diff --git a/cmdline/scan.c b/cmdline/scan.c
index ab17ae03..ec159b08 100644
--- a/cmdline/scan.c
+++ b/cmdline/scan.c
@@ -1409,10 +1409,17 @@ static int scan_sub(struct snapraid_scan* scan, int level, int is_diff, char* pa
 			/* LCOV_EXCL_STOP */
 		}
 
-		/* exclude hidden files even before calling lstat() */
+		/*
+		 * Exclude hidden files even before calling lstat().
+		 * Note that .snapraidignore is an exception because it is a control file
+		 * that defines local exclusion rules, and must also be preserved as array
+		 * data so that exclusion rules survive disaster recovery.
+		 */
 		if (filter_hidden(state->filter_hidden, dd) != 0) {
-			msg_verbose("Excluding hidden '%s'\n", path_next);
-			continue;
+			if (strcmp(".snapraidignore", dd->d_name) != 0) {
+				msg_verbose("Excluding hidden '%s'\n", path_next);
+				continue;
+			}
 		}
 
 		/* exclude content files even before calling lstat() */