target common git directory %q does not match repository %q

Error message

target common git directory %q does not match repository %q

What it means

During removal planning, bd compares the target worktree's common git directory with the primary worktree's common dir. A mismatch means the 'worktree' being removed does not actually belong to the same repository (its common dir resolves elsewhere), so removal would corrupt an unrelated repo. bd records the mismatch in plan facts (CommonDir = Unmatched) and returns the plan with this prepare error instead of proceeding.

Source

Thrown at cmd/bd/worktree_cmd.go:1304

	status := worktreeremove.Clean
	if target.status != "" {
		status = worktreeremove.Dirty
	}
	plan.prepareFacts = worktreeremove.PrepareFacts{
		Registration:   worktreeremove.Present,
		Target:         worktreeremove.RegisteredTarget,
		RegisteredPath: target.path,
		TargetDir:      worktreeremove.Present,
		GitAdminDir:    worktreeremove.Present,
		GitMarker:      worktreeremove.Present,
		CommonDir:      worktreeremove.Matched,
		Head:           worktreeremove.Present,
		Status:         status,
		ManagedIgnore:  worktreeremove.IgnoreAbsent,
	}
	if !sameWorktreePath(target.commonDir, mainCommonDir) {
		plan.prepareFacts.CommonDir = worktreeremove.Unmatched
		plan.prepareErr = fmt.Errorf(
			"target common git directory %q does not match repository %q",
			target.commonDir,
			mainCommonDir,
		)
		return plan, nil
	}
	if relative, inside := relativeWorktreePath(plan.mainWorktree, target.path); inside {
		plan.gitignoreCleanup, err = prepareGitignoreCleanup(plan.mainWorktree, relative)
		if err != nil {
			return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot safely prepare .gitignore cleanup: %w", err)
		}
		if plan.gitignoreCleanup != nil {
			plan.prepareFacts.ManagedIgnore = worktreeremove.IgnoreManaged
			plan.prepareFacts.ManagedIgnoreEntry = plan.gitignoreCleanup.entry
		}
	}

	if options.force.value {

View on GitHub (pinned to 71377f2769)

Solutions

Verify the target is the intended repo: run `git -C <target> rev-parse --git-common-dir` and compare with the main repo
Re-register/remove the stale worktree entry: `git worktree prune`, then `git worktree add` a fresh worktree of the correct repo and retry
Remove the foreign worktree with plain `git worktree remove` inside the repo it actually belongs to
Do not delete directories by hand; let git manage worktree metadata to keep common dirs consistent

Example fix

// before: /wt/feature is a worktree of a different clone
$ bd worktree remove feature
// error: target common git directory "/other/clone/.git" does not match repository "/main/.git"
// after
$ git worktree prune && git worktree add /wt/feature feature-branch
$ bd worktree remove feature

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

main=$(git rev-parse --path-format=absolute --git-common-dir)
tgt=$(git -C /wt/feature rev-parse --path-format=absolute --git-common-dir)
[ "$main" = "$tgt" ] || { echo 'target belongs to a different repository'; exit 1; }

Type guard

func sameRepository(mainCommonDir string, target worktreeTarget) bool {
	return filepath.Clean(target.commonDir) == filepath.Clean(mainCommonDir)
}

Try / catch

plan, err := buildWorktreeRemovalPlan(ctx, git, name, nil)
if plan != nil && plan.prepareErr != nil && strings.Contains(plan.prepareErr.Error(), "does not match repository") {
	return fmt.Errorf("re-add the worktree with `git worktree add` from the correct repo first")
}

Prevention

Create worktrees only via `git worktree add` from the primary repo
Never copy worktree directories between clones
Prune stale registrations with `git worktree prune` after manual deletions
Check `git worktree list` paths match expectations before scripted removals

When it happens

Trigger: `bd worktree remove <name>` where `inspectWorktreeTarget` on the target yields a commonDir that does not path-match the main worktree's common dir — e.g. the registered path now hosts a worktree of a different repository, or GIT_COMMON_DIR/git dir files point across repos.

Common situations: A directory reused for another clone after the original worktree was deleted; manually copied worktree folders retaining a .git file pointing to the old repo; nested repos confusing resolution.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of gastownhall/beads@71377f2769 (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/4957c687d5a64f1c. Report an issue: GitHub.