diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectmodels.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectmodels.cpp
index 9a47d1d0473..833643197de 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectmodels.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectmodels.cpp
@@ -471,12 +471,16 @@ void FlatModel::handleProjectAdded(Project *project)
 void FlatModel::updateVCStatusFor(const Utils::FilePath root, const QStringList &files)
 {
     std::for_each(std::begin(files), std::end(files), [root, this](const QString &file) {
-        const Node *node = ProjectTree::nodeForFile(root.pathAppended(file));
-
+        const FilePath filePath = root.pathAppended(file);
+        Node *node = ProjectTree::nodeForFile(filePath);
         if (!node)
             return;
+        FileNode *fileNode = node->asFileNode();
+        if (!fileNode)
+            return;
 
-        const QModelIndex index = indexForNode(node);
+        fileNode->resetModificationState();
+        const QModelIndex index = indexForNode(fileNode);
         emit dataChanged(index, index, {Qt::ForegroundRole});
     });
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.cpp
index 2ac4859eabb..42e1d604741 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.cpp
@@ -266,12 +266,14 @@ Core::IVersionControl::FileState FileNode::modificationState() const
     if (isGenerated())
         return Core::IVersionControl::FileState::NoModification;
 
-    const FilePath file = filePath();
-    const FilePath dir = file.absolutePath();
-    if (Core::IVersionControl *vc = Core::VcsManager::findVersionControlForDirectory(dir))
-        return vc->modificationState(file);
-
-    return Core::IVersionControl::FileState::NoModification;
+    if (!m_modificationState) {
+        const FilePath dir = filePath().absolutePath();
+        if (Core::IVersionControl *vc = Core::VcsManager::findVersionControlForDirectory(dir))
+            m_modificationState = vc->modificationState(filePath());
+        else
+            m_modificationState = Core::IVersionControl::FileState::NoModification;
+    }
+    return *m_modificationState;
 }
 
 bool FileNode::useUnavailableMarker() const
@@ -284,6 +286,11 @@ void FileNode::setUseUnavailableMarker(bool useUnavailableMarker)
     m_useUnavailableMarker = useUnavailableMarker;
 }
 
+void FileNode::resetModificationState()
+{
+    m_modificationState.reset();
+}
+
 /*!
   Returns \c true if the file is automatically generated by a compile step.
   */
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.h
index 623dea202dc..1e2e0ff4d3f 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.h
@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@ public:
     void setHasError(const bool error) const;
 
     Core::IVersionControl::FileState modificationState() const;
+    void resetModificationState();
 
     QIcon icon() const;
     void setIcon(const QIcon icon);
@@ -213,6 +214,7 @@ public:
 
 private:
     FileType m_fileType;
+    mutable std::optional<Core::IVersionControl::FileState> m_modificationState;
     mutable QIcon m_icon;
     mutable bool m_hasError = false;
     bool m_useUnavailableMarker = false;