diff --git a/src/args.rs b/src/args.rs
index 9337126..8e9486e 100755
--- a/src/args.rs
+++ b/src/args.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ pub struct Args {
     /// directories to ignore.
     /// can be paths relative to <source> (like backups/) or paths starting with <source> (like my_source/backups/).
     /// if <index> starts with <source>, it is automatically ignored and doesn't need to be specified.
-    #[arg(long)]
+    #[arg(long, num_args(0..))]
     pub ignore: Vec<PathBuf>,
     /// don't ask for confirmation, just apply the changes.
     #[arg(long)]
diff --git a/src/update_index.rs b/src/update_index.rs
index 745a2c2..e399aea 100755
--- a/src/update_index.rs
+++ b/src/update_index.rs
@@ -5,19 +5,19 @@ use crate::{indexchanges::IndexChange, indexfile::IndexFile};
 pub fn perform_index_diff<'a>(
     source: &Path,
     index: &'a Path,
-    mut ignore_subdirs: Vec<&'a Path>,
+    mut ignore_paths: Vec<&'a Path>,
 ) -> io::Result<Vec<IndexChange>> {
     let mut changes = Vec::new();
     if let Ok(inner_index) = index.strip_prefix(source) {
         eprintln!("[info] source contains index, but index will not be part of the backup.");
-        ignore_subdirs.push(inner_index);
+        ignore_paths.push(inner_index);
     }
     rec(
         source.as_ref(),
         Path::new(""),
         index,
         &mut changes,
-        &ignore_subdirs,
+        &ignore_paths,
     )?;
     Ok(changes)
 }
@@ -30,15 +30,8 @@ fn rec(
     index_files: &Path,
     // list of changes to be made
     changes: &mut Vec<IndexChange>,
-    // if the index is part of `source`, where exactly is it?
-    ignore_subdirs: &Vec<&Path>,
+    ignore_paths: &Vec<&Path>,
 ) -> Result<(), io::Error> {
-    for ii in ignore_subdirs {
-        if rel_path.starts_with(ii) {
-            return Ok(());
-        }
-    }
-
     // used to find removals
     let index_rel_path = index_files.join(rel_path);
     let mut index_entries = match fs::read_dir(&index_rel_path) {
@@ -57,33 +50,30 @@ fn rec(
     // find changes/adds
     for entry in source_files {
         let entry = entry?;
+        let rel_path = rel_path.join(entry.file_name());
+        // ignore entries
+        if ignore_paths.iter().any(|ii| &rel_path == ii) {
+            continue;
+        }
+
         let metadata = entry.metadata()?;
         let in_index_and_is_dir = index_entries.remove(&entry.file_name());
         if metadata.is_dir() {
             if let Some(false) = in_index_and_is_dir {
                 // is dir, but was file -> remove file
-                changes.push(IndexChange::RemoveFile(rel_path.join(entry.file_name())));
+                changes.push(IndexChange::RemoveFile(rel_path.clone()));
             }
-            rec(
-                source,
-                &rel_path.join(entry.file_name()),
-                index_files,
-                changes,
-                ignore_subdirs,
-            )?;
+            rec(source, &rel_path, index_files, changes, ignore_paths)?;
         } else {
             if let Some(true) = in_index_and_is_dir {
                 // is file, but was dir -> remove dir
-                changes.push(IndexChange::RemoveDir(rel_path.join(entry.file_name())));
+                changes.push(IndexChange::RemoveDir(rel_path.clone()));
             }
             let newif = IndexFile::new_from_metadata(&metadata);
-            let oldif = IndexFile::from_path(&index_files.join(rel_path).join(entry.file_name()));
+            let oldif = IndexFile::from_path(&index_files.join(&rel_path));
             match oldif {
                 Ok(Ok(oldif)) if oldif == newif => {}
-                _ => changes.push(IndexChange::AddFile(
-                    rel_path.join(entry.file_name()),
-                    newif,
-                )),
+                _ => changes.push(IndexChange::AddFile(rel_path, newif)),
             }
         }
     }