diff --git a/crates/ide-vcs/src/cli.rs b/crates/ide-vcs/src/cli.rs
index 0f865cea7..3a73f2704 100644
--- a/crates/ide-vcs/src/cli.rs
+++ b/crates/ide-vcs/src/cli.rs
@@ -361,14 +361,48 @@ pub(crate) fn run_cancellable(root: &Path, args: &[&str], cancel: &CancellationT
 
 /// Cancellable capture preserving exit codes for commands with documented non-error states.
 pub(crate) fn run_cancellable_raw(root: &Path, args: &[&str], cancel: &CancellationToken) -> IdeResult<Output> {
+    run_cancellable_raw_stdin(root, args, None, cancel)
+}
+
+/// Like `run_cancellable`, feeding `stdin` to git. Revisions and paths passed through
+/// `--stdin` are not bound by the command-line length limit (Windows: ~32K characters).
+pub(crate) fn run_cancellable_stdin(
+    root: &Path,
+    args: &[&str],
+    stdin: &[u8],
+    cancel: &CancellationToken,
+) -> IdeResult<Output> {
+    let out = run_cancellable_raw_stdin(root, args, Some(stdin), cancel)?;
+    if out.code == Some(0) { Ok(out) } else { Err(failure(args, &out.stderr, &out.stdout, out.code)) }
+}
+
+fn run_cancellable_raw_stdin(
+    root: &Path,
+    args: &[&str],
+    stdin: Option<&[u8]>,
+    cancel: &CancellationToken,
+) -> IdeResult<Output> {
     if cancel.is_cancelled() {
         return Err(IdeError::cancelled());
     }
     let mut cmd = command(root)?;
-    cmd.args(args).stdin(Stdio::null()).stdout(Stdio::piped()).stderr(Stdio::piped());
+    cmd.args(args)
+        .stdin(if stdin.is_some() { Stdio::piped() } else { Stdio::null() })
+        .stdout(Stdio::piped())
+        .stderr(Stdio::piped());
     own_group(&mut cmd);
     let mut session = CommandSession::start(&mut cmd);
     let mut child = cmd.spawn().map_err(spawn_error)?;
+    let writer = match (stdin, child.stdin.take()) {
+        (Some(data), Some(mut pipe)) => {
+            let data = data.to_vec();
+            Some(std::thread::spawn(move || {
+                // A broken pipe just means git stopped reading early; its exit status tells the story.
+                let _ = pipe.write_all(&data);
+            }))
+        }
+        _ => None,
+    };
     let capture = |mut pipe: Box<dyn Read + Send>| {
         std::thread::spawn(move || {
             let mut bytes = Vec::new();
@@ -382,6 +416,9 @@ pub(crate) fn run_cancellable_raw(root: &Path, args: &[&str], cancel: &Cancellat
             terminate_tree(&mut child, KILL_GRACE);
             let _ = stdout.join();
             let _ = stderr.join();
+            if let Some(w) = writer {
+                let _ = w.join();
+            }
             return Err(IdeError::cancelled());
         }
         if let Some(status) = child.try_wait()? {
@@ -389,6 +426,9 @@ pub(crate) fn run_cancellable_raw(root: &Path, args: &[&str], cancel: &Cancellat
         }
         std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(20));
     };
+    if let Some(w) = writer {
+        let _ = w.join();
+    }
     let join = |thread: std::thread::JoinHandle<std::io::Result<Vec<u8>>>| {
         thread.join().map_err(|_| IdeError::internal("git output reader panicked"))?.map_err(IdeError::from)
     };
diff --git a/crates/ide-vcs/src/history.rs b/crates/ide-vcs/src/history.rs
index 37990aeae..73bc78085 100644
--- a/crates/ide-vcs/src/history.rs
+++ b/crates/ide-vcs/src/history.rs
@@ -80,12 +80,18 @@ fn git_select(
             args.push("--first-parent".into());
         }
         args.extend(filter.iter().cloned());
+        // Past this many bytes of paths the command line risks Windows' ~32K limit.
+        let stdin = (paths.iter().map(|p| p.len() + 12).sum::<usize>() > 8 * 1024).then(|| paths_stdin(paths));
+        if stdin.is_some() {
+            args.push("--stdin".into());
+        }
         args.push("--end-of-options".into());
         args.extend(scope.split_whitespace().map(str::to_string));
-        args.push("--".into());
-        args.extend(paths.iter().map(|p| format!(":(literal){p}")));
-        let output =
-            crate::cli::run_cancellable(r.root(), &args.iter().map(String::as_str).collect::<Vec<_>>(), cancel)?;
+        if stdin.is_none() {
+            args.push("--".into());
+            args.extend(paths.iter().map(|p| format!(":(literal){p}")));
+        }
+        let output = run_log(r, args, stdin.as_deref(), cancel)?;
         for line in output.stdout_str().lines() {
             ids.insert(ObjectId::from_hex(line.as_bytes()).map_err(gx)?);
         }
@@ -93,6 +99,28 @@ fn git_select(
     Ok(ids)
 }
 
+/// Stdin for `git log --stdin` that limits the walk to `paths`, however many there are.
+fn paths_stdin(paths: &[String]) -> String {
+    let mut text = String::from("--\n");
+    for p in paths {
+        text.push_str(&format!(":(literal){p}\n"));
+    }
+    text
+}
+
+fn run_log(
+    r: &Repo,
+    args: Vec<String>,
+    stdin: Option<&str>,
+    cancel: &CancellationToken,
+) -> IdeResult<crate::cli::Output> {
+    let argv: Vec<&str> = args.iter().map(String::as_str).collect();
+    match stdin {
+        Some(text) => crate::cli::run_cancellable_stdin(r.root(), &argv, text.as_bytes(), cancel),
+        None => crate::cli::run_cancellable(r.root(), &argv, cancel),
+    }
+}
+
 /// The commits of a file's history and the path it had in each. The commits that changed
 /// the path, merges included (`--full-history --simplify-merges`); where it appears, a
 /// rename from any parent continues the history under the old path from that parent.
@@ -114,21 +142,27 @@ fn file_history(
         if !started.insert((revs.clone(), path.clone())) {
             continue;
         }
-        let mut args: Vec<String> =
+        let mut opts: Vec<String> =
             ["log", "--format=%x00%H", "--name-status", "-z", "--full-history", "--simplify-merges", "--no-follow"]
                 .map(String::from)
                 .into();
         if first_parent {
-            args.push("--first-parent".into());
+            opts.push("--first-parent".into());
         }
-        args.push("--end-of-options".into());
-        args.extend(revs);
         let pathspec = ["--".to_string(), format!(":(literal){path}")];
-        let run = |args: &[String]| -> IdeResult<Vec<(ObjectId, Option<char>)>> {
-            let argv: Vec<&str> = args.iter().chain(&pathspec).map(String::as_str).collect();
-            Ok(parse_name_status_log(&crate::cli::run_cancellable(r.root(), &argv, cancel)?.stdout_str()))
+        // `excluded` can name a revision per created file, so it goes through stdin.
+        let run = |excluded: &[String]| -> IdeResult<Vec<(ObjectId, Option<char>)>> {
+            let mut args = opts.clone();
+            if !excluded.is_empty() {
+                args.push("--stdin".into());
+            }
+            args.push("--end-of-options".into());
+            args.extend(revs.iter().cloned());
+            args.extend(pathspec.iter().cloned());
+            let stdin = (!excluded.is_empty()).then(|| excluded.join("\n") + "\n");
+            Ok(parse_name_status_log(&run_log(r, args, stdin.as_deref(), cancel)?.stdout_str()))
         };
-        let records = run(&args)?;
+        let records = run(&[])?;
         // Where the file appears its history ends: what is behind that is another file of
         // the same name (a rename continues the history below). The commits of the history
         // are those not behind a creation; the statuses come from the full listing (with
@@ -137,8 +171,8 @@ fn file_history(
         let kept: Option<HashSet<ObjectId>> = if created.is_empty() {
             None
         } else {
-            args.extend(created.iter().map(|id| format!("^{id}^@")));
-            Some(run(&args)?.into_iter().map(|(id, _)| id).collect())
+            let excluded: Vec<String> = created.iter().map(|id| format!("^{id}^@")).collect();
+            Some(run(&excluded)?.into_iter().map(|(id, _)| id).collect())
         };
         let mut created = Vec::new();
         for (id, first_status) in records {
@@ -354,7 +388,9 @@ fn log_indexed(
     let mut history_paths = HashMap::new();
     let path_ids = if paths.is_empty() {
         None
-    } else if q.follow && paths.len() == 1 {
+    } else if q.follow && paths.len() == 1 && !r.root().join(&paths[0]).is_dir() {
+        // Following renames is for a file: a directory gains files all the time, and each
+        // creation would cut its history short.
         let (ids, at) = file_history(r, &scopes, &paths[0], q.first_parent, cancel)?;
         history_paths = at;
         Some(ids)
diff --git a/crates/ide-vcs/tests/log_projection.rs b/crates/ide-vcs/tests/log_projection.rs
index 9015f793e..822d89569 100644
--- a/crates/ide-vcs/tests/log_projection.rs
+++ b/crates/ide-vcs/tests/log_projection.rs
@@ -649,3 +649,54 @@ fn file_history_through_a_cyclic_rename() {
         pairs(&[("b to a", "a.txt"), ("Modified b", "b.txt"), ("a to b", "b.txt"), ("Created a", "a.txt")])
     );
 }
+
+/// One commit per file under `dir/`, made with fast-import so hundreds stay quick.
+fn commit_files(repo_dir: &Path, count: usize, name: impl Fn(usize) -> String) {
+    let mut stream = String::new();
+    for i in 0..count {
+        let path = name(i);
+        stream.push_str(&format!(
+            "commit refs/heads/main\ncommitter T <t@example.com> {} +0000\ndata 3\nc{}\n",
+            1_700_000_000 + i,
+            i % 10
+        ));
+        stream.push_str(&format!("M 100644 inline {path}\ndata 1\nx\n\n"));
+    }
+    let mut child = Command::new("git")
+        .current_dir(repo_dir)
+        .args(["fast-import", "--quiet"])
+        .stdin(Stdio::piped())
+        .spawn()
+        .unwrap();
+    child.stdin.take().unwrap().write_all(stream.as_bytes()).unwrap();
+    assert!(child.wait().unwrap().success());
+    git(repo_dir, &["symbolic-ref", "HEAD", "refs/heads/main"]);
+    git(repo_dir, &["reset", "-q", "--hard"]);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn followed_directory_history_survives_hundreds_of_created_files() {
+    let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+    let dir = tmp.path();
+    git(dir, &["init", "-q"]);
+    // Every created file adds a `^<sha>^@` exclusion: ~800 of them passed as arguments exceed
+    // Windows' command-line limit (os error 206).
+    commit_files(dir, 800, |i| format!("module/src/main/java/com/example/generated/Class{i:04}.java"));
+    let repo = Repo::discover(dir).unwrap().unwrap();
+    let log = repo.log(&LogQuery { path: Some("module".into()), follow: true, ..Default::default() }).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(log.len(), 800);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn many_selected_paths_filter_history_without_a_huge_command_line() {
+    let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+    let dir = tmp.path();
+    git(dir, &["init", "-q"]);
+    commit_files(dir, 600, |i| format!("module/src/main/java/com/example/generated/Class{i:04}.java"));
+    let repo = Repo::discover(dir).unwrap().unwrap();
+    let paths: Vec<String> =
+        (0..500).map(|i| format!("module/src/main/java/com/example/generated/Class{i:04}.java")).collect();
+    let paths = paths.into_iter().map(Into::into).collect();
+    let log = repo.log(&LogQuery { paths, text: Some("c3".into()), ..Default::default() }).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(log.len(), 50);
+}