diff --git a/src/renderer/components/ReplaceAllButton.jsx b/src/renderer/components/ReplaceAllButton.jsx
index e410161..b4c49c5 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/ReplaceAllButton.jsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/ReplaceAllButton.jsx
@@ -5,14 +5,14 @@ import { EVENT_RUN_SNIPPET, REPLACE_ALL_TEST_RESULTS, SET_LOADING } from "../con
 import { triggerEvent } from "../utils";
 
 const ReplaceAllButton = () => {
-  const { language, rootPath, onlyPaths, skipPaths, snippetCode, testResults, dispatch } = useContext(AppContext);
+  const { language, rootPath, onlyPaths, skipPaths, respectGitignore, snippetCode, testResults, dispatch } = useContext(AppContext);
 
   const replace = () => {
     if (testResults.length > 0) {
       dispatch({ type: REPLACE_ALL_TEST_RESULTS, testResults, rootPath });
     } else {
       dispatch({ type: SET_LOADING, loading: true, loadingText: "Running... it may take a while" });
-      triggerEvent(EVENT_RUN_SNIPPET, { language, rootPath, snippetCode, onlyPaths, skipPaths });
+      triggerEvent(EVENT_RUN_SNIPPET, { language, rootPath, snippetCode, onlyPaths, skipPaths, respectGitignore });
     }
   };
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/RespectGitignoreCheckbox.jsx b/src/renderer/components/RespectGitignoreCheckbox.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4bf5fee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/components/RespectGitignoreCheckbox.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+import React, { useContext, useEffect, useState } from "react";
+
+import AppContext from "../context";
+import { SET_RESPECT_GITIGNORE } from "../constants";
+import { saveRespectGitignore } from "../utils";
+
+const RespectGitignoreCheckbox = () => {
+  const { respectGitignore, dispatch } = useContext(AppContext);
+  const [value, setValue] = useState(respectGitignore);
+
+  useEffect(() => setValue(respectGitignore), [respectGitignore]);
+
+  const handleValueChanged = (event) => {
+    const respectGitignore = event.target.checked;
+    dispatch({ type: SET_RESPECT_GITIGNORE, respectGitignore });
+    saveRespectGitignore(respectGitignore);
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <label htmlFor="respectGitignore">
+      <input id="respectGitignore" type="checkbox" checked={value} onChange={handleValueChanged} />
+      Respect .gitignore
+    </label>
+  );
+};
+
+export default RespectGitignoreCheckbox;
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/RunSnippet.jsx b/src/renderer/components/RunSnippet.jsx
index 6f8e428..8373eec 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/RunSnippet.jsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/RunSnippet.jsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { EVENT_SNIPPET_RUN, SET_LOADING } from "../constants";
 import WorkingDir from "./WorkingDir";
 import FilesToInclude from "./FilesToInclude";
 import FilesToExclude from "./FilesToExclude";
+import RespectGitignoreCheckbox from "./RespectGitIgnoreCheckbox";
 import SearchButton from "./SearchButton";
 import ReplaceAllButton from "./ReplaceAllButton";
 import { showMessage } from "../utils";
@@ -29,7 +30,8 @@ export default () => {
     <div className="run-snippet">
       <div className="container-fluid mt-3 d-flex flex-row align-items-center">
         <WorkingDir />
-        <div className="actions">
+        <div className="actions ml-2">
+          <RespectGitignoreCheckbox />
           <SearchButton />
           <ReplaceAllButton />
         </div>
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/SearchButton.jsx b/src/renderer/components/SearchButton.jsx
index e24aada..2a01f84 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/SearchButton.jsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/SearchButton.jsx
@@ -5,11 +5,11 @@ import { EVENT_TEST_SNIPPET, SET_LOADING } from "../constants";
 import { triggerEvent } from "../utils";
 
 const SearchButton = () => {
-  const { language, rootPath, onlyPaths, skipPaths, snippetCode, dispatch } = useContext(AppContext);
+  const { language, rootPath, onlyPaths, skipPaths, respectGitignore, snippetCode, dispatch } = useContext(AppContext);
 
   const search = () => {
     dispatch({ type: SET_LOADING, loading: true, loadingText: "Searching... it may take a while" });
-    triggerEvent(EVENT_TEST_SNIPPET, { language, rootPath, snippetCode, onlyPaths, skipPaths });
+    triggerEvent(EVENT_TEST_SNIPPET, { language, rootPath, snippetCode, onlyPaths, skipPaths, respectGitignore });
   };
 
   return (
diff --git a/src/renderer/constants.js b/src/renderer/constants.js
index 8e4e04f..dc5ecbe 100644
--- a/src/renderer/constants.js
+++ b/src/renderer/constants.js
@@ -33,9 +33,11 @@ export const SET_CURRENT_ACTION_INDEX = "SET_CURRENT_ACTION_INDEX";
 export const SET_ROOT_PATH = "SET_ROOT_PATH";
 export const SET_ONLY_PATHS = "SET_ONLY_PATHS";
 export const SET_SKIP_PATHS = "SET_SKIP_PATHS";
+export const SET_RESPECT_GITIGNORE = "SET_RESPECT_GITIGNORE";
 
 export const LANGUAGE = "language";
 export const PARSER = "parser";
 export const ROOT_PATH = "root_path";
 export const ONLY_PATHS = "only_paths";
 export const SKIP_PATHS = "skip_paths";
+export const RESPECT_GITIGNORE = "respect_gitignore";
diff --git a/src/renderer/index.css b/src/renderer/index.css
index 777295e..44568d0 100644
--- a/src/renderer/index.css
+++ b/src/renderer/index.css
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ button.close:hover {
 .new-snippet .nql-or-rules-select label {
   margin-right: 10px;
 }
-.new-snippet .nql-or-rules-select input[type="radio"] {
+input[type="radio"], input[type="checkbox"] {
   margin-right: 5px;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/provider.js b/src/renderer/provider.js
index 0232f8b..b108e93 100644
--- a/src/renderer/provider.js
+++ b/src/renderer/provider.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { useReducerAsync } from "use-reducer-async";
 import appReducer from "./reducer";
 import appAction from "./action";
 import AppContext from "./context";
-import { getInited, getLanguage, getOnlyPaths, getRootPath, getSkipPaths } from "./utils";
+import { getInited, getLanguage, getOnlyPaths, getRootPath, getSkipPaths, getRespectGitignore } from "./utils";
 
 const initialState = {
   inited: getInited(),
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ const initialState = {
   rootPath: getRootPath(),
   onlyPaths: getOnlyPaths(),
   skipPaths: getSkipPaths(),
+  respectGitignore: getRespectGitignore() === false ? false : true,
   snippetsStore: {},
   currentSnippetId: null,
   generatedSnippets: [],
diff --git a/src/renderer/reducer.js b/src/renderer/reducer.js
index 543f0e5..d877015 100644
--- a/src/renderer/reducer.js
+++ b/src/renderer/reducer.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import {
   SET_ROOT_PATH,
   SET_ONLY_PATHS,
   SET_SKIP_PATHS,
+  SET_RESPECT_GITIGNORE,
   SET_LANGUAGE,
   SET_PARSER,
   SET_INITED,
@@ -156,6 +157,7 @@ export default (state = {}, action) => {
         rootPath: action.rootPath,
         onlyPaths: action.onlyPaths,
         skipPaths: action.skipPaths,
+        respectGitignore: action.respectGitignore,
       };
     }
     case SET_ONLY_PATHS: {
@@ -170,6 +172,12 @@ export default (state = {}, action) => {
         skipPaths: action.skipPaths,
       };
     }
+    case SET_RESPECT_GITIGNORE: {
+      return {
+        ...state,
+        respectGitignore: action.respectGitignore,
+      };
+    }
     default:
       return state;
   }
diff --git a/src/renderer/renderer.js b/src/renderer/renderer.js
index 7ced67c..b3e1f44 100644
--- a/src/renderer/renderer.js
+++ b/src/renderer/renderer.js
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ const testSnippet = async (event) => {
     return;
   }
   const {
-    detail: { snippetCode, rootPath, onlyPaths, skipPaths },
+    detail: { snippetCode, rootPath, onlyPaths, skipPaths, respectGitignore },
   } = event;
   const additionalArgs = buildAdditionalCommandArgs(language);
   const synvertCommand = language === "ruby" ? runSynvertRuby : runSynvertJavascript;
@@ -210,6 +210,7 @@ const testSnippet = async (event) => {
     rootPath,
     onlyPaths,
     skipPaths,
+    respectGitignore,
     additionalArgs,
     snippetCode,
     binPath,
@@ -237,7 +238,7 @@ const runSnippet = async (event) => {
     return;
   }
   const {
-    detail: { snippetCode, rootPath, onlyPaths, skipPaths },
+    detail: { snippetCode, rootPath, onlyPaths, skipPaths, respectGitignore },
   } = event;
   const additionalArgs = buildAdditionalCommandArgs(language);
   const synvertCommand = language === "ruby" ? runSynvertRuby : runSynvertJavascript;
@@ -248,6 +249,7 @@ const runSnippet = async (event) => {
     rootPath,
     onlyPaths,
     skipPaths,
+    respectGitignore,
     additionalArgs,
     snippetCode,
     binPath,
diff --git a/src/renderer/utils.js b/src/renderer/utils.js
index 5daff4f..378d754 100644
--- a/src/renderer/utils.js
+++ b/src/renderer/utils.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import React from "react";
 import toast from "react-hot-toast";
 
-import { ROOT_PATH, ONLY_PATHS, SKIP_PATHS, LANGUAGE, LANGUAGES, PARSER } from "./constants";
+import { ROOT_PATH, ONLY_PATHS, SKIP_PATHS, RESPECT_GITIGNORE, LANGUAGE, LANGUAGES, PARSER } from "./constants";
 
 const CUSTOM = "custom";
 export const DEFAULT_VALUES = {
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ const getPreference = (section, key) => {
   if (!preferences[section]) {
     preferences[section] = {};
   }
-  return preferences[section][key] || DEFAULT_VALUES[section][key];
+  return preferences[section][key] === undefined ? DEFAULT_VALUES[section][key] : preferences[section][key];
 };
 
 export const saveInited = (inited) => savePreference(CUSTOM, "inited", inited);
@@ -126,6 +126,9 @@ export const saveOnlyPaths = (path) => savePreference(CUSTOM, getRootPath() + ":
 export const getSkipPaths = () => getPreference(CUSTOM, getRootPath() + ":" + SKIP_PATHS) || "";
 export const saveSkipPaths = (path) => savePreference(CUSTOM, getRootPath() + ":" + SKIP_PATHS, path);
 
+export const getRespectGitignore = () => getPreference(CUSTOM, getRootPath() + ":" + RESPECT_GITIGNORE);
+export const saveRespectGitignore = (respectGitignore) => savePreference(CUSTOM, getRootPath() + ":" + RESPECT_GITIGNORE, respectGitignore);
+
 export const convertSnippetsToStore = (snippets) =>
   snippets.reduce(
     (obj, snippet) => ({