Re: [PATCH v4 1/4] worktree remove: refuse a worktree in the middle of an operation

[Phillip Wood <phillip.wood123@gmail.com>]

Hi Jasper

On 02/11/2026 18:29, Jasper Mayone wrote:
> 
> diff --git a/Documentation/git-worktree.adoc b/Documentation/git-worktree.adoc
> index e6e77252ab..4a7dc47dd8 100644
> --- a/Documentation/git-worktree.adoc
> +++ b/Documentation/git-worktree.adoc
> @@ -141,10 +141,16 @@ the new working tree location.
>   
>   `remove`::
>   
> -Remove a worktree. Only clean worktrees (no untracked files and no
> -modification in tracked files) can be removed. Unclean worktrees or ones
> -with submodules can be removed with `--force`. The main worktree cannot be
> -removed.
> +Remove a worktree. The main worktree cannot be removed. Without
> +`--force`, a worktree is not removed when:
> ++
> +--
> +* it has untracked files or modifications in tracked files,
> +* it has submodules, or

This is a list so each item should be a self contained sentence, we 
should drop the comma above and ", or" here.

> +* it is in the middle of a rebase, a `git am` session, a bisect, a
> +  cherry-pick or a revert, because removing it loses the state of that
> +  operation.

Looking at the html rendering of this, it is slightly odd that "git am" 
is in a different font to the rest of the command names. As we're 
creating a list we could have a separate item for each command, I'm not 
sure whether that would be clearer or not.

The rest of this patch looks good

Thanks

Phillip

> +--
>   
>   `repair [<path>...]`::
>   
> @@ -189,7 +195,8 @@ twice. If the destination is already assigned to some other worktree but is
>   missing (for instance, if _<new-path>_ was deleted manually), then `--force`
>   allows the move to proceed; use `--force` twice if the destination is locked.
>   +
> -`remove` refuses to remove an unclean worktree unless `--force` is used.
> +`remove` refuses to remove a worktree in the cases listed under
> +`remove` above unless `--force` is used.
>   To remove a locked worktree, specify `--force` twice.
>   
>   `-b <new-branch>`::
> diff --git a/builtin/worktree.c b/builtin/worktree.c
> index 77ecd0f71f..7f53215cda 100644
> --- a/builtin/worktree.c
> +++ b/builtin/worktree.c
> @@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
>   #include "submodule.h"
>   #include "utf8.h"
>   #include "worktree.h"
> +#include "wt-status.h"
>   #include "quote.h"
>   
>   #define BUILTIN_WORKTREE_ADD_USAGE \
> @@ -1408,6 +1409,38 @@ static void check_clean_worktree(struct worktree *wt,
>   			  original_path, ret);
>   }
>   
> +/*
> + * A rebase, "git am", bisect, cherry-pick or revert keeps its state in
> + * the worktree's own $GIT_DIR, and removing the worktree throws that
> + * away even when "git status" says the files are clean.
> + */
> +static void check_no_operation_in_progress(struct worktree *wt,
> +					   const char *original_path)
> +{
> +	struct wt_status_state state = { 0 };
> +
> +	if (wt_status_check_rebase(wt, &state)) {
> +		if (state.am_in_progress)
> +			die(_("'%s' is in the middle of an am session, use --force to delete it"),
> +			    original_path);
> +		die(_("'%s' is in the middle of a rebase, use --force to delete it"),
> +		    original_path);
> +	}
> +	if (wt_status_check_bisect(wt, &state))
> +		die(_("'%s' is in the middle of a bisect, use --force to delete it"),
> +		    original_path);
> +	wt_status_state_free_buffers(&state);
> +	if (refs_ref_exists(get_worktree_ref_store(wt), "CHERRY_PICK_HEAD"))
> +		die(_("'%s' is in the middle of a cherry-pick, use --force to delete it"),
> +		    original_path);
> +	if (refs_ref_exists(get_worktree_ref_store(wt), "REVERT_HEAD"))
> +		die(_("'%s' is in the middle of a revert, use --force to delete it"),
> +		    original_path);
> +	if (is_directory(worktree_git_path(wt, "sequencer")))
> +		die(_("'%s' is in the middle of a cherry-pick or revert, use --force to delete it"),
> +		    original_path);
> +}
> +
>   static int delete_git_work_tree(struct worktree *wt)
>   {
>   	struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
> @@ -1461,8 +1494,10 @@ static int remove_worktree(int ac, const char **av, const char *prefix,
>   	strbuf_release(&errmsg);
>   
>   	if (file_exists(wt->path)) {
> -		if (!force)
> +		if (!force) {
> +			check_no_operation_in_progress(wt, av[0]);
>   			check_clean_worktree(wt, av[0]);
> +		}
>   
>   		ret |= delete_git_work_tree(wt);
>   	}
> diff --git a/t/t2403-worktree-move.sh b/t/t2403-worktree-move.sh
> index 69768c1207..2e45cd77f9 100755
> --- a/t/t2403-worktree-move.sh
> +++ b/t/t2403-worktree-move.sh
> @@ -271,4 +271,98 @@ test_expect_success 'move worktree with relative path to absolute path' '
>   	test_cmp expect .git/worktrees/absolute/gitdir
>   '
>   
> +test_expect_success 'setup commits that conflict for am, cherry-pick and revert' '
> +	git worktree add --detach conflict-setup init &&
> +	(
> +		cd conflict-setup &&
> +		test_commit base conflict.t base &&
> +		git switch --detach init &&
> +		test_commit side conflict.t side &&
> +		test_commit side-two
> +	) &&
> +	git worktree remove conflict-setup
> +'
> +
> +test_expect_success 'remove worktree in the middle of a rebase' '
> +	test_when_finished "rm -rf mid-rebase; git worktree prune" &&
> +	git worktree add --detach mid-rebase side &&
> +	test_must_fail git -C mid-rebase rebase -f -x false init &&
> +	test_must_fail git worktree remove mid-rebase 2>err &&
> +	test_grep "in the middle of a rebase" err &&
> +	test_path_is_dir mid-rebase &&
> +	git worktree remove --force mid-rebase &&
> +	test_path_is_missing mid-rebase
> +'
> +
> +test_expect_success 'remove worktree in the middle of an am session' '
> +	test_when_finished "rm -rf mid-am patch; git worktree prune" &&
> +	git format-patch -1 --stdout side >patch &&
> +	git worktree add --detach mid-am base &&
> +	(
> +		cd mid-am &&
> +		test_must_fail git am ../patch &&
> +		git reset --hard
> +	) &&
> +	test_must_fail git worktree remove mid-am 2>err &&
> +	test_grep "in the middle of an am session" err &&
> +	git worktree remove --force mid-am
> +'
> +
> +test_expect_success 'remove worktree in the middle of a bisect' '
> +	test_when_finished "rm -rf mid-bisect; git worktree prune" &&
> +	git worktree add --detach mid-bisect side-two &&
> +	git -C mid-bisect bisect start side-two init &&
> +	test_must_fail git worktree remove mid-bisect 2>err &&
> +	test_grep "in the middle of a bisect" err &&
> +	git worktree remove --force mid-bisect
> +'
> +
> +test_expect_success 'remove worktree in the middle of a cherry-pick' '
> +	test_when_finished "rm -rf mid-pick; git worktree prune" &&
> +	git worktree add --detach mid-pick base &&
> +	(
> +		cd mid-pick &&
> +		test_must_fail git cherry-pick side &&
> +		git checkout --ours conflict.t &&
> +		git add conflict.t &&
> +		git rev-parse --verify CHERRY_PICK_HEAD
> +	) &&
> +	test_path_is_missing .git/worktrees/mid-pick/sequencer &&
> +	test_must_fail git worktree remove mid-pick 2>err &&
> +	test_grep "in the middle of a cherry-pick," err &&
> +	git worktree remove --force mid-pick
> +'
> +
> +test_expect_success 'remove worktree in the middle of a revert' '
> +	test_when_finished "rm -rf mid-revert; git worktree prune" &&
> +	git worktree add --detach mid-revert base &&
> +	(
> +		cd mid-revert &&
> +		test_must_fail git revert side &&
> +		git checkout --ours conflict.t &&
> +		git add conflict.t &&
> +		git rev-parse --verify REVERT_HEAD
> +	) &&
> +	test_path_is_missing .git/worktrees/mid-revert/sequencer &&
> +	test_must_fail git worktree remove mid-revert 2>err &&
> +	test_grep "in the middle of a revert" err &&
> +	git worktree remove --force mid-revert
> +'
> +
> +test_expect_success 'remove worktree in the middle of a cherry-pick sequence' '
> +	test_when_finished "rm -rf mid-pick-seq; git worktree prune" &&
> +	git worktree add --detach mid-pick-seq base &&
> +	(
> +		cd mid-pick-seq &&
> +		test_must_fail git cherry-pick side side-two &&
> +		git checkout --theirs conflict.t &&
> +		git add conflict.t &&
> +		git commit --no-edit
> +	) &&
> +	test_path_is_dir .git/worktrees/mid-pick-seq/sequencer &&
> +	test_must_fail git worktree remove mid-pick-seq 2>err &&
> +	test_grep "in the middle of a cherry-pick or revert" err &&
> +	git worktree remove --force mid-pick-seq
> +'
> +
>   test_done