diff --git a/dotdrop/dotdrop.py b/dotdrop/dotdrop.py
index 31f43e5..f5a65cf 100644
--- a/dotdrop/dotdrop.py
+++ b/dotdrop/dotdrop.py
@@ -139,7 +139,9 @@ def _dotfile_compare(opts, dotfile, tmp):
     ignores = patch_ignores(ignores, dotfile.dst, debug=opts.debug)
 
     insttmp = None
-    if dotfile.template and Templategen.is_template(src, ignore=ignores):
+    if dotfile.template and Templategen.is_template(src,
+                                                    ignore=ignores,
+                                                    debug=opts.debug):
         # install dotfile to temporary dir for compare
         ret, err, insttmp = inst.install_to_temp(templ, tmp, src, dotfile.dst,
                                                  is_template=True,
diff --git a/dotdrop/templategen.py b/dotdrop/templategen.py
index 8b35e07..b5ca7f9 100644
--- a/dotdrop/templategen.py
+++ b/dotdrop/templategen.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ VAR_START = '{{@@'
 VAR_END = '@@}}'
 COMMENT_START = '{#@@'
 COMMENT_END = '@@#}'
+LOG = Logger()
 
 
 class Templategen:
@@ -215,26 +216,34 @@ class Templategen:
         return data.decode('utf-8', 'replace')
 
     @staticmethod
-    def is_template(path, ignore=None):
+    def is_template(path, ignore=None, debug=False):
         """recursively check if any file is a template within path"""
+        if debug:
+            LOG.dbg('is template: {}'.format(path), force=True)
         path = os.path.expanduser(path)
 
-        if utils.must_ignore([path], ignore, debug=False):
-            return False
         if not os.path.exists(path):
+            # does not exist
             return False
+
+        if utils.must_ignore([path], ignore, debug=debug):
+            # must be ignored
+            return False
+
         if os.path.isfile(path):
             # is file
-            return Templategen._is_template(path, ignore=ignore)
+            return Templategen._is_template(path, ignore=ignore, debug=debug)
+
+        # is a directory
         for entry in os.listdir(path):
             fpath = os.path.join(path, entry)
             if not os.path.isfile(fpath):
                 # recursively explore directory
-                if Templategen.is_template(fpath, ignore=ignore):
+                if Templategen.is_template(fpath, ignore=ignore, debug=debug):
                     return True
             else:
                 # check if file is a template
-                if Templategen._is_template(fpath, ignore=ignore):
+                if Templategen._is_template(fpath, ignore=ignore, debug=debug):
                     return True
         return False
 
@@ -244,9 +253,9 @@ class Templategen:
         return VAR_START in str(string)
 
     @staticmethod
-    def _is_template(path, ignore):
+    def _is_template(path, ignore, debug=False):
         """test if file pointed by path is a template"""
-        if utils.must_ignore([path], ignore, debug=False):
+        if utils.must_ignore([path], ignore, debug=debug):
             return False
         if not os.path.isfile(path):
             return False
diff --git a/dotdrop/updater.py b/dotdrop/updater.py
index 6e5f91a..dc033dc 100644
--- a/dotdrop/updater.py
+++ b/dotdrop/updater.py
@@ -160,7 +160,8 @@ class Updater:
         return tmp
 
     def _is_template(self, path):
-        if not Templategen.is_template(path, ignore=self.ignores):
+        if not Templategen.is_template(path, ignore=self.ignores,
+                                       debug=self.debug):
             self.log.dbg('{} is NO template'.format(path))
             return False
         self.log.warn('{} uses template, update manually'.format(path))
diff --git a/dotdrop/utils.py b/dotdrop/utils.py
index 1fd3b26..67798ae 100644
--- a/dotdrop/utils.py
+++ b/dotdrop/utils.py
@@ -221,6 +221,8 @@ def strip_home(path):
 
 def must_ignore(paths, ignores, debug=False):
     """return true if any paths in list matches any ignore patterns"""
+    if debug:
+        LOG.dbg('must_ignore called', force=True)
     if not ignores:
         return False
     if debug:
@@ -237,10 +239,14 @@ def must_ignore(paths, ignores, debug=False):
                     LOG.dbg('ignore \"{}\" match: {}'.format(i, path),
                             force=True)
                 ignore_matches.append(path)
+
         # Then remove any matches that actually shouldn't be ignored
         for nign in ignored_negative:
             # Each of these will start with an '!' so we need to remove that
             nign = nign[1:]
+            if debug:
+                msg = 'trying to match :\"{}\" with non-ignore-pattern:\"{}\"'
+                LOG.dbg(msg.format(path, nign))
             if fnmatch.fnmatch(path, nign):
                 if debug:
                     msg = 'negative ignore \"{}\" match: {}'.format(nign, path)
@@ -256,6 +262,8 @@ def must_ignore(paths, ignores, debug=False):
                              'previous ignore pattern.'.format(nign)
                              )
         if ignore_matches:
+            if debug:
+                LOG.dbg('ignoring {}'.format(paths), force=True)
             return True
     if debug:
         LOG.dbg('NOT ignoring {}'.format(paths), force=True)