diff --git a/cli/filelister.cpp b/cli/filelister.cpp
index 684ed10c328..676d0448a51 100644
--- a/cli/filelister.cpp
+++ b/cli/filelister.cpp
@@ -128,7 +128,9 @@ static std::string addFiles2(std::list<FileWithDetails>&files, const std::string
             } else {
                 // Directory
                 if (recursive) {
-                    if (!ignored.match(fname)) {
+                    // append a slash if it is a directory since that is what we are doing for mIgnoredPaths directory entries.
+                    // otherwise we would ignore all its contents individually instead as a whole.
+                    if (!ignored.match(fname + '/')) {
                         std::list<FileWithDetails> filesSorted;
 
                         std::string err = addFiles2(filesSorted, fname, extra, recursive, ignored);
@@ -240,7 +242,9 @@ static std::string addFiles2(std::list<FileWithDetails> &files,
 #endif
         if (path_is_directory) {
             if (recursive) {
-                if (!ignored.match(new_path)) {
+                // append a slash if it is a directory since that is what we are doing for mIgnoredPaths directory entries.
+                // otherwise we would ignore all its contents individually instead as a whole.
+                if (!ignored.match(new_path + '/')) {
                     std::string err = addFiles2(files, new_path, extra, recursive, ignored, debug);
                     if (!err.empty()) {
                         return err;
diff --git a/test/cli/other_test.py b/test/cli/other_test.py
index 58313336f29..e0a431a4430 100644
--- a/test/cli/other_test.py
+++ b/test/cli/other_test.py
@@ -3140,4 +3140,29 @@ def test_debug_valueflow_xml(tmp_path):  # #13606
     assert 'floatvalue' in value_elem[1].attrib
     assert value_elem[1].attrib['floatvalue'] == '1e-07'
     assert 'floatvalue' in value_elem[2].attrib
-    assert value_elem[2].attrib['floatvalue'] == '1e-07'
\ No newline at end of file
+    assert value_elem[2].attrib['floatvalue'] == '1e-07'
+
+
+def test_dir_ignore(tmp_path):
+    test_file = tmp_path / 'test.cpp'
+    with open(test_file, 'wt'):
+        pass
+
+    lib_dir = tmp_path / 'lib'
+    os.mkdir(lib_dir)
+    lib_test_file = lib_dir / 'test.cpp'
+    with open(lib_test_file, 'wt'):
+        pass
+
+    args = [
+        '-ilib',
+        '--debug-ignore',
+        str(tmp_path)
+    ]
+    # make sure the whole directory is being ignored instead of each of its contents individually
+    out_lines = [
+        'ignored path: {}'.format(lib_dir),
+        'Checking {} ...'.format(test_file)
+    ]
+
+    assert_cppcheck(args, ec_exp=0, err_exp=[], out_exp=out_lines, cwd=str(tmp_path))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/cli/testutils.py b/test/cli/testutils.py
index 00b9483d08e..f352af49f15 100644
--- a/test/cli/testutils.py
+++ b/test/cli/testutils.py
@@ -236,8 +236,8 @@ def cppcheck(*args, **kwargs):
     return return_code, stdout, stderr
 
 
-def assert_cppcheck(args, ec_exp=None, out_exp=None, err_exp=None, env=None):
-    exitcode, stdout, stderr = cppcheck(args, env)
+def assert_cppcheck(args, ec_exp=None, out_exp=None, err_exp=None, env=None, cwd=None):
+    exitcode, stdout, stderr = cppcheck(args, env=env, cwd=cwd)
     if ec_exp is not None:
         assert exitcode == ec_exp, stdout
     if out_exp is not None: