[JENKINS-19569] Git polling builds even when includes section doesn't include the changes

Some of my builds have an include of a single file

scripts/test.sh

I have fast remote polling enabled. I also hit this issue with fast remote polling off. I can check in something on a branch in the scripts2 dir, and the job which is monitoring scripts/test.sh will still run. The polling log shows changes. And the changes are shown as only the files changed in the scripts2 dir.

It does correctly skip running the job when I have no remote refs, so :

git ls-remote http://githq/releng.git master

3b3a4479be16c88ee3f8b51b5995474b6516c17f refs/heads/master

But on my other repo I get

git ls-remote http://githq/bigger.git master

0e144203fe6876612f70dba2315b92f78070c8f8 refs/heads/master

d63653727dc58d1d79956b665c27442b58df7c82 refs/remotes/origin/master

In addition, the git-plugin looks like it is polling both heads and remote refs, line 104 in the GitSDMSource.java

return Arrays.asList(new RefSpec("+refs/heads/:refs/remotes/origin/"));

Looks like it polls my ref/remotes, which is way out of date compared to the head, which means something will be triggered. I'm trying to change the plugin, or see if I can update the remote ref to see if that fixes things, but right now I haven't been able to do either one. I also am not sure I am even looking at the right spot.

---
Originally reported by aflat, imported from: Git polling builds even when includes section doesn't include the changes

• status: Open
  
• priority: Major
  
• component(s): git-plugin
  
• label(s): git-plugin-PathRestriction
  
• resolution: Unresolved
  
• votes: 6
  
• watchers: 8
  
• imported: 2025-12-02
  

Raw content of original issue

Some of my builds have an include of a single file


scripts/test.sh


I have fast remote polling enabled. I also hit this issue with fast remote polling off. I can check in something on a branch in the scripts2 dir, and the job which is monitoring scripts/test.sh will still run. The polling log shows changes. And the changes are shown as only the files changed in the scripts2 dir. 


It does correctly skip running the job when I have no remote refs, so :


git ls-remote http://githq/releng.git master

3b3a4479be16c88ee3f8b51b5995474b6516c17f	refs/heads/master


But on my other repo I get 


git ls-remote http://githq/bigger.git master

0e144203fe6876612f70dba2315b92f78070c8f8	refs/heads/master

d63653727dc58d1d79956b665c27442b58df7c82	refs/remotes/origin/master


In addition, the git-plugin looks like it is polling both heads and remote refs, line 104 in the GitSDMSource.java


return Arrays.asList(new RefSpec("+refs/heads/:refs/remotes/origin/"));


Looks like it polls my ref/remotes, which is way out of date compared to the head, which means something will be triggered. I'm trying to change the plugin, or see if I can update the remote ref to see if that fixes things, but right now I haven't been able to do either one. I also am not sure I am even looking at the right spot.

environment

```
git plugin 1.5.0

Jenkins ver. 1.525
```