diff --git a/docs/config-manifest.md b/docs/config-manifest.md
index ea804a5..85e0449 100644
--- a/docs/config-manifest.md
+++ b/docs/config-manifest.md
@@ -506,7 +506,6 @@ spec:
     paths:
       - .:/workspace
     exclude:
-      - .git/
       - node_modules/
       - dist/
   ports:
@@ -686,7 +685,6 @@ spec:
     paths:
       - .:/workspace
     exclude:
-      - .git/
       - vendor/
   ports:
     - name: grpc
@@ -727,8 +725,6 @@ spec:
     engine: syncthing
     paths:
       - .:/workspace
-    exclude:
-      - .git/
   ports:
     - name: app
       local: 8080
diff --git a/internal/cli/init_test.go b/internal/cli/init_test.go
index 43fb44e..8ba802e 100644
--- a/internal/cli/init_test.go
+++ b/internal/cli/init_test.go
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ spec:
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("read .stignore: %v", err)
 	}
-	if string(got) != ".git/\n.venv/\nnode_modules/\n.DS_Store\n" {
+	if string(got) != ".venv/\nnode_modules/\n.DS_Store\n" {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected .stignore content %q", string(got))
 	}
 }
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ spec:
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("read .stignore: %v", err)
 	}
-	if string(got) != ".git/\nbin/\ndist/\n.coverprofile\ncoverage.out\n.DS_Store\n" {
+	if string(got) != "bin/\ndist/\n.coverprofile\ncoverage.out\n.DS_Store\n" {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected .stignore content %q", string(got))
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/cli/syncthing.go b/internal/cli/syncthing.go
index 2c75a89..0c00f25 100644
--- a/internal/cli/syncthing.go
+++ b/internal/cli/syncthing.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ const (
 // defaultSyncExcludes are written to a starter .stignore when one does not
 // already exist. They prevent common large or noisy directories from being
 // synced by default.
-var defaultSyncExcludes = []string{".git/", "node_modules", "vendor", "__pycache__", ".DS_Store"}
+var defaultSyncExcludes = []string{"node_modules", "vendor", "__pycache__", ".DS_Store"}
 
 const (
 	largeSyncWarnThreshold = 100 * 1024 * 1024
diff --git a/internal/config/template.go b/internal/config/template.go
index e275aba..05aa255 100644
--- a/internal/config/template.go
+++ b/internal/config/template.go
@@ -33,13 +33,11 @@ var builtinNames = map[string]string{
 
 var stignorePresets = map[string][]string{
 	"default": {
-		".git/",
 		".venv/",
 		"node_modules/",
 		".DS_Store",
 	},
 	"python": {
-		".git/",
 		".venv/",
 		"__pycache__/",
 		".pytest_cache/",
@@ -48,7 +46,6 @@ var stignorePresets = map[string][]string{
 		".DS_Store",
 	},
 	"node": {
-		".git/",
 		"node_modules/",
 		".next/",
 		"dist/",
@@ -56,7 +53,6 @@ var stignorePresets = map[string][]string{
 		".DS_Store",
 	},
 	"go": {
-		".git/",
 		"bin/",
 		"dist/",
 		".coverprofile",
@@ -64,7 +60,6 @@ var stignorePresets = map[string][]string{
 		".DS_Store",
 	},
 	"rust": {
-		".git/",
 		"target/",
 		".DS_Store",
 	},
diff --git a/internal/config/template_test.go b/internal/config/template_test.go
index 61c5d52..6774dfd 100644
--- a/internal/config/template_test.go
+++ b/internal/config/template_test.go
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func TestBuiltinTemplateLocalIgnores(t *testing.T) {
 	if len(patterns) == 0 {
 		t.Fatal("expected built-in local ignore patterns")
 	}
-	if patterns[0] != ".git/" {
+	if patterns[0] != ".venv/" {
 		t.Fatalf("unexpected first pattern %q", patterns[0])
 	}
 	if got := BuiltinTemplateLocalIgnores("./custom.yaml"); got != nil {
@@ -109,8 +109,8 @@ func TestSTIgnorePreset(t *testing.T) {
 	if len(patterns) == 0 {
 		t.Fatal("expected go preset patterns")
 	}
-	if patterns[1] != "bin/" {
-		t.Fatalf("unexpected go preset pattern %q", patterns[1])
+	if patterns[0] != "bin/" {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected go preset pattern %q", patterns[0])
 	}
 	if got := STIgnorePreset("missing"); got != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("expected nil for unknown preset, got %+v", got)