diff --git a/apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/projects/create-project-provider.ts b/apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/projects/create-project-provider.ts
index 0140fb1227..46de20f4d0 100644
--- a/apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/projects/create-project-provider.ts
+++ b/apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/projects/create-project-provider.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import { log } from '@main/lib/logger';
 import { gitRepoUpdateChannel } from '@shared/core/git/events';
 import { safePathSegment } from '@shared/path-name';
 import type { LocalProject, SshProject } from '@shared/projects';
+import { ensureEmdashGitExcludedSafe } from './ensure-emdash-excluded';
 import { ProjectProvider, type ProjectProviderTransport } from './project-provider';
 import type { ProjectSettingsProvider } from './settings/provider';
 import { LocalProjectSettingsProvider } from './settings/providers/local-project-settings-provider';
@@ -220,6 +221,10 @@ function buildProvider(
     worktreeHost,
   };
 
+  // Keep emdash's `.emdash/` runtime state (worktree pool, attachments, uploads) out of
+  // the user's `git status`. Best effort and non-blocking.
+  ensureEmdashGitExcludedSafe(projectFs, projectId);
+
   const gitRepository = new GitRepositoryService(repoLease.value, settings);
   const worktreeService = new WorktreeService({
     repoPath,
diff --git a/apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/projects/ensure-emdash-excluded.test.ts b/apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/projects/ensure-emdash-excluded.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ea95d13b82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/projects/ensure-emdash-excluded.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import type { FileSystemProvider } from '@main/core/fs/types';
+import { ensureEmdashGitExcluded } from './ensure-emdash-excluded';
+
+function makeFs(opts: {
+  gitType?: 'dir' | 'file';
+  excludeContent?: string | null;
+  truncated?: boolean;
+}) {
+  const write = vi.fn(async () => ({ success: true, bytesWritten: 1 }));
+  const fs = {
+    stat: vi.fn(async (p: string) =>
+      p === '.git' && opts.gitType ? { type: opts.gitType } : null
+    ),
+    exists: vi.fn(async () => opts.excludeContent != null),
+    read: vi.fn(async () => ({
+      content: opts.excludeContent ?? '',
+      truncated: opts.truncated ?? false,
+      totalSize: 0,
+    })),
+    write,
+  } as unknown as FileSystemProvider;
+  return { fs, write };
+}
+
+describe('ensureEmdashGitExcluded', () => {
+  it('skips repos without a real .git directory (linked worktree / submodule)', async () => {
+    const { fs, write } = makeFs({ gitType: 'file', excludeContent: '' });
+    await ensureEmdashGitExcluded(fs);
+    expect(write).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('skips when there is no .git at all', async () => {
+    const { fs, write } = makeFs({ excludeContent: '' });
+    await ensureEmdashGitExcluded(fs);
+    expect(write).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('creates the exclude entry when info/exclude is missing', async () => {
+    const { fs, write } = makeFs({ gitType: 'dir', excludeContent: null });
+    await ensureEmdashGitExcluded(fs);
+    expect(write).toHaveBeenCalledWith('.git/info/exclude', '.emdash/\n');
+  });
+
+  it('appends the entry, preserving existing exclude content', async () => {
+    const { fs, write } = makeFs({ gitType: 'dir', excludeContent: '# git ls-files\nbuild/\n' });
+    await ensureEmdashGitExcluded(fs);
+    expect(write).toHaveBeenCalledWith('.git/info/exclude', '# git ls-files\nbuild/\n.emdash/\n');
+  });
+
+  it('does nothing when .emdash/ is already excluded', async () => {
+    const { fs, write } = makeFs({ gitType: 'dir', excludeContent: 'foo\n.emdash/\n' });
+    await ensureEmdashGitExcluded(fs);
+    expect(write).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('treats a slashless .emdash entry as already excluded', async () => {
+    const { fs, write } = makeFs({ gitType: 'dir', excludeContent: '.emdash\n' });
+    await ensureEmdashGitExcluded(fs);
+    expect(write).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('does not rewrite when the exclude read was truncated', async () => {
+    // A truncated view could miss an existing entry past the cut; rewriting it would
+    // drop the tail of the file, so bail instead.
+    const { fs, write } = makeFs({ gitType: 'dir', excludeContent: 'build/\n', truncated: true });
+    await ensureEmdashGitExcluded(fs);
+    expect(write).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/projects/ensure-emdash-excluded.ts b/apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/projects/ensure-emdash-excluded.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5837c35e51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/emdash-desktop/src/main/core/projects/ensure-emdash-excluded.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import type { FileSystemProvider } from '@main/core/fs/types';
+import { SSH_PROJECT_STATE_DIR_NAME } from '@main/core/settings/worktree-defaults';
+import { log } from '@main/lib/logger';
+
+const GIT_EXCLUDE_PATH = '.git/info/exclude';
+const IGNORE_PATTERN = `${SSH_PROJECT_STATE_DIR_NAME}/`;
+
+/**
+ * Ensure the project's `.emdash/` runtime dir is git-ignored via `.git/info/exclude`.
+ *
+ * emdash keeps per-project state under `.emdash/` inside the repo: the SSH worktree
+ * pool ({@link SSH_PROJECT_STATE_DIR_NAME}/worktrees), saved attachments, and uploaded
+ * images. None of that belongs in the user's tree, so we exclude it locally rather than
+ * touching a tracked `.gitignore`. `info/exclude` lives in the git common dir, so a single
+ * entry on the main checkout also covers every linked task worktree.
+ *
+ * Best effort and idempotent: skips repos without a real `.git` directory (linked
+ * worktrees / submodules use a `.git` file whose exclude is out of this fs's root) and
+ * skips when `.emdash` is already ignored (e.g. via a global gitignore).
+ */
+export async function ensureEmdashGitExcluded(fs: FileSystemProvider): Promise<void> {
+  const gitDir = await fs.stat('.git').catch(() => null);
+  if (gitDir?.type !== 'dir') return;
+
+  let existing = '';
+  if (await fs.exists(GIT_EXCLUDE_PATH)) {
+    const read = await fs.read(GIT_EXCLUDE_PATH);
+    // `read` caps at a default byte limit; rewriting a truncated view would drop
+    // any rules past the cut. Bail rather than risk corrupting the file.
+    if (read.truncated) return;
+    existing = read.content;
+  }
+
+  const alreadyExcluded = existing
+    .split(/\r?\n/)
+    .map((line) => line.trim())
+    .some((line) => line === SSH_PROJECT_STATE_DIR_NAME || line === IGNORE_PATTERN);
+  if (alreadyExcluded) return;
+
+  const base = existing.replace(/\s*$/, '');
+  const next = base.length > 0 ? `${base}\n${IGNORE_PATTERN}\n` : `${IGNORE_PATTERN}\n`;
+  const result = await fs.write(GIT_EXCLUDE_PATH, next);
+  if (!result.success) {
+    throw new Error(result.error ?? `failed to write ${GIT_EXCLUDE_PATH}`);
+  }
+}
+
+/** Fire-and-forget wrapper that never rejects; logs and moves on. */
+export function ensureEmdashGitExcludedSafe(fs: FileSystemProvider, projectId: string): void {
+  void ensureEmdashGitExcluded(fs).catch((error) => {
+    log.warn('ensureEmdashGitExcluded failed', {
+      projectId,
+      error: error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error),
+    });
+  });
+}