diff --git a/cli/filelister.cpp b/cli/filelister.cpp
index 684ed10c328..567ac3d784b 100644
--- a/cli/filelister.cpp
+++ b/cli/filelister.cpp
@@ -240,7 +240,9 @@ 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..c37861f0435 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)
\ No newline at end of file