diff --git a/src/model/config/mod.rs b/src/model/config/mod.rs
index 8ff86dc..a0b77bf 100644
--- a/src/model/config/mod.rs
+++ b/src/model/config/mod.rs
@@ -10,10 +10,10 @@ use crate::model::config::keybinding::Keybinding;
 use crate::model::config::setup::Setup;
 use crate::utils::get_config_dir;
 use crate::utils::print_help;
-use crate::utils::read_file;
 use log::{info, warn};
 use serde::Deserialize;
 use std::env::args;
+use std::fs;
 use std::process::exit;
 
 mod behavior;
@@ -119,10 +119,8 @@ impl Config {
 
     fn read_config_file() -> std::io::Result<Self> {
         let config_dir = get_config_dir()?;
-
         let config_file = format!("{}/twilight-commander.toml", config_dir);
-
-        let config_file_content = read_file(&config_file)?;
+        let config_file_content = fs::read_to_string(&config_file)?;
 
         toml::from_str(&config_file_content).map_err(|_| {
             std::io::Error::new(
diff --git a/src/model/path_node/mod.rs b/src/model/path_node/mod.rs
index 5b7e701..fd07898 100644
--- a/src/model/path_node/mod.rs
+++ b/src/model/path_node/mod.rs
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 // Copyright (c) 2019-2022 golmman
+// Copyright (c) 2024 Awiteb <a@4rs.nl>
 
 use crate::model::compare_functions::PathNodeCompare;
 use crate::model::config::Config;
 use crate::model::tree_index::TreeIndex;
+use crate::utils;
 use log::info;
 use std::fs::canonicalize;
-use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
 mod debug;
 
@@ -18,30 +20,25 @@ pub struct PathNode {
     pub is_err: bool,
     pub is_expanded: bool,
     pub path: PathBuf,
+    pub gitignore: Vec<String>,
 }
 
-impl From<&str> for PathNode {
-    fn from(working_dir: &str) -> Self {
+impl<T> From<T> for PathNode
+where
+    T: AsRef<Path>,
+{
+    fn from(working_dir: T) -> Self {
+        let mut gitignore =
+            utils::parse_gitignore(Path::new(working_dir.as_ref()).join(".gitignore"));
+        gitignore.push(working_dir.as_ref().join(".git").display().to_string());
         Self {
             children: Vec::new(),
-            display_text: String::from(working_dir),
+            display_text: working_dir.as_ref().display().to_string(),
             is_dir: true,
             is_err: false,
             is_expanded: false,
-            path: PathBuf::from(working_dir),
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-impl From<String> for PathNode {
-    fn from(working_dir: String) -> Self {
-        Self {
-            children: Vec::new(),
-            display_text: working_dir.clone(),
-            is_dir: true,
-            is_err: false,
-            is_expanded: false,
-            path: PathBuf::from(working_dir),
+            path: PathBuf::from(working_dir.as_ref()),
+            gitignore,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -50,7 +47,7 @@ impl PathNode {
     pub fn new_expanded(config: Config) -> Self {
         info!("initializing path node");
 
-        let mut path_node = Self::from(config.setup.working_dir.clone());
+        let mut path_node = Self::from(&config.setup.working_dir);
         let path_node_compare = Self::get_path_node_compare(&config);
         path_node.expand_dir(&TreeIndex::new(), path_node_compare);
 
@@ -72,17 +69,18 @@ impl PathNode {
 
         let mut path_nodes = dirs
             .unwrap()
-            .map(|dir_entry| {
+            .filter_map(|dir_entry| {
                 let dir_entry = dir_entry.unwrap();
-
-                PathNode {
+                let entry_name = dir_entry.file_name().into_string().unwrap();
+                (!self.gitignore.contains(&entry_name)).then(|| PathNode {
                     children: Vec::new(),
-                    display_text: dir_entry.file_name().into_string().unwrap(),
+                    display_text: entry_name,
                     is_dir: dir_entry.path().is_dir(),
                     is_err: false,
                     is_expanded: false,
                     path: dir_entry.path(),
-                }
+                    gitignore: self.gitignore.clone(),
+                })
             })
             .collect::<Vec<PathNode>>();
 
diff --git a/src/utils.rs b/src/utils.rs
index f9f0d8f..6d8463a 100644
--- a/src/utils.rs
+++ b/src/utils.rs
@@ -1,19 +1,13 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 // Copyright (c) 2019-2022 golmman
+// Copyright (c) 2024 Awiteb <a@4rs.nl>
 
 use log::info;
-use std::fs::File;
-use std::io::Read;
+use std::fs;
 use std::panic::set_hook;
+use std::path::Path;
 use std::process::exit;
 
-pub fn read_file(file_name: &str) -> std::io::Result<String> {
-    let mut file = File::open(file_name)?;
-    let mut contents = String::new();
-    file.read_to_string(&mut contents)?;
-    Ok(contents)
-}
-
 pub fn print_help() {
     println!("{} {}", env!("CARGO_PKG_NAME"), env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION"));
     println!(r#"usage: twilight-tree [--key1=value1 --key2=value2 ...]"#);
@@ -51,15 +45,6 @@ pub fn setup_logger() -> Result<(), fern::InitError> {
         }
     }));
 
-    info!(
-        r#"starting...
-                                                 
-_|_    o|o _ |__|_  _ _ ._ _ ._ _  _.._  _| _ ._ 
- |_\/\/|||(_|| ||_ (_(_)| | || | |(_|| |(_|(/_|  
-           _|                                    
-                                                 "#
-    );
-
     info!("logger initialized");
 
     Ok(())
@@ -77,3 +62,18 @@ pub fn get_config_dir() -> std::io::Result<String> {
         ))
     }
 }
+
+pub fn parse_gitignore(gitignore_path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> Vec<String> {
+    if Path::exists(gitignore_path.as_ref()) {
+        fs::read_to_string(&gitignore_path)
+            .map(|content| {
+                content
+                    .split('\n')
+                    .map(|path| path.trim_matches('/').to_owned())
+                    .collect()
+            })
+            .unwrap_or_default()
+    } else {
+        Vec::new()
+    }
+}