Is this desired behaviour? Testcase: #!/bin/sh # this script creates testGitAddPatch and will run the testcase there rm -fr testGitAddPatch mkdir testGitAddPatch cd testGitAddPatch git init echo test > test git add --patch test echo "running status, nothing has been added" git status git --version My output marc@mail: /tmp/git ]$ sh test.sh Initialized empty Git repository in /tmp/git/testGitAddPatch/.git/ No changes. running status, nothing has been added # On branch master # # Initial commit # # Untracked files: # (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed) # # test nothing added to commit but untracked files present (use "git add" to track) git version 1.6.0.2.GIT Marc Weber -- To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe git" in the body of a message to majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html