diff --git a/diff-lib.c b/diff-lib.c
index f95c6de75f..d2d31b9f82 100644
--- a/diff-lib.c
+++ b/diff-lib.c
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ int run_diff_files(struct rev_info *revs, unsigned int option)
 
 	diff_set_mnemonic_prefix(&revs->diffopt, "i/", "w/");
 
+	refresh_fsmonitor(istate);
+
 	if (diff_unmerged_stage < 0)
 		diff_unmerged_stage = 2;
 	entries = istate->cache_nr;
@@ -197,8 +199,17 @@ int run_diff_files(struct rev_info *revs, unsigned int option)
 		if (ce_uptodate(ce) || ce_skip_worktree(ce))
 			continue;
 
-		/* If CE_VALID is set, don't look at workdir for file removal */
-		if (ce->ce_flags & CE_VALID) {
+		/*
+		 * When CE_VALID is set (via "update-index --assume-unchanged"
+		 * or via adding paths while core.ignorestat is set to true),
+		 * the user has promised that the working tree file for that
+		 * path will not be modified.  When CE_FSMONITOR_VALID is true,
+		 * the fsmonitor knows that the path hasn't been modified since
+		 * we refreshed the cached stat information.  In either case,
+		 * we do not have to stat to see if the path has been removed
+		 * or modified.
+		 */
+		if (ce->ce_flags & (CE_VALID | CE_FSMONITOR_VALID)) {
 			changed = 0;
 			newmode = ce->ce_mode;
 		} else {