diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7d2aa3e5..9c823b40 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
   "license": "MIT",
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
+    "benchmark:fmt-discovery": "node scripts/benchmark-fmt-discovery.js",
     "build": "pnpm --filter \"./packages/**\" build",
     "check": "rs check --type-check",
     "check:spell": "pnpm dlx cspell && heading-case",
diff --git a/packages/rstack/tests/fmt/discoverPaths.test.ts b/packages/rstack/tests/fmt/discoverPaths.test.ts
index 514cdc92..0fa2e6ca 100644
--- a/packages/rstack/tests/fmt/discoverPaths.test.ts
+++ b/packages/rstack/tests/fmt/discoverPaths.test.ts
@@ -152,6 +152,41 @@ test('applies a nested gitignore without a root matcher', async () => {
   });
 });
 
+test('loads gitignore rules between the Git root and a nested cwd', async () => {
+  await withTempProject(async (rootPath) => {
+    const cwd = path.join(rootPath, 'packages/app');
+    writeProjectFile(rootPath, '.gitignore', 'ignored.ts\n');
+    writeProjectFile(rootPath, 'packages/app/ignored.ts');
+    writeProjectFile(rootPath, 'packages/app/visible.ts');
+
+    const files = await discoverFmtPaths({ cwd });
+
+    expect(relativePaths(cwd, files)).toEqual(['visible.ts']);
+  });
+});
+
+test('discovers absolute directory and glob targets outside cwd', async () => {
+  await withTempProject(async (rootPath) => {
+    const cwd = path.join(rootPath, 'project');
+    const sharedPath = path.join(rootPath, 'shared');
+    writeProjectFile(rootPath, 'project/index.ts');
+    const javaScriptPath = writeProjectFile(rootPath, 'shared/index.js');
+    const typeScriptPath = writeProjectFile(rootPath, 'shared/nested/index.ts');
+
+    const directoryFiles = await discoverFmtPaths({
+      cwd,
+      patterns: [sharedPath],
+    });
+    const globFiles = await discoverFmtPaths({
+      cwd,
+      patterns: [path.join(sharedPath, '**/*.ts')],
+    });
+
+    expect(directoryFiles).toEqual([javaScriptPath, typeScriptPath]);
+    expect(globFiles).toEqual([typeScriptPath]);
+  });
+});
+
 test('keeps valid nested gitignore rules around normalized and malformed lines', async () => {
   await withTempProject(async (rootPath) => {
     writeProjectFile(rootPath, '.gitignore', '\uFEFF*.js\r\nmalformed\\\r\n');
diff --git a/scripts/benchmark-fmt-discovery.js b/scripts/benchmark-fmt-discovery.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ecf4f457
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/benchmark-fmt-discovery.js
@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+import { stat } from 'node:fs/promises';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { performance } from 'node:perf_hooks';
+import { discoverFmtPaths } from '../packages/rstack/src/fmt/discoverPaths.ts';
+
+const usage = `Usage:
+  pnpm benchmark:fmt-discovery -- [options]
+
+Build the optimized native binding before recording comparison data:
+  pnpm --filter rstack build:native:release
+
+Options:
+  --cwd <path>              Directory used to resolve inputs (default: current directory)
+  --pattern <path-or-glob>  Input path or glob; may be repeated
+  --explicit-count <count>  Benchmark the first N discovered files as explicit inputs
+  --warmup <count>          Warmup runs excluded from timing (default: 5)
+  --runs <count>            Number of measured runs (default: 30)
+  -h, --help                Display this help message
+`;
+
+const readValue = (args, index, flag) => {
+  const value = args[index + 1];
+  if (value === undefined) {
+    throw new Error(`${flag} requires a value.`);
+  }
+  return value;
+};
+
+const parseInteger = (value, flag, minimum) => {
+  const result = Number(value);
+  if (!Number.isSafeInteger(result) || result < minimum) {
+    throw new Error(`${flag} must be an integer greater than or equal to ${minimum}.`);
+  }
+  return result;
+};
+
+const parseArgs = (args) => {
+  const options = {
+    cwd: process.cwd(),
+    explicitCount: undefined,
+    patterns: [],
+    runs: 30,
+    warmup: 5,
+  };
+
+  for (let index = 0; index < args.length; index++) {
+    const arg = args[index];
+    switch (arg) {
+      case '--':
+        break;
+      case '--cwd':
+        options.cwd = readValue(args, index, arg);
+        index++;
+        break;
+      case '--pattern':
+        options.patterns.push(readValue(args, index, arg));
+        index++;
+        break;
+      case '--explicit-count':
+        options.explicitCount = parseInteger(readValue(args, index, arg), arg, 1);
+        index++;
+        break;
+      case '--runs':
+        options.runs = parseInteger(readValue(args, index, arg), arg, 1);
+        index++;
+        break;
+      case '--warmup':
+        options.warmup = parseInteger(readValue(args, index, arg), arg, 0);
+        index++;
+        break;
+      case '-h':
+      case '--help':
+        process.stdout.write(usage);
+        process.exit(0);
+        break;
+      default:
+        throw new Error(`Unknown option: ${arg}`);
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (options.explicitCount !== undefined && options.patterns.length > 0) {
+    throw new Error('--explicit-count cannot be combined with --pattern.');
+  }
+  return options;
+};
+
+const percentile = (sortedValues, ratio) => {
+  const position = (sortedValues.length - 1) * ratio;
+  const lowerIndex = Math.floor(position);
+  const upperIndex = Math.ceil(position);
+  const lower = sortedValues[lowerIndex];
+  const upper = sortedValues[upperIndex];
+  return lower + (upper - lower) * (position - lowerIndex);
+};
+
+const roundMilliseconds = (value) => Math.round(value * 1000) / 1000;
+
+const main = async () => {
+  const options = parseArgs(process.argv.slice(2));
+  const cwd = path.resolve(options.cwd);
+  const cwdStats = await stat(cwd);
+  if (!cwdStats.isDirectory()) {
+    throw new Error(`Benchmark cwd is not a directory: ${cwd}`);
+  }
+
+  let patterns = options.patterns.length > 0 ? options.patterns : undefined;
+  let mode = patterns ? 'patterns' : 'directory';
+  if (options.explicitCount !== undefined) {
+    const discovered = await discoverFmtPaths({ cwd });
+    if (discovered.length < options.explicitCount) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `Only ${discovered.length} files were discovered; cannot select ${options.explicitCount}.`,
+      );
+    }
+    patterns = discovered.slice(0, options.explicitCount);
+    mode = 'explicit';
+  }
+
+  let expectedFileCount;
+  const runOnce = async () => {
+    const startTime = performance.now();
+    const files = await discoverFmtPaths({ cwd, patterns });
+    const duration = performance.now() - startTime;
+    expectedFileCount ??= files.length;
+    if (files.length !== expectedFileCount) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `Discovered file count changed between runs: ${expectedFileCount} -> ${files.length}.`,
+      );
+    }
+    return duration;
+  };
+
+  for (let index = 0; index < options.warmup; index++) {
+    await runOnce();
+  }
+
+  const durations = [];
+  for (let index = 0; index < options.runs; index++) {
+    durations.push(await runOnce());
+  }
+  durations.sort((left, right) => left - right);
+
+  process.stdout.write(
+    `${JSON.stringify(
+      {
+        cwd,
+        mode,
+        patternCount: patterns?.length ?? 0,
+        fileCount: expectedFileCount,
+        warmup: options.warmup,
+        runs: options.runs,
+        medianMs: roundMilliseconds(percentile(durations, 0.5)),
+        p95Ms: roundMilliseconds(percentile(durations, 0.95)),
+      },
+      undefined,
+      2,
+    )}\n`,
+  );
+};
+
+main().catch((error) => {
+  console.error(error instanceof Error ? error.message : error);
+  process.exitCode = 1;
+});