* right now, but someday we might optimize diff-index --cached
         * with cache-tree information.
         */
-       cache_tree_invalidate_path(active_cache_tree, path);
+       cache_tree_invalidate_path(&the_index, path);
 
        return commit;
 }
 
                        active_cache[pos]->ce_flags |= flag;
                else
                        active_cache[pos]->ce_flags &= ~flag;
-               cache_tree_invalidate_path(active_cache_tree, path);
+               cache_tree_invalidate_path(&the_index, path);
                active_cache_changed |= CE_ENTRY_CHANGED;
                return 0;
        }
        default:
                goto fail;
        }
-       cache_tree_invalidate_path(active_cache_tree, path);
+       cache_tree_invalidate_path(&the_index, path);
        active_cache_changed |= CE_ENTRY_CHANGED;
        report("chmod %cx '%s'", flip, path);
        return;
 
        return find_subtree(it, path, pathlen, 1);
 }
 
-void cache_tree_invalidate_path(struct cache_tree *it, const char *path)
+static int do_invalidate_path(struct cache_tree *it, const char *path)
 {
        /* a/b/c
         * ==> invalidate self
 #endif
 
        if (!it)
-               return;
+               return 0;
        slash = strchrnul(path, '/');
        namelen = slash - path;
        it->entry_count = -1;
                                (it->subtree_nr - pos - 1));
                        it->subtree_nr--;
                }
-               return;
+               return 1;
        }
        down = find_subtree(it, path, namelen, 0);
        if (down)
-               cache_tree_invalidate_path(down->cache_tree, slash + 1);
+               do_invalidate_path(down->cache_tree, slash + 1);
+       return 1;
+}
+
+void cache_tree_invalidate_path(struct index_state *istate, const char *path)
+{
+       if (do_invalidate_path(istate->cache_tree, path))
+               istate->cache_changed |= CACHE_TREE_CHANGED;
 }
 
 static int verify_cache(const struct cache_entry * const *cache,
 
 
 struct cache_tree *cache_tree(void);
 void cache_tree_free(struct cache_tree **);
-void cache_tree_invalidate_path(struct cache_tree *, const char *);
+void cache_tree_invalidate_path(struct index_state *, const char *);
 struct cache_tree_sub *cache_tree_sub(struct cache_tree *, const char *);
 
 void cache_tree_write(struct strbuf *, struct cache_tree *root);
 
 #define CE_ENTRY_REMOVED       (1 << 2)
 #define CE_ENTRY_ADDED         (1 << 3)
 #define RESOLVE_UNDO_CHANGED   (1 << 4)
+#define CACHE_TREE_CHANGED     (1 << 5)
 
 struct index_state {
        struct cache_entry **cache;
 
        new->ce_namelen = namelen;
        memcpy(new->name, new_name, namelen + 1);
 
-       cache_tree_invalidate_path(istate->cache_tree, old->name);
+       cache_tree_invalidate_path(istate, old->name);
        remove_index_entry_at(istate, nr);
        add_index_entry(istate, new, ADD_CACHE_OK_TO_ADD|ADD_CACHE_OK_TO_REPLACE);
 }
        int pos = index_name_pos(istate, path, strlen(path));
        if (pos < 0)
                pos = -pos-1;
-       cache_tree_invalidate_path(istate->cache_tree, path);
+       cache_tree_invalidate_path(istate, path);
        while (pos < istate->cache_nr && !strcmp(istate->cache[pos]->name, path))
                remove_index_entry_at(istate, pos);
        return 0;
        int skip_df_check = option & ADD_CACHE_SKIP_DFCHECK;
        int new_only = option & ADD_CACHE_NEW_ONLY;
 
-       cache_tree_invalidate_path(istate->cache_tree, ce->name);
+       cache_tree_invalidate_path(istate, ce->name);
        pos = index_name_stage_pos(istate, ce->name, ce_namelen(ce), ce_stage(ce));
 
        /* existing match? Just replace it. */
 
                               struct unpack_trees_options *o)
 {
        if (ce)
-               cache_tree_invalidate_path(o->src_index->cache_tree, ce->name);
+               cache_tree_invalidate_path(o->src_index, ce->name);
 }
 
 /*