diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2f5c18f8e..197150ff0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+# Syncthing with `.stignore` synchronization
+
+This fork synchronizes the root-level `.stignore` file as regular folder
+content, while keeping `.stfolder` and `.stversions` protected as Syncthing
+internals. The `upstream` branch mirrors the official Syncthing `main` branch;
+this fork's `main` branch and releases apply the `.stignore` synchronization
+patch.
+
 [![Syncthing][14]][15]
 
 ---
diff --git a/lib/fs/filesystem.go b/lib/fs/filesystem.go
index 3800bef9c..8e6ecea2e 100644
--- a/lib/fs/filesystem.go
+++ b/lib/fs/filesystem.go
@@ -295,8 +295,8 @@ func NewFilesystem(fsType FilesystemType, uri string, opts ...Option) Filesystem
 }
 
 // fs cannot import config or versioner, so we hard code .stfolder
-// (config.DefaultMarkerName) and .stversions (versioner.DefaultPath)
-var internals = []string{".stfolder", ".stignore", ".stversions"}
+// (config.DefaultMarkerName) and .stversions (versioner.DefaultPath).
+var internals = []string{".stfolder", ".stversions"}
 
 // IsInternal returns true if the file, as a path relative to the folder
 // root, represents an internal file that should always be ignored. The file
diff --git a/lib/fs/filesystem_test.go b/lib/fs/filesystem_test.go
index d8d86dfac..51995499a 100644
--- a/lib/fs/filesystem_test.go
+++ b/lib/fs/filesystem_test.go
@@ -21,10 +21,8 @@ func TestIsInternal(t *testing.T) {
 		internal bool
 	}{
 		{".stfolder", true},
-		{".stignore", true},
 		{".stversions", true},
 		{".stfolder/foo", true},
-		{".stignore/foo", true},
 		{".stversions/foo", true},
 
 		{".stfolderfoo", false},
@@ -34,6 +32,8 @@ func TestIsInternal(t *testing.T) {
 		{"foo.stignore", false},
 		{"foo.stversions", false},
 		{"foo/.stfolder", false},
+		{".stignore", false},
+		{".stignore/foo", false},
 		{"foo/.stignore", false},
 		{"foo/.stversions", false},
 	}
diff --git a/lib/scanner/walk_test.go b/lib/scanner/walk_test.go
index 4642a52cc..7226f8ad6 100644
--- a/lib/scanner/walk_test.go
+++ b/lib/scanner/walk_test.go
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ type testfile struct {
 type testfileList []testfile
 
 var testdata = testfileList{
+	{".stignore", 48, "f60db5c36f642f8a6c1a636024330cd4dba6ab965083542f3629ff7d8c547911"},
 	{"afile", 4, "b5bb9d8014a0f9b1d61e21e796d78dccdf1352f23cd32812f4850b878ae4944c"},
 	{"dir1", 0, ""},
 	{filepath.Join("dir1", "dfile"), 5, "49ae93732fcf8d63fe1cce759664982dbd5b23161f007dba8561862adc96d063"},
diff --git a/lib/model/folder_recvonly_test.go b/lib/model/folder_recvonly_test.go
index e7b37589a..c8cc9209d 100644
--- a/lib/model/folder_recvonly_test.go
+++ b/lib/model/folder_recvonly_test.go
@@ -60,15 +60,15 @@ func TestRecvOnlyRevertDeletes(t *testing.T) {
 
 	must(t, m.ScanFolder("ro"))
 
-	// We should now have two files and two directories, with global state unchanged.
+	// We should now have three files and two directories, with global state unchanged.
 
 	size = mustV(m.GlobalSize("ro"))
 	if size.Files != 1 || size.Directories != 1 {
 		t.Fatalf("Global: expected 1 file and 1 directory: %+v", size)
 	}
 	size = mustV(m.LocalSize("ro", protocol.LocalDeviceID))
-	if size.Files != 2 || size.Directories != 2 {
-		t.Fatalf("Local: expected 2 files and 2 directories: %+v", size)
+	if size.Files != 3 || size.Directories != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("Local: expected 3 files and 2 directories: %+v", size)
 	}
 	size = mustV(m.ReceiveOnlySize("ro"))
 	if size.Files+size.Directories == 0 {
diff --git a/lib/model/requests_test.go b/lib/model/requests_test.go
index 72f7ba3d8..6f8124e97 100644
--- a/lib/model/requests_test.go
+++ b/lib/model/requests_test.go
@@ -974,13 +974,15 @@ func TestIgnoreDeleteUnignore(t *testing.T) {
 	file := "foobar"
 	contents := []byte("test file contents\n")
 
-	basicCheck := func(fs []protocol.FileInfo) {
+	basicCheck := func(fs []protocol.FileInfo) protocol.FileInfo {
 		t.Helper()
-		if len(fs) != 1 {
-			t.Fatal("expected a single index entry, got", len(fs))
-		} else if fs[0].Name != file {
-			t.Fatalf("expected a index entry for %v, got one for %v", file, fs[0].Name)
+		for _, f := range fs {
+			if f.Name == file {
+				return f
+			}
 		}
+		t.Fatalf("expected an index entry for %v, got %v", file, fs)
+		return protocol.FileInfo{}
 	}
 
 	done := make(chan struct{})
@@ -1001,8 +1003,7 @@ func TestIgnoreDeleteUnignore(t *testing.T) {
 
 	done = make(chan struct{})
 	fc.setIndexFn(func(_ context.Context, folder string, fs []protocol.FileInfo) error {
-		basicCheck(fs)
-		f := fs[0]
+		f := basicCheck(fs)
 		if !f.IsInvalid() {
 			t.Errorf("Received non-invalid index update")
 		}
@@ -1022,8 +1023,7 @@ func TestIgnoreDeleteUnignore(t *testing.T) {
 
 	done = make(chan struct{})
 	fc.setIndexFn(func(_ context.Context, folder string, fs []protocol.FileInfo) error {
-		basicCheck(fs)
-		f := fs[0]
+		f := basicCheck(fs)
 		if f.IsInvalid() {
 			t.Errorf("Received invalid index update")
 		}