diff --git a/builtin/commit.c b/builtin/commit.c
index d75b380..98d84d0 100644
--- a/builtin/commit.c
+++ b/builtin/commit.c
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ static int edit_flag = -1; /* unspecified */
 static int quiet, verbose, no_verify, allow_empty, dry_run, renew_authorship;
 static int config_commit_verbose = -1; /* unspecified */
 static int no_post_rewrite, allow_empty_message;
-static char *untracked_files_arg, *force_date, *ignore_submodule_arg;
+static char *untracked_files_arg, *force_date, *ignore_submodule_arg, *ignored_arg;
 static char *sign_commit;
 
 /*
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ static const char *cleanup_arg;
 static enum commit_whence whence;
 static int sequencer_in_use;
 static int use_editor = 1, include_status = 1;
-static int show_ignored_in_status, have_option_m;
+static int have_option_m;
 static struct strbuf message = STRBUF_INIT;
 
 static enum wt_status_format status_format = STATUS_FORMAT_UNSPECIFIED;
@@ -1075,6 +1075,19 @@ static const char *find_author_by_nickname(const char *name)
 	die(_("--author '%s' is not 'Name <email>' and matches no existing author"), name);
 }
 
+static void handle_ignored_arg(struct wt_status *s)
+{
+	if (!ignored_arg)
+		; /* default already initialized */
+	else if (!strcmp(ignored_arg, "traditional"))
+		s->show_ignored_mode = SHOW_TRADITIONAL_IGNORED;
+	else if (!strcmp(ignored_arg, "no"))
+		s->show_ignored_mode = SHOW_NO_IGNORED;
+	else if (!strcmp(ignored_arg, "matching"))
+		s->show_ignored_mode = SHOW_MATCHING_IGNORED;
+	else
+		die(_("Invalid ignored mode '%s'"), ignored_arg);
+}
 
 static void handle_untracked_files_arg(struct wt_status *s)
 {
@@ -1363,8 +1376,10 @@ int cmd_status(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		  N_("mode"),
 		  N_("show untracked files, optional modes: all, normal, no. (Default: all)"),
 		  PARSE_OPT_OPTARG, NULL, (intptr_t)"all" },
-		OPT_BOOL(0, "ignored", &show_ignored_in_status,
-			 N_("show ignored files")),
+		{ OPTION_STRING, 0, "ignored", &ignored_arg,
+		  N_("mode"),
+		  N_("show ignored files, optional modes: traditional, matching, no. (Default: traditional)"),
+		  PARSE_OPT_OPTARG, NULL, (intptr_t)"traditional" },
 		{ OPTION_STRING, 0, "ignore-submodules", &ignore_submodule_arg, N_("when"),
 		  N_("ignore changes to submodules, optional when: all, dirty, untracked. (Default: all)"),
 		  PARSE_OPT_OPTARG, NULL, (intptr_t)"all" },
@@ -1383,8 +1398,12 @@ int cmd_status(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	finalize_deferred_config(&s);
 
 	handle_untracked_files_arg(&s);
-	if (show_ignored_in_status)
-		s.show_ignored_files = 1;
+	handle_ignored_arg(&s);
+
+	if (s.show_ignored_mode == SHOW_MATCHING_IGNORED &&
+	    s.show_untracked_files == SHOW_NO_UNTRACKED_FILES)
+		die(_("Unsupported combination of ignored and untracked-files arguments"));
+
 	parse_pathspec(&s.pathspec, 0,
 		       PATHSPEC_PREFER_FULL,
 		       prefix, argv);