diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 91d3ca294d..d87fa5a3d3 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ git-annex (10.20241032) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
   * vpop: Only update state after successful checkout.
   * add: Consistently treat files in a dotdir as dotfiles, even
     when ran inside that dotdir.
+  * add: When adding a dotfile as a non-large file, mention that it's a
+    dotfile.
 
  -- Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>  Mon, 11 Nov 2024 12:26:00 -0400
 
diff --git a/Command/Add.hs b/Command/Add.hs
index ff60cd4370..ef5853126f 100644
--- a/Command/Add.hs
+++ b/Command/Add.hs
@@ -95,18 +95,20 @@ seek' o = do
 	annexdotfiles <- getGitConfigVal annexDotFiles 
 	let gofile includingsmall (si, file) = case largeFilesOverride o of
 		Nothing -> do
-			topfile <- getTopFilePath <$> inRepo (toTopFilePath file)
-			ifM (pure (annexdotfiles || not (dotfile topfile))
-				<&&> (checkFileMatcher NoLiveUpdate largematcher file 
-				<||> Annex.getRead Annex.force))
-				( start dr si file addunlockedmatcher
-				, if includingsmall
+			isdotfile <- if annexdotfiles
+				then pure False
+				else dotfile . getTopFilePath
+					<$> inRepo (toTopFilePath file)
+			islarge <- checkFileMatcher NoLiveUpdate largematcher file
+				<||> Annex.getRead Annex.force
+			if (not isdotfile && islarge)
+				then start dr si file addunlockedmatcher
+				else if includingsmall
 					then ifM (annexAddSmallFiles <$> Annex.getGitConfig)
-						( startSmall dr si file
+						( startSmall isdotfile dr si file
 						, stop
 						)
 					else stop
-				)
 		Just True -> start dr si file addunlockedmatcher
 		Just False -> startSmallOverridden dr si file
 	case batchOption o of
@@ -138,17 +140,18 @@ seek' o = do
 	dr = dryRunOption o
 
 {- Pass file off to git-add. -}
-startSmall :: DryRun -> SeekInput -> RawFilePath -> CommandStart
-startSmall dr si file =
+startSmall :: Bool -> DryRun -> SeekInput -> RawFilePath -> CommandStart
+startSmall isdotfile dr si file =
 	liftIO (catchMaybeIO $ R.getSymbolicLinkStatus file) >>= \case
 		Just s -> 
 			starting "add" (ActionItemTreeFile file) si $
-				addSmall dr file s
+				addSmall isdotfile dr file s
 		Nothing -> stop
 
-addSmall :: DryRun -> RawFilePath -> FileStatus -> CommandPerform
-addSmall dr file s = do
-	showNote "non-large file; adding content to git repository"
+addSmall :: Bool -> DryRun -> RawFilePath -> FileStatus -> CommandPerform
+addSmall isdotfile dr file s = do
+	showNote $ (if isdotfile then "dotfile" else "non-large file")
+		<> "; adding content to git repository"
 	skipWhenDryRun dr $ next $ addFile Small file s
 
 startSmallOverridden :: DryRun -> SeekInput -> RawFilePath -> CommandStart
diff --git a/Command/AddUrl.hs b/Command/AddUrl.hs
index 6be663b949..7feb0b19eb 100644
--- a/Command/AddUrl.hs
+++ b/Command/AddUrl.hs
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@ addWorkTree _ addunlockedmatcher u url file key mtmp = case mtmp of
 				-- than the work tree file.
 				liftIO $ moveFile file tmp
 				go
-			else Command.Add.addSmall (DryRun False) file s
+			else Command.Add.addSmall False (DryRun False) file s
 				>>= maybe noop void
   where
 	go = do
diff --git a/Command/Import.hs b/Command/Import.hs
index c7496aeebf..f06543bb7e 100644
--- a/Command/Import.hs
+++ b/Command/Import.hs
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ startLocal o addunlockedmatcher largematcher mode (srcfile, destfile) =
 				>>= maybe
 					stop
 					(\addedk -> next $ Command.Add.cleanup addedk True)
-			, Command.Add.addSmall (DryRun False) destfile s
+			, Command.Add.addSmall False (DryRun False) destfile s
 			)
 	notoverwriting why = do
 		warning $ "not overwriting existing " <> QuotedPath destfile <> " " <> UnquotedString why
diff --git a/doc/bugs/keeps_adding_to_git_even_though_largerthan__61__.mdwn b/doc/bugs/keeps_adding_to_git_even_though_largerthan__61__.mdwn
index 9925906fd9..b011766ae3 100644
--- a/doc/bugs/keeps_adding_to_git_even_though_largerthan__61__.mdwn
+++ b/doc/bugs/keeps_adding_to_git_even_though_largerthan__61__.mdwn
@@ -62,4 +62,4 @@ How to remedy?
 
 dandi project
 
-> Not a bug, [[done]] --[[Joey]]
+> [[fixed|done]] --[[Joey]]
diff --git a/doc/git-annex.mdwn b/doc/git-annex.mdwn
index e0cae8c02b..178ad146d3 100644
--- a/doc/git-annex.mdwn
+++ b/doc/git-annex.mdwn
@@ -1009,8 +1009,8 @@ repository, using [[git-annex-config]]. See its man page for a list.)
 
 * `annex.addsmallfiles`
 
-  Controls whether small files (not matching annex.largefiles)
-  should be checked into git by `git annex add`. Defaults to true;
+  Controls whether small files (files not matching annex.largefiles, or
+  dotfiles) should be checked into git by `git annex add`. Defaults to true;
   set to false to instead make small files be skipped.
 
 * `annex.addunlocked`