diff --git a/kittens/diff/collect.py b/kittens/diff/collect.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 104f8ee11..bda96cc1d
--- a/kittens/diff/collect.py
+++ b/kittens/diff/collect.py
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@
 import os
 import re
 from contextlib import suppress
+from fnmatch import fnmatch
 from functools import lru_cache
 from hashlib import md5
+from itertools import product
 from kitty.guess_mime_type import guess_type
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Dict, List, Set, Optional, Iterator, Tuple, Union
 
@@ -37,6 +39,8 @@ class Segment:
 
 class Collection:
 
+    ignore_paths: Tuple[str, ...] = ()
+
     def __init__(self) -> None:
         self.changes: Dict[str, str] = {}
         self.renames: Dict[str, str] = {}
@@ -105,22 +109,29 @@ def resolve_remote_name(path: str, default: str) -> str:
     return default
 
 
+def walk(base: str, names: Set[str], pmap: Dict[str, str], ignore_paths: Tuple[str, ...]) -> None:
+    for dirpath, dirnames, filenames in os.walk(base):
+        ignored = [_dir for _dir, pat in product(dirnames, ignore_paths) if fnmatch(_dir, pat)]
+        for _dir in ignored:
+            dirnames.pop(dirnames.index(_dir))
+        for filename in filenames:
+            if any(fnmatch(filename, pat) for pat in ignore_paths if pat):
+                continue
+            path = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(dirpath, filename))
+            path_name_map[path] = name = os.path.relpath(path, base)
+            names.add(name)
+            pmap[name] = path
+
+
 def collect_files(collection: Collection, left: str, right: str) -> None:
     left_names: Set[str] = set()
     right_names: Set[str] = set()
     left_path_map: Dict[str, str] = {}
     right_path_map: Dict[str, str] = {}
 
-    def walk(base: str, names: Set[str], pmap: Dict[str, str]) -> None:
-        for dirpath, dirnames, filenames in os.walk(base):
-            for filename in filenames:
-                path = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(dirpath, filename))
-                path_name_map[path] = name = os.path.relpath(path, base)
-                names.add(name)
-                pmap[name] = path
+    walk(left, left_names, left_path_map, collection.ignore_paths)
+    walk(right, right_names, right_path_map, collection.ignore_paths)
 
-    walk(left, left_names, left_path_map)
-    walk(right, right_names, right_path_map)
     common_names = left_names & right_names
     changed_names = {n for n in common_names if data_for_path(left_path_map[n]) != data_for_path(right_path_map[n])}
     for n in changed_names:
diff --git a/kittens/diff/main.py b/kittens/diff/main.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 6d3097960..f0e4676ba
--- a/kittens/diff/main.py
+++ b/kittens/diff/main.py
@@ -655,6 +655,7 @@ def main(args: List[str]) -> None:
     opts = init_config(cli_opts)
     set_diff_command(opts.diff_cmd)
     lines_for_path.replace_tab_by = opts.replace_tab_by
+    Collection.ignore_paths = opts.ignore_paths
     left, right = map(get_remote_file, (left, right))
     if os.path.isdir(left) != os.path.isdir(right):
         raise SystemExit('The items to be diffed should both be either directories or files. Comparing a directory to a file is not valid.')
diff --git a/kittens/diff/options/definition.py b/kittens/diff/options/definition.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 3b8529fc6..9a7d2a669
--- a/kittens/diff/options/definition.py
+++ b/kittens/diff/options/definition.py
@@ -47,6 +47,14 @@ opt('replace_tab_by', '\\x20\\x20\\x20\\x20',
     option_type='python_string',
     long_text='The string to replace tabs with. Default is to use four spaces.'
     )
+
+opt('ignore_paths', '',
+    option_type='pattern_list',
+    long_text='''List of patterns that are matched against directory and file
+names and ignored when directories are compared.
+''',
+    )
+
 egr()  # }}}
 
 # colors {{{
diff --git a/kittens/diff/options/parse.py b/kittens/diff/options/parse.py
index 6ba056c03..e4ffa26b1 100644
--- a/kittens/diff/options/parse.py
+++ b/kittens/diff/options/parse.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # generated by gen-config.py DO NOT edit
 
 import typing
-from kittens.diff.options.utils import parse_map, syntax_aliases
+from kittens.diff.options.utils import parse_map, pattern_list, syntax_aliases
 from kitty.conf.utils import merge_dicts, positive_int, python_string, to_color, to_color_or_none
 
 
@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ class Parser:
         for k in parse_map(val):
             ans['map'].append(k)
 
+    def ignore_paths(self, val: str, ans: typing.Dict[str, typing.Any]):
+        ans['ignore_paths'] = pattern_list(val)
+
 
 def create_result_dict() -> typing.Dict[str, typing.Any]:
     return {
diff --git a/kittens/diff/options/types.py b/kittens/diff/options/types.py
index 9a7bccec5..f265c8a95 100644
--- a/kittens/diff/options/types.py
+++ b/kittens/diff/options/types.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ option_names = (  # {{{
  'highlight_removed_bg',
  'hunk_bg',
  'hunk_margin_bg',
+ 'ignore_paths',
  'map',
  'margin_bg',
  'margin_fg',
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ class Options:
     highlight_removed_bg: Color = Color(253, 184, 192)
     hunk_bg: Color = Color(241, 248, 255)
     hunk_margin_bg: Color = Color(219, 237, 255)
+    ignore_paths: typing.Tuple[str, ...] = ()
     margin_bg: Color = Color(250, 251, 252)
     margin_fg: Color = Color(170, 170, 170)
     margin_filler_bg: typing.Optional[kitty.fast_data_types.Color] = None
diff --git a/kittens/diff/options/utils.py b/kittens/diff/options/utils.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 0e88b3bc4..4777306bf
--- a/kittens/diff/options/utils.py
+++ b/kittens/diff/options/utils.py
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 # License: GPLv3 Copyright: 2021, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
 
 
-from typing import Any, Dict, Iterable, Tuple, Union
+import shlex
+from typing import Any, Dict, Iterable, List, Tuple, Union
 
 from kitty.conf.utils import (
     KeyFuncWrapper, KittensKeyDefinition, parse_kittens_key
@@ -58,6 +59,10 @@ def syntax_aliases(raw: str) -> Dict[str, str]:
     return ans
 
 
+def pattern_list(raw: str) -> Tuple[str, ...]:
+    return tuple(shlex.split(raw, comments=True))
+
+
 def parse_map(val: str) -> Iterable[KittensKeyDefinition]:
     x = parse_kittens_key(val, func_with_args.args_funcs)
     if x is not None:
diff --git a/kitty_tests/diff.py b/kitty_tests/diff.py
index 37bee2e00..7578854e2 100644
--- a/kitty_tests/diff.py
+++ b/kitty_tests/diff.py
@@ -43,3 +43,43 @@ class TestDiff(BaseTest):
 
         highlights = [h(0, 1, 1), h(1, 3, 2)]
         self.ae(['S1SaE1ES2SbcE2Ed'], split_with_highlights('abcd', 10, highlights))
+
+    def test_walk(self):
+        from pathlib import Path
+        import tempfile
+        from kittens.diff.collect import walk
+
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
+            # /tmp/test/
+            # ├── a
+            # │   └── b
+            # │       └── c
+            # ├── d
+            # ├── #d#
+            # ├── e
+            # ├── e~
+            # └── f
+            # │   └── g
+            # └── h space
+            Path(tmpdir, "a/b").mkdir(parents=True)
+            Path(tmpdir, "a/b/c").touch()
+            Path(tmpdir, "b").touch()
+            Path(tmpdir, "d").touch()
+            Path(tmpdir, "#d#").touch()
+            Path(tmpdir, "e").touch()
+            Path(tmpdir, "e~").touch()
+            Path(tmpdir, "f").mkdir()
+            Path(tmpdir, "f/g").touch()
+            Path(tmpdir, "h space").touch()
+            expected_names = {"d", "e", "f/g", "h space"}
+            expected_pmap = {
+                "d": f"{tmpdir}/d",
+                "e": f"{tmpdir}/e",
+                "f/g": f"{tmpdir}/f/g",
+                "h space": f"{tmpdir}/h space"
+            }
+            names = set()
+            pmap = {}
+            walk(tmpdir, names, pmap, ("*~", "#*#", "b"))
+            self.ae(expected_names, names)
+            self.ae(expected_pmap, pmap)