diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 7c3b872d0..52022134f 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ language: rust
 env:
   global:
     - PROJECT_NAME=ripgrep
+    - RUST_BACKTRACE: full
 matrix:
   include:
     # Nightly channel.
diff --git a/appveyor.yml b/appveyor.yml
index d2de7e3b2..2aa4c526c 100644
--- a/appveyor.yml
+++ b/appveyor.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 environment:
   global:
     PROJECT_NAME: ripgrep
+    RUST_BACKTRACE: full
   matrix:
     - TARGET: i686-pc-windows-gnu
       CHANNEL: stable
diff --git a/ignore/src/gitignore.rs b/ignore/src/gitignore.rs
index a4a8e23eb..b44428a37 100644
--- a/ignore/src/gitignore.rs
+++ b/ignore/src/gitignore.rs
@@ -191,12 +191,13 @@ impl Gitignore {
         self.matched_stripped(self.strip(path.as_ref()), is_dir)
     }
 
-    /// Returns whether the given path (file or directory) or any of its parent
-    /// directories matched a pattern in this gitignore matcher.
+    /// Returns whether the given path (file or directory, and expected to be
+    /// under the root) or any of its parent directories (up to the root)
+    /// matched a pattern in this gitignore matcher.
     ///
     /// NOTE: This method is more expensive than walking the directory hierarchy
-    /// top-to-bottom and matching the entries. But, it is useful in cases when
-    /// a list of paths are available without a hierarchy.
+    /// top-to-bottom and matching the entries. But, is easier to use in cases
+    /// when a list of paths are available without a hierarchy.
     ///
     /// `is_dir` should be true if the path refers to a directory and false
     /// otherwise.
@@ -206,23 +207,28 @@ impl Gitignore {
     /// determined by a common suffix of the directory containing this
     /// gitignore) is stripped. If there is no common suffix/prefix overlap,
     /// then `path` is assumed to be relative to this matcher.
-    pub fn matched_recursive<P: AsRef<Path>>(&self, path: P, is_dir: bool) -> Match<&Glob> {
+    pub fn matched_path_or_any_parents<P: AsRef<Path>>(
+        &self,
+        path: P,
+        is_dir: bool,
+    ) -> Match<&Glob> {
         if self.is_empty() {
             return Match::None;
         }
-        let mut current_path = self.strip(path.as_ref());
-        match self.matched_stripped(current_path, is_dir) {
-            Match::None => {
-                while let Some(parent) = current_path.parent() {
-                    match self.matched_stripped(parent, is_dir) {
-                        Match::None => current_path = parent,
-                        a_match => return a_match,
-                    }
-                }
+        let mut path = self.strip(path.as_ref());
+        debug_assert!(
+            !path.has_root(),
+            "path is expect to be under the root"
+        );
+        loop {
+            match self.matched_stripped(path, is_dir) {
+                Match::None => match path.parent() {
+                    Some(parent) => path = parent,
+                    None => return Match::None,
+                },
+                a_match => return a_match,
             }
-            a_match => return a_match,
         }
-        Match::None
     }
 
     /// Like matched, but takes a path that has already been stripped.
diff --git a/ignore/tests/gitignore_recursive_tests.gitignore b/ignore/tests/gitignore_matched_path_or_any_parents_tests.gitignore
similarity index 100%
rename from ignore/tests/gitignore_recursive_tests.gitignore
rename to ignore/tests/gitignore_matched_path_or_any_parents_tests.gitignore
diff --git a/ignore/tests/gitignore_recursive_tests.rs b/ignore/tests/gitignore_matched_path_or_any_parents_tests.rs
similarity index 91%
rename from ignore/tests/gitignore_recursive_tests.rs
rename to ignore/tests/gitignore_matched_path_or_any_parents_tests.rs
index 2eb53334d..1b3f61842 100644
--- a/ignore/tests/gitignore_recursive_tests.rs
+++ b/ignore/tests/gitignore_matched_path_or_any_parents_tests.rs
@@ -6,20 +6,31 @@ use std::path::Path;
 use ignore::gitignore::{Gitignore, GitignoreBuilder};
 
 
-const IGNORE_FILE: &'static str = "tests/gitignore_recursive_tests.gitignore";
+const IGNORE_FILE: &'static str = "tests/gitignore_matched_path_or_any_parents_tests.gitignore";
 
 
 fn get_gitignore() -> Gitignore {
     let mut builder = GitignoreBuilder::new("ROOT");
-    builder.add(IGNORE_FILE);
+    let error = builder.add(IGNORE_FILE);
+    assert!(error.is_none(), "failed to open gitignore file");
     builder.build().unwrap()
 }
 
 
+#[test]
+#[should_panic(expected = "path is expect to be under the root")]
+fn test_path_should_be_under_root() {
+    let gitignore = get_gitignore();
+    let path = "/tmp/some_file";
+    gitignore.matched_path_or_any_parents(Path::new(path), false);
+    assert!(false);
+}
+
+
 #[test]
 fn test_files_in_root() {
     let gitignore = get_gitignore();
-    let m = |path: &str| gitignore.matched_recursive(Path::new(path), false);
+    let m = |path: &str| gitignore.matched_path_or_any_parents(Path::new(path), false);
 
     // 0x
     assert!(m("ROOT/file_root_00").is_ignore());
@@ -50,7 +61,7 @@ fn test_files_in_root() {
 #[test]
 fn test_files_in_deep() {
     let gitignore = get_gitignore();
-    let m = |path: &str| gitignore.matched_recursive(Path::new(path), false);
+    let m = |path: &str| gitignore.matched_path_or_any_parents(Path::new(path), false);
 
     // 0x
     assert!(m("ROOT/parent_dir/file_deep_00").is_ignore());
@@ -81,7 +92,7 @@ fn test_files_in_deep() {
 #[test]
 fn test_dirs_in_root() {
     let gitignore = get_gitignore();
-    let m = |path: &str| gitignore.matched_recursive(Path::new(path), true);
+    let m = |path: &str| gitignore.matched_path_or_any_parents(Path::new(path), true);
 
     // 00
     assert!(m("ROOT/dir_root_00").is_ignore());
@@ -168,7 +179,7 @@ fn test_dirs_in_root() {
 #[test]
 fn test_dirs_in_deep() {
     let gitignore = get_gitignore();
-    let m = |path: &str| gitignore.matched_recursive(Path::new(path), true);
+    let m = |path: &str| gitignore.matched_path_or_any_parents(Path::new(path), true);
 
     // 00
     assert!(m("ROOT/parent_dir/dir_deep_00").is_ignore());