IDE freezes or crashes during Git operations triggered outside the IDE when using staging area

Problem

IntelliJ IDEA (2026.2.3 on Windows 11) freezes when Git operations happen to the workspace from outside the IDE (e.g., an external Git client, AI Agent, etc.). In some cases, switching projects can also lead to a Git plugin crash.

Cause

This behavior matches a known issue tracked as: https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/IJPL-255867

Resolution

1. Disable the Git staging area in IntelliJ IDEA:

   • Open Settings (Ctrl + Alt + S)
   • Navigate to Version Control > Git > Commit
   • Disable Enable staging area

2. Verify whether the freezes stop occurring after disabling the staging area.

3. Permanent fix:

   • The fix is planned for IntelliJ IDEA 2026.3.

4. If additional diagnostics are needed (for recurring freezes), collect logs with Git diagnostics enabled:

   • Go to Help → Diagnostic Tools → Debug Log Settings

   • Add:

     git4idea.commands.GitHandler
     time.git4idea
     

   • Restart IDEA, reproduce the freeze, then use Help → Collect Logs and Diagnostic Data and provide the logs to support.