diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 269ba187..5ef51459 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -30,4 +30,5 @@ examples/performance_tests/7
 examples/performance_tests/8
 
 # Ignore test
-ignored.xml
\ No newline at end of file
+ignored.xml
+gitignorefile.txt
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.ignore b/.ignore
index 48b8bf90..4f19eae5 100644
--- a/.ignore
+++ b/.ignore
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 vendor/
+ignorefile.txt
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/ignore/README.md b/examples/ignore/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0abc7f0a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/ignore/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Files in here are to ensure that .ignore and .gitignore work recursively
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/processor/file.go b/processor/file.go
index 608f5b9c..66c64481 100644
--- a/processor/file.go
+++ b/processor/file.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package processor
 
 import (
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"github.com/karrick/godirwalk"
 	"github.com/monochromegane/go-gitignore"
@@ -98,37 +97,15 @@ func walkDirectoryParallel(root string, output chan *FileJob) {
 		all, _ = ioutil.ReadDir(root)
 	}
 
-	var gitIgnore gitignore.IgnoreMatcher
-	gitIgnoreError := errors.New("")
-
+	ignores := []gitignore.IgnoreMatcher{}
 	if !GitIgnore {
-		// TODO the gitIgnore should check for further gitignores deeper in the tree
-		gitIgnore, gitIgnoreError = gitignore.NewGitIgnore(filepath.Join(root, ".gitignore"))
-		if Verbose {
-			if gitIgnoreError == nil {
-				printWarn(fmt.Sprintf("found and loaded gitignore file: %s", filepath.Join(root, ".gitignore")))
-			} else {
-				printWarn(fmt.Sprintf("no gitignore found: %s", filepath.Join(root, ".gitignore")))
-			}
-		}
+		ignores = loadIgnoreFile(root, ".gitignore", ignores)
 	}
-
-	var ignore gitignore.IgnoreMatcher
-	ignoreError := errors.New("")
-
 	if !Ignore {
-		ignore, ignoreError = gitignore.NewGitIgnore(filepath.Join(root, ".ignore"))
-		if Verbose {
-			if ignoreError == nil {
-				printWarn(fmt.Sprintf("found and loaded ignore file: %s", filepath.Join(root, ".ignore")))
-			} else {
-				printWarn(fmt.Sprintf("no ignore found: %s", filepath.Join(root, ".ignore")))
-			}
-		}
+		ignores = loadIgnoreFile(root, ".ignore", ignores)
 	}
 
 	resetGc := false
-
 	var excludes []*regexp.Regexp
 
 	for _, exclude := range Exclude {
@@ -162,24 +139,19 @@ func walkDirectoryParallel(root string, output chan *FileJob) {
 				}
 			}
 
-			if gitIgnoreError == nil && gitIgnore.Match(filepath.Join(root, f.Name()), true) {
-				if Verbose {
-					printWarn("skipping directory due to git ignore: " + filepath.Join(root, f.Name()))
-				}
-				shouldSkip = true
-			}
-
-			if ignoreError == nil && ignore.Match(filepath.Join(root, f.Name()), true) {
-				if Verbose {
-					printWarn("skipping directory due to ignore: " + filepath.Join(root, f.Name()))
+			for _, i := range ignores {
+				if i.Match(filepath.Join(root, f.Name()), true) {
+					if Verbose {
+						printWarn("skipping directory due to ignore: " + filepath.Join(root, f.Name()))
+					}
+					shouldSkip = true
 				}
-				shouldSkip = true
 			}
 
 			if !shouldSkip {
 				wg.Add(1)
 				go func(toWalk string) {
-					filejobs := walkDirectory(toWalk, PathBlacklist, extensionLookup)
+					filejobs := walkDirectory(toWalk, PathBlacklist, extensionLookup, ignores)
 					for i := 0; i < len(filejobs); i++ {
 						for _, lan := range filejobs[i].PossibleLanguages {
 							LoadLanguageFeature(lan)
@@ -206,18 +178,13 @@ func walkDirectoryParallel(root string, output chan *FileJob) {
 
 			shouldSkip := false
 
-			if gitIgnoreError == nil && gitIgnore.Match(fpath, false) {
-				if Verbose {
-					printWarn("skipping file due to git ignore: " + f.Name())
-				}
-				shouldSkip = true
-			}
-
-			if ignoreError == nil && ignore.Match(fpath, false) {
-				if Verbose {
-					printWarn("skipping file due to ignore: " + f.Name())
+			for _, i := range ignores {
+				if i.Match(filepath.Join(root, f.Name()), false) {
+					if Verbose {
+						printWarn("skipping file due to ignore: " + filepath.Join(root, f.Name()))
+					}
+					shouldSkip = true
 				}
-				shouldSkip = true
 			}
 
 			for _, exclude := range excludes {
@@ -268,7 +235,24 @@ func walkDirectoryParallel(root string, output chan *FileJob) {
 	}
 }
 
-func walkDirectory(toWalk string, blackList []string, extensionLookup map[string][]string) []FileJob {
+func loadIgnoreFile(root string, filename string, ignores []gitignore.IgnoreMatcher) []gitignore.IgnoreMatcher {
+	ig, err := gitignore.NewGitIgnore(filepath.Join(root, filename))
+
+	if err == nil {
+		ignores = append(ignores, ig)
+	}
+
+	if Verbose {
+		if err == nil {
+			printWarn(fmt.Sprintf("found and loaded ignore file: %s", filepath.Join(root, filename)))
+		} else {
+			printWarn(fmt.Sprintf("no ignore found: %s", filepath.Join(root, filename)))
+		}
+	}
+	return ignores
+}
+
+func walkDirectory(toWalk string, blackList []string, extensionLookup map[string][]string, ignores []gitignore.IgnoreMatcher) []FileJob {
 	extension := ""
 	var filejobs []FileJob
 
@@ -308,9 +292,25 @@ func walkDirectory(toWalk string, blackList []string, extensionLookup map[string
 						return filepath.SkipDir
 					}
 				}
-			}
 
-			if !info.IsDir() {
+				for _, i := range ignores {
+					if i.Match(root, true) {
+						if Verbose {
+							printWarn("skipping directory due to ignore: " + root)
+						}
+						return filepath.SkipDir
+					}
+				}
+			} else {
+				for _, i := range ignores {
+					if i.Match(filepath.Join(root, info.Name()), false) {
+						if Verbose {
+							printWarn("skipping file due to ignore: " + filepath.Join(root, info.Name()))
+						}
+						return nil
+					}
+				}
+
 				// Lookup in case the full name matches
 				language, ok := extensionLookup[strings.ToLower(info.Name())]
 
diff --git a/processor/file_test.go b/processor/file_test.go
index 9eb183d9..17ef3102 100644
--- a/processor/file_test.go
+++ b/processor/file_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package processor
 
 import (
+	"github.com/monochromegane/go-gitignore"
 	"math/rand"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
@@ -191,7 +192,7 @@ func TestWalkDirectory(t *testing.T) {
 	Debug = true
 	Exclude = []string{"test"}
 	ProcessConstants()
-	files := walkDirectory(".", []string{}, ExtensionToLanguage)
+	files := walkDirectory(".", []string{}, ExtensionToLanguage, []gitignore.IgnoreMatcher{})
 
 	if len(files) == 0 {
 		t.Error("Expected at least one file")
diff --git a/test-all.sh b/test-all.sh
index a7c8a54c..15829cc7 100755
--- a/test-all.sh
+++ b/test-all.sh
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ fi
 
 # Turn off gitignore https://github.com/boyter/scc/issues/53
 touch ignored.xml
-a=$(./scc  | grep Total)
+a=$(./scc | grep Total)
 b=$(./scc --no-gitignore | grep Total)
 if [ "$a" == "$b" ]; then
     echo -e "${RED}======================================================="
@@ -260,9 +260,11 @@ else
     echo -e "${GREEN}PASSED git ignore filter"
 fi
 
-a=$(./scc  | grep Total)
+a=$(./scc | grep Total)
 b=$(./scc --no-ignore | grep Total)
 if [ "$a" == "$b" ]; then
+    echo "$a"
+    echo "$b"
     echo -e "${RED}======================================================="
     echo -e "FAILED ignore filter"
     echo -e "=================================================${NC}"
@@ -271,6 +273,34 @@ else
     echo -e "${GREEN}PASSED ignore filter"
 fi
 
+touch ./examples/ignore/ignorefile.txt
+a=$(./scc --by-file | grep ignorefile)
+b=$(./scc --by-file --no-ignore | grep ignorefile)
+if [ "$a" == "$b" ]; then
+    echo "$a"
+    echo "$b"
+    echo -e "${RED}======================================================="
+    echo -e "FAILED ignore recursive filter"
+    echo -e "=================================================${NC}"
+    exit
+else
+    echo -e "${GREEN}PASSED ignore recursive filter"
+fi
+
+touch ./examples/ignore/gitignorefile.txt
+a=$(./scc --by-file | grep gitignorefile)
+b=$(./scc --by-file --no-gitignore | grep gitignorefile)
+if [ "$a" == "$b" ]; then
+    echo "$a"
+    echo "$b"
+    echo -e "${RED}======================================================="
+    echo -e "FAILED gitignore recursive filter"
+    echo -e "=================================================${NC}"
+    exit
+else
+    echo -e "${GREEN}PASSED gitignore recursive filter"
+fi
+
 # Try out specific languages
 for i in 'Bosque ' 'Flow9 ' 'Bitbucket Pipeline ' 'Docker ignore ' 'Q# ' 'Futhark ' 'Alloy ' 'Wren ' 'Monkey C ' 'Alchemist ' 'Luna ' 'ignore '
 do
@@ -288,6 +318,8 @@ echo -e "${NC}Cleaning up..."
 rm ./scc
 rm ./ignored.xml
 rm .tmp_scc_yaml
+rm ./examples/ignore/gitignorefile.txt
+rm ./examples/ignore/ignorefile.txt
 
 echo -e "${GREEN}================================================="
 echo -e "ALL TESTS PASSED"