diff --git a/lib/api/api.go b/lib/api/api.go
index ec8100d08..a94083281 100644
--- a/lib/api/api.go
+++ b/lib/api/api.go
@@ -1218,7 +1218,7 @@ func (s *service) getDBIgnores(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 	folder := qs.Get("folder")
 
-	lines, patterns, err := s.model.GetIgnores(folder)
+	lines, patterns, err := s.model.LoadIgnores(folder)
 	if err != nil && !ignore.IsParseError(err) {
 		http.Error(w, err.Error(), 500)
 		return
diff --git a/lib/api/mocked_model_test.go b/lib/api/mocked_model_test.go
index 8d73bbc52..58b605f3d 100644
--- a/lib/api/mocked_model_test.go
+++ b/lib/api/mocked_model_test.go
@@ -80,7 +80,11 @@ func (m *mockedModel) Availability(folder string, file protocol.FileInfo, block
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (m *mockedModel) GetIgnores(folder string) ([]string, []string, error) {
+func (m *mockedModel) LoadIgnores(folder string) ([]string, []string, error) {
+	return nil, nil, nil
+}
+
+func (m *mockedModel) CurrentIgnores(folder string) ([]string, []string, error) {
 	return nil, nil, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/model/folder_summary.go b/lib/model/folder_summary.go
index d5253758a..b6d5949ef 100644
--- a/lib/model/folder_summary.go
+++ b/lib/model/folder_summary.go
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ func (c *folderSummaryService) Summary(folder string) (map[string]interface{}, e
 	res["version"] = ourSeq + remoteSeq  // legacy
 	res["sequence"] = ourSeq + remoteSeq // new name
 
-	ignorePatterns, _, _ := c.model.GetIgnores(folder)
+	ignorePatterns, _, _ := c.model.CurrentIgnores(folder)
 	res["ignorePatterns"] = false
 	for _, line := range ignorePatterns {
 		if len(line) > 0 && !strings.HasPrefix(line, "//") {
diff --git a/lib/model/model.go b/lib/model/model.go
index 0de3f82f5..458380c6c 100644
--- a/lib/model/model.go
+++ b/lib/model/model.go
@@ -83,7 +83,8 @@ type Model interface {
 	Override(folder string)
 	Revert(folder string)
 	BringToFront(folder, file string)
-	GetIgnores(folder string) ([]string, []string, error)
+	LoadIgnores(folder string) ([]string, []string, error)
+	CurrentIgnores(folder string) ([]string, []string, error)
 	SetIgnores(folder string, content []string) error
 
 	GetFolderVersions(folder string) (map[string][]versioner.FileVersion, error)
@@ -648,7 +649,7 @@ func (m *model) UsageReportingStats(report *contract.Report, version int, previe
 		// Ignore stats
 		var seenPrefix [3]bool
 		for folder := range m.cfg.Folders() {
-			lines, _, err := m.GetIgnores(folder)
+			lines, _, err := m.CurrentIgnores(folder)
 			if err != nil {
 				continue
 			}
@@ -1971,7 +1972,9 @@ func (m *model) Connection(deviceID protocol.DeviceID) (protocol.Connection, boo
 	return cn, ok
 }
 
-func (m *model) GetIgnores(folder string) ([]string, []string, error) {
+// LoadIgnores loads or refreshes the ignore patterns from disk, if the
+// folder is healthy, and returns the refreshed lines and patterns.
+func (m *model) LoadIgnores(folder string) ([]string, []string, error) {
 	m.fmut.RLock()
 	cfg, cfgOk := m.folderCfgs[folder]
 	ignores, ignoresOk := m.folderIgnores[folder]
@@ -1990,7 +1993,7 @@ func (m *model) GetIgnores(folder string) ([]string, []string, error) {
 	}
 
 	if !ignoresOk {
-		ignores = ignore.New(fs.NewFilesystem(cfg.FilesystemType, cfg.Path))
+		ignores = ignore.New(cfg.Filesystem())
 	}
 
 	err := ignores.Load(".stignore")
@@ -2004,6 +2007,27 @@ func (m *model) GetIgnores(folder string) ([]string, []string, error) {
 	return ignores.Lines(), ignores.Patterns(), err
 }
 
+// CurrentIgnores returns the currently loaded set of ignore patterns,
+// whichever it may be. No attempt is made to load or refresh ignore
+// patterns from disk.
+func (m *model) CurrentIgnores(folder string) ([]string, []string, error) {
+	m.fmut.RLock()
+	_, cfgOk := m.folderCfgs[folder]
+	ignores, ignoresOk := m.folderIgnores[folder]
+	m.fmut.RUnlock()
+
+	if !cfgOk {
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("folder %s does not exist", folder)
+	}
+
+	if !ignoresOk {
+		// Empty ignore patterns
+		return []string{}, []string{}, nil
+	}
+
+	return ignores.Lines(), ignores.Patterns(), nil
+}
+
 func (m *model) SetIgnores(folder string, content []string) error {
 	cfg, ok := m.cfg.Folder(folder)
 	if !ok {
diff --git a/lib/model/model_test.go b/lib/model/model_test.go
index cc9b9d029..ff33eab98 100644
--- a/lib/model/model_test.go
+++ b/lib/model/model_test.go
@@ -1405,7 +1405,7 @@ func changeIgnores(t *testing.T, m *testModel, expected []string) {
 		return true
 	}
 
-	ignores, _, err := m.GetIgnores("default")
+	ignores, _, err := m.LoadIgnores("default")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
@@ -1421,7 +1421,7 @@ func changeIgnores(t *testing.T, m *testModel, expected []string) {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 
-	ignores2, _, err := m.GetIgnores("default")
+	ignores2, _, err := m.LoadIgnores("default")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
@@ -1441,7 +1441,7 @@ func changeIgnores(t *testing.T, m *testModel, expected []string) {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 
-	ignores, _, err = m.GetIgnores("default")
+	ignores, _, err = m.LoadIgnores("default")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
@@ -1472,7 +1472,7 @@ func TestIgnores(t *testing.T) {
 
 	changeIgnores(t, m, expected)
 
-	_, _, err := m.GetIgnores("doesnotexist")
+	_, _, err := m.LoadIgnores("doesnotexist")
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Error("No error")
 	}
@@ -1490,7 +1490,7 @@ func TestIgnores(t *testing.T) {
 	m.folderIgnores[fcfg.ID] = ignores
 	m.fmut.Unlock()
 
-	_, _, err = m.GetIgnores("fresh")
+	_, _, err = m.LoadIgnores("fresh")
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Error("No error")
 	}