Allow Cascade to access .gitignore files” toggle ineffective—ignored files still inaccessible

[EstebanForge]

Cross-post from Exafunction/codeium#225

Don't know if the other repository is considered for Windsurf bugs or not.

Description

The setting “Allow Cascade to access .gitignore files” does not work. Even when enabled, Cascade cannot access files that are in .gitignore—these are not discoverable or usable in chat via the plugin.

Steps

Enable the toggle in Settings.
Restart IDE or open new Cascade chat.
Try referencing or opening a .gitignored file.
File doesn’t appear or can’t be found.
Expected
Cascade should be able to access and reference ignored files as intended by the setting.

Actual

Ignored files remain inaccessible.

Info

Windsurf Version: 1.12.5
Windsurf Extension Version: 1.48.2
Windsurf Commit: 64804081c3f9a1652d6d325c28c01c3f5882f6fb
VSCode OSS Version: 1.99.3
Commit: 64804081c3f9a1652d6d325c28c01c3f5882f6fb
Date: 2025-09-08T21:51:09.146Z
Electron: 34.4.0
ElectronBuildId: undefined
Chromium: 132.0.6834.210
Node.js: 20.18.3
V8: 13.2.152.41-electron.0
OS: Linux x64 6.16.5-200.fc42.x86_64

Screenshots on the referenced issue from the other repository.

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Same experience over here. Toggling the "Cascade Gitignore Access" option, does nothing. Cascade can't access ignored files. Tab auto-complete also doesn't work on ignored files.

[Wompipomp]

same here and almost 3 months later...