested/untracked/deep/empty" &&
+	(
+		cd nested &&
+
+		git init untracked/deep/empty &&
+		git ls-files --others "untracked/*.c" >actual &&
+
+		cat <<-EOF >expect &&
+		untracked/deep/foo.c
+		EOF
+
+		test_cmp expect actual
+	)
+'
+
 test_done