diff --git a/doc/nvim-tree-lua.txt b/doc/nvim-tree-lua.txt
index 8a484e99ae0..aac21502664 100644
--- a/doc/nvim-tree-lua.txt
+++ b/doc/nvim-tree-lua.txt
@@ -1707,7 +1707,7 @@ Config: filesystem_watchers             *nvim-tree-config-filesystem-watchers*
       • {enable}?          (`boolean`) (default: `true`)
       • {debounce_delay}?  (`integer`, default: `50`) Idle milliseconds
                            between filesystem change and tree update.
-      • {ignore_dirs}?     (`string[]|(fun(path: string): boolean)`, default: `{ "/.ccls-cache", "/build", "/node_modules", "/target", }`)
+      • {ignore_dirs}?     (`string[]|(fun(path: string): boolean)`, default: `{ "/.ccls-cache", "/build", "/node_modules", "/target", "/.zig-cache"}`)
                            Disable for specific directories.
       • {max_events}?      (`integer`, default: `1000`) Disable for a single
                            directory after {max_events} consecutive events
@@ -2188,6 +2188,7 @@ Following is the default configuration, see |nvim_tree.config| for details. >lua
           "/build",
           "/node_modules",
           "/target",
+          "/.zig-cache",
         },
       },
       actions = {
diff --git a/lua/nvim-tree.lua b/lua/nvim-tree.lua
index e8c301b9a94..32919d43a2e 100644
--- a/lua/nvim-tree.lua
+++ b/lua/nvim-tree.lua
@@ -469,6 +469,7 @@ local DEFAULT_OPTS = { -- default-config-start
       "/build",
       "/node_modules",
       "/target",
+      "/.zig-cache",
     },
   },
   actions = {
diff --git a/lua/nvim-tree/_meta/config/filesystem_watchers.lua b/lua/nvim-tree/_meta/config/filesystem_watchers.lua
index 65ebf5a4d95..fab0c968c95 100644
--- a/lua/nvim-tree/_meta/config/filesystem_watchers.lua
+++ b/lua/nvim-tree/_meta/config/filesystem_watchers.lua
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ error("Cannot require a meta file")
 ---@field debounce_delay? integer
 ---
 ---Disable for specific directories.
----(default: `{ "/.ccls-cache", "/build", "/node_modules", "/target", }`)
+---(default: `{ "/.ccls-cache", "/build", "/node_modules", "/target", "/.zig-cache"}`)
 ---@field ignore_dirs? string[]|(fun(path: string): boolean)
 ---
 ---Disable for a single directory after {max_events} consecutive events with an interval < {debounce_delay}.
diff --git a/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/watch.lua b/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/watch.lua
index 2ce5051c69a..e6afa68abf4 100644
--- a/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/watch.lua
+++ b/lua/nvim-tree/explorer/watch.lua
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ local function is_folder_ignored(path)
 
   if type(M.config.filesystem_watchers.ignore_dirs) == "table" then
     for _, ignore_dir in ipairs(M.config.filesystem_watchers.ignore_dirs) do
+      if utils.is_windows then
+        ignore_dir = ignore_dir:gsub("/", "\\\\") or ignore_dir
+      end
+
       if vim.fn.match(path, ignore_dir) ~= -1 then
         return true
       end