diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/treescanner.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/treescanner.cpp
index 42fab5d0bad..369f2b56523 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/treescanner.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/treescanner.cpp
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ bool TreeScanner::asyncScanForFiles(const Utils::FilePath &directory)
     return true;
 }
 
-void TreeScanner::setFilter(TreeScanner::FileFilter filter)
+void TreeScanner::setFilter(TreeScanner::Filter filter)
 {
     if (isFinished())
         m_filter = filter;
@@ -182,10 +182,17 @@ static DirectoryScanResult scanForFilesImpl(
     return result;
 }
 
+static const Utils::MimeType &directoryMimeType()
+{
+    static const Utils::MimeType mimeType = Utils::mimeTypeForName("inode/directory");
+    return mimeType;
+}
+
 static QList<FileNode *> scanForFilesHelper(
     TreeScanner::Promise &promise,
     const Utils::FilePath &directory,
-    QDir::Filters filter,
+    QDir::Filters dirfilter,
+    const TreeScanner::Filter &filter,
     const std::function<FileNode *(const Utils::FilePath &)> &factory)
 {
     const QFuture<void> future(promise.future());
@@ -195,7 +202,7 @@ static QList<FileNode *> scanForFilesHelper(
     promise.setProgressRange(0, progressRange);
 
     QSet<Utils::FilePath> visited;
-    const DirectoryScanResult result = scanForFilesImpl(future, directory, filter, factory, versionControls);
+    const DirectoryScanResult result = scanForFilesImpl(future, directory, dirfilter, factory, versionControls);
     QList<FileNode *> fileNodes = result.nodes;
     const int progressIncrement = int(
         progressRange / static_cast<double>(fileNodes.count() + result.subDirectories.count()));
@@ -203,10 +210,12 @@ static QList<FileNode *> scanForFilesHelper(
     QList<QPair<Utils::FilePath, int>> subDirectories;
     auto addSubDirectories = [&](const Utils::FilePaths &subdirs, int progressIncrement) {
         for (const Utils::FilePath &subdir : subdirs) {
-            if (Utils::insert(visited, subdir.canonicalPath()))
+            if (Utils::insert(visited, subdir.canonicalPath())
+                && !(filter && filter(directoryMimeType(), subdir))) {
                 subDirectories.append(qMakePair(subdir, progressIncrement));
-            else
+            } else {
                 promise.setProgressValue(future.progressValue() + progressIncrement);
+            }
         }
     };
     addSubDirectories(result.subDirectories, progressIncrement);
@@ -218,7 +227,7 @@ static QList<FileNode *> scanForFilesHelper(
 
         auto onSetup = [&, iterator](Utils::Async<DirectoryScanResult> &task) {
             task.setConcurrentCallData(
-                scanForFilesImpl, future, iterator->first, filter, factory, versionControls);
+                scanForFilesImpl, future, iterator->first, dirfilter, factory, versionControls);
         };
 
         auto onDone = [&, iterator](const Utils::Async<DirectoryScanResult> &task) {
@@ -250,12 +259,12 @@ static QList<FileNode *> scanForFilesHelper(
 void TreeScanner::scanForFiles(
     Promise &promise,
     const Utils::FilePath &directory,
-    const FileFilter &filter,
+    const Filter &filter,
     QDir::Filters dirFilter,
     const FileTypeFactory &factory)
 {
     QList<FileNode *> nodes = scanForFilesHelper(
-        promise, directory, dirFilter, [&filter, &factory](const Utils::FilePath &fn) -> FileNode * {
+        promise, directory, dirFilter, filter, [&filter, &factory](const Utils::FilePath &fn) -> FileNode * {
             const Utils::MimeType mimeType = Utils::mimeTypesForFileName(fn.path()).value(0);
 
             // Skip some files during scan.
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/treescanner.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/treescanner.h
index bc4dbe0b069..ca98b2a1e26 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/treescanner.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/treescanner.h
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ public:
     using FutureWatcher = QFutureWatcher<Result>;
     using Promise = QPromise<Result>;
 
-    using FileFilter = std::function<bool(const Utils::MimeType &, const Utils::FilePath &)>;
+    using Filter = std::function<bool(const Utils::MimeType &, const Utils::FilePath &)>;
     using FileTypeFactory = std::function<ProjectExplorer::FileType(const Utils::MimeType &, const Utils::FilePath &)>;
 
     explicit TreeScanner(QObject *parent = nullptr);
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public:
     bool asyncScanForFiles(const Utils::FilePath& directory);
 
     // Setup filter for ignored files
-    void setFilter(FileFilter filter);
+    void setFilter(Filter filter);
 
     // Setup dir filters for scanned folders
     void setDirFilter(QDir::Filters dirFilter);
@@ -74,12 +74,12 @@ signals:
 private:
     static void scanForFiles(Promise &fi,
         const Utils::FilePath &directory,
-        const FileFilter &filter,
+        const Filter &filter,
         QDir::Filters dirFilter,
         const FileTypeFactory &factory);
 
 private:
-    FileFilter m_filter;
+    Filter m_filter;
     QDir::Filters m_dirFilter = QDir::AllEntries | QDir::NoDotAndDotDot;
     FileTypeFactory m_factory;
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/workspaceproject.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/workspaceproject.cpp
index fc1925b97dc..7510c3246a8 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/workspaceproject.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/workspaceproject.cpp
@@ -49,18 +49,6 @@ const expected_str<QJsonObject> projectDefinition(const Project *project)
     return {};
 }
 
-static bool checkEnabled(FolderNode *fn)
-{
-    if (fn->findChildFileNode([](FileNode *fn) { return fn->isEnabled(); }))
-        return true;
-
-    if (fn->findChildFolderNode([](FolderNode *fn) { return checkEnabled(fn); }))
-        return true;
-
-    fn->setEnabled(false);
-    return false;
-}
-
 class WorkspaceBuildSystem final : public BuildSystem
 {
 public:
@@ -71,15 +59,10 @@ public:
             auto root = std::make_unique<ProjectNode>(projectDirectory());
             root->setDisplayName(target()->project()->displayName());
             std::vector<std::unique_ptr<FileNode>> nodePtrs
-                = Utils::transform<std::vector>(m_scanner.release().allFiles, [this](FileNode *fn) {
-                      fn->setEnabled(!Utils::anyOf(
-                          m_filters, [path = fn->path().path()](const QRegularExpression &filter) {
-                              return filter.match(path).hasMatch();
-                          }));
+                = Utils::transform<std::vector>(m_scanner.release().allFiles, [](FileNode *fn) {
                       return std::unique_ptr<FileNode>(fn);
                   });
             root->addNestedNodes(std::move(nodePtrs));
-            root->forEachFolderNode(&checkEnabled);
             setRootProjectNode(std::move(root));
 
             m_parseGuard.markAsSuccess();
@@ -88,6 +71,11 @@ public:
             emitBuildSystemUpdated();
         });
         m_scanner.setDirFilter(QDir::AllEntries | QDir::NoDotAndDotDot | QDir::Hidden);
+        m_scanner.setFilter([&](const Utils::MimeType &, const Utils::FilePath &filePath) {
+            return Utils::anyOf(m_filters, [filePath](const QRegularExpression &filter) {
+                return filter.match(filePath.path()).hasMatch();
+            });
+        });
 
         connect(target()->project(),
                 &Project::projectFileIsDirty,
@@ -110,8 +98,6 @@ public:
         for (const QJsonValue &excludeJson : excludesJson) {
             if (excludeJson.isString()) {
                 FilePath absolute = projectPath.pathAppended(excludeJson.toString());
-                if (absolute.isDir())
-                    absolute = absolute.pathAppended("*");
                 m_filters << QRegularExpression(
                     Utils::wildcardToRegularExpression(absolute.path()),
                     QRegularExpression::CaseInsensitiveOption);