How to fix error: The following untracked working tree files would be overwritten by checkout in Git

GitBEGINNERLOWUpdated Dec 6, 2025· 323 views

This Git error occurs when you try to switch branches, but untracked files in your working directory would be overwritten by files from the target branch. Git prevents the checkout to avoid accidental data loss.

Quick fix

Fixes error: The following untracked working tree files would be overwritten by checkout

# The error message will show something like:
# error: The following untracked working tree files would be overwritten by checkout:
#     path/to/file1.txt
#     path/to/file2.js

# Check the status of your working directory
git status
  1. Review the files listed in the error
  2. Stash the files if you want to keep them (recommended)
  3. Back up and remove the files if stash doesn't work
  4. Delete the files if you don't need them
git — error
# The error message will show something like:
# error: The following untracked working tree files would be overwritten by checkout:
#     path/to/file1.txt
#     path/to/file2.js
# Check the status of your working directory
git status
error: The following untracked working tree files would be overwritten by checkout

What this error means

The "untracked working tree files would be overwritten by checkout" error is a safety mechanism in Git that protects you from losing work. When you attempt to switch branches using `git checkout` or `git switch`, Git compares the files in your current working directory against the files that exist in the target branch. If the target branch contains tracked files with the same names as your untracked local files, Git refuses to proceed because checking out would overwrite your local files. This commonly happens when: - You created new files locally that also exist in the branch you're switching to - Someone else added files to a branch that match files in your .gitignore - You pulled a .gitignore update that now ignores files that were previously tracked - You're working on generated files (like build outputs) that are tracked in another branch The key point is that these are "untracked" files - files that Git is not currently managing in your branch. Since Git doesn't have any record of their original contents, it cannot safely overwrite or merge them.

Typical symptoms

  • Unable to switch branches with git checkout or git switch commands
  • Error message lists specific files that would be overwritten
  • The error appears when checking out branches that have files matching your local untracked files
  • Git pull fails with a similar message about untracked files being overwritten by merge
  • Error persists even after running git status shows a clean working tree

Common causes

  1. You have local untracked files that exist as tracked files in the target branch
  2. Build artifacts or generated files match files tracked in another branch
  3. Files were previously tracked but are now in .gitignore, and the target branch still has them tracked
  4. You cloned a repo and created files that match files in another branch
  5. The target branch has new files that were added by someone else matching your local files
  6. IDE or editor configuration files conflict with those tracked in the target branch

How to fix "error: The following untracked working tree files would be overwritten by checkout"

1Review the files listed in the error

First, examine which files Git is complaining about:

bash
# The error message will show something like:
# error: The following untracked working tree files would be overwritten by checkout:
#     path/to/file1.txt
#     path/to/file2.js

# Check the status of your working directory
git status

Decide if you need to keep these files or if they can be safely removed or replaced.

2Stash the files if you want to keep them (recommended)

Use git stash to temporarily save your untracked files:

bash
# Stash including untracked files
git stash push --include-untracked -m "Saving untracked files before checkout"

# Now checkout should work
git checkout <target-branch>

# Later, if you want to restore the files on this branch
git checkout <original-branch>
git stash pop

This is the safest approach as it preserves your work while allowing you to switch branches.

3Back up and remove the files if stash doesn't work

If you want to keep the files but stash isn't suitable, manually back them up:

bash
# Create a backup directory
mkdir -p ~/git-backup

# Copy the conflicting files (adjust paths based on error message)
cp path/to/file1.txt ~/git-backup/
cp path/to/file2.js ~/git-backup/

# Remove the files from working directory
rm path/to/file1.txt
rm path/to/file2.js

# Now checkout should work
git checkout <target-branch>
4Delete the files if you don't need them

If the files are generated or you don't need them, remove them with git clean:

bash
# First, do a dry run to see what would be deleted
git clean -n -d

# If you're sure you want to delete these files
git clean -f -d

# Or delete specific files manually
rm path/to/file1.txt
rm path/to/file2.js

# Now checkout should work
git checkout <target-branch>

Warning: git clean -f permanently deletes files. Use the dry run (-n) first!

5Force checkout to overwrite files (use with caution)

If you're certain you want the target branch's version of these files:

bash
# Force checkout - WARNING: this will overwrite your local files
git checkout -f <target-branch>

Warning: This will permanently overwrite your untracked files with the versions from the target branch. Only use this if you're certain you don't need your local copies.

6Add files to .gitignore to prevent future conflicts

If these are generated files that shouldn't be tracked, add them to .gitignore:

bash
# Add to .gitignore
echo "path/to/generated-file.txt" >> .gitignore
echo "build/" >> .gitignore

# Commit the .gitignore update
git add .gitignore
git commit -m "Add generated files to .gitignore"

This prevents the same conflict from happening again in the future.

Advanced notes

### Understanding Tracked vs Untracked Files

In Git, files exist in three states:
- Tracked: Files that Git knows about (committed or staged)
- Untracked: Files in your working directory that Git is not managing
- Ignored: Files matched by patterns in .gitignore (a special kind of untracked)

This error specifically involves untracked files that would collide with tracked files in another branch.

### The Merge Variant of This Error

A similar error occurs during git pull or git merge:

bash
error: The following untracked working tree files would be overwritten by merge

The solutions are the same - stash, backup, or remove the conflicting untracked files.

### Using git stash with Specific Files

If you only want to stash specific files:

bash
# Stash specific untracked files
git stash push --include-untracked -- path/to/file1.txt path/to/file2.js

### Worktrees as an Alternative

If you frequently need to work on multiple branches with conflicting untracked files, consider using Git worktrees:

bash
# Create a new worktree for the other branch
git worktree add ../my-repo-other-branch other-branch

# Now you have two directories, each on a different branch

### CI/CD Considerations

In CI/CD pipelines, this error often occurs because:
- Build artifacts from previous runs weren't cleaned up
- The pipeline doesn't start with a clean checkout

Solutions:
- Use git clean -fdx at the start of pipelines
- Configure your CI to use fresh clones
- Add build directories to .gitignore

Frequently asked questions

What does "error: The following untracked working tree files would be overwritten" mean?
The "untracked working tree files would be overwritten by checkout" error is a safety mechanism in Git that protects you from losing work. When you attempt to switch branches using git checkout or git switch, Git compares the files in your current working directory against the files that exist in the target branch. If the target branch contains tracked files with the same names as your untracked local files, Git refuses to proceed because checking out would overwrite your local files.
How do I fix "error: The following untracked working tree files would be overwritten"?
This Git error occurs when you try to switch branches, but untracked files in your working directory would be overwritten by files from the target branch. Git prevents the checkout to avoid accidental data loss.
What causes "error: The following untracked working tree files would be overwritten"?
You have local untracked files that exist as tracked files in the target branch Build artifacts or generated files match files tracked in another branch Files were previously tracked but are now in .gitignore, and the target branch still has them tracked
Is the "error: The following untracked working tree files would be overwritten" error serious?
It is a low-severity error — more of a blocker than a risk. The steps above resolve it.

Official resources & further reading