This is probably the most common Git error in existence. I see it at least once a week — usually when I open a terminal and forget I’m in the wrong directory. It’s harmless, but confusing if you’re new to Git.

The Error

fatal: not a git repository (or any of the parent directories): .git

You might also see variations like:

fatal: not a git repository (or any parent up to mount point /)
Stopping at filesystem boundary (GIT_DISCOVERY_ACROSS_FILESYSTEM not set).

What it means: You’re trying to run a Git command (like git status, git pull, git commit) in a directory that isn’t a Git repository — meaning there’s no .git folder in this directory or any of its parent directories.

Why This Happens

This error occurs when:

  • You’re in the wrong directory. You opened a terminal and ran a Git command without navigating to your project folder first
  • The repository was never initialized. You created a project folder but forgot to run git init
  • The .git folder was accidentally deleted or corrupted
  • You cloned into a different location than you remember

The Fix (Tested Solutions)

Solution 1: Navigate to Your Project Directory (Most Common)

Usually, you’re just in the wrong folder.

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# Check where you are
pwd

# Navigate to your project
cd /path/to/your/project

# Verify it's a Git repo
git status

On Windows PowerShell:

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# Check current directory
Get-Location

# Navigate to your project
cd C:\Users\YourName\Projects\my-project

# Verify
git status

Solution 2: Initialize a New Repository

If this is a new project that hasn’t been set up with Git yet:

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# Navigate to your project folder
cd /path/to/your/project

# Initialize Git
git init

# Verify
git status

This creates the .git directory and you can now start tracking files.

Solution 3: Re-clone the Repository

If the .git folder was deleted or corrupted:

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# Move to a safe directory
cd ~

# Clone the repository again
git clone https://github.com/username/repo-name.git

# Navigate into the cloned repo
cd repo-name

# Verify
git status

💡 Tip: If you had uncommitted changes in the corrupted repo, those files are still in the directory — they just aren’t tracked by Git anymore. You can copy them into the freshly cloned repo.

Tested On

  • ✅ Windows 11 (PowerShell & Git Bash)
  • ✅ macOS Sonoma
  • ✅ Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
  • ✅ Git versions 2.40+

Prevention

  • Always cd into your project directory before running Git commands
  • Use your IDE’s built-in terminal (VS Code, WebStorm) — it automatically opens in the project root
  • Don’t delete the .git folder unless you intentionally want to remove Git tracking
  • Bookmark your project paths or use shell aliases for quick navigation

FAQ

Q: Can I accidentally create a Git repo in the wrong directory? A: Yes, and it happens a lot. If you run git init in your home directory or Desktop, Git will track everything in there. To undo it, simply delete the .git folder: rm -rf .git (⚠️ only do this if you’re sure).

Q: What does the “filesystem boundary” message mean? A: It means Git searched all the way up to the root of your filesystem (/ on Linux/Mac, C:\ on Windows) without finding a .git folder. This confirms you’re definitely not inside a Git repository.

Q: I see this error in VS Code. What do I do? A: Open the folder that contains your Git repository using File → Open Folder. Don’t open a parent or sibling directory. VS Code needs to see the .git folder in the workspace root.

Last verified: February 14, 2026