diff --git a/src-node/git/processUtils.js b/src-node/git/processUtils.js
index e2f3dee2bc..86d760bdc3 100644
--- a/src-node/git/processUtils.js
+++ b/src-node/git/processUtils.js
@@ -4,8 +4,22 @@ var exec  = require("child_process").exec,
     which = require("which");
 
 var isWin = /^win/.test(process.platform);
+var isMac = process.platform === "darwin";
 var noop = function () {};
 
+// Cache for xcode-select CLT check (null = not yet checked)
+var _xcodeCliToolsInstalled = null;
+
+function _isXcodeCliToolsInstalled(callback) {
+    if (_xcodeCliToolsInstalled !== null) {
+        return callback(_xcodeCliToolsInstalled);
+    }
+    exec("xcode-select -p", function (err) {
+        _xcodeCliToolsInstalled = !err;
+        callback(_xcodeCliToolsInstalled);
+    });
+}
+
 function fixEOL(str) {
     if (str[str.length - 1] === "\n") {
         str = str.slice(0, -1);
@@ -104,6 +118,17 @@ function executableExists(filename, dir, callback) {
             var exists = stats.isFile();
             if (!exists) { path = undefined; }
 
+            // On macOS, /usr/bin/git is a shim that triggers an "Install Xcode CLT" dialog
+            // when spawned if CLT is not installed. Check for CLT before allowing it.
+            if (exists && isMac && Path.normalize(path) === "/usr/bin/git") {
+                return _isXcodeCliToolsInstalled(function (installed) {
+                    if (!installed) {
+                        return callback(null, false, undefined);
+                    }
+                    return callback(null, true, path);
+                });
+            }
+
             return callback(null, exists, path);
         });
     });
diff --git a/src-node/package-lock.json b/src-node/package-lock.json
index 459799020e..86b04e13a1 100644
--- a/src-node/package-lock.json
+++ b/src-node/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
     "name": "@phcode/node-core",
-    "version": "5.1.3-0",
+    "version": "5.1.4-0",
     "lockfileVersion": 3,
     "requires": true,
     "packages": {
         "": {
             "name": "@phcode/node-core",
-            "version": "5.1.3-0",
+            "version": "5.1.4-0",
             "license": "GNU-AGPL3.0",
             "dependencies": {
                 "@expo/sudo-prompt": "^9.3.2",
diff --git a/src/extensions/default/Git/src/git/GitCli.js b/src/extensions/default/Git/src/git/GitCli.js
index 39cd9aa56f..16d269776e 100644
--- a/src/extensions/default/Git/src/git/GitCli.js
+++ b/src/extensions/default/Git/src/git/GitCli.js
@@ -1022,9 +1022,33 @@ define(function (require, exports) {
 
     function getGitRoot() {
         var projectRoot = Utils.getProjectRoot();
-        return git(["rev-parse", "--show-toplevel"], {
-            cwd: fs.getTauriPlatformPath(projectRoot)
-        })
+
+        // Quick filesystem pre-check: if .git doesn't exist in the project root,
+        // skip spawning git entirely. This avoids triggering macOS CLT shim dialogs
+        // on non-git projects and is a minor optimization on all platforms.
+        return new Promise(function (resolve) {
+            var checkPath = projectRoot;
+            if (strEndsWith(checkPath, "/")) {
+                checkPath = checkPath.slice(0, -1);
+            }
+            if (typeof brackets !== "undefined" && brackets.fs && brackets.fs.stat) {
+                brackets.fs.stat(checkPath + "/.git", function (err, result) {
+                    var exists = err ? false : (result.isFile() || result.isDirectory());
+                    resolve(exists);
+                });
+            } else {
+                FileSystem.resolve(checkPath + "/.git", function (err, item, stat) {
+                    var exists = err ? false : (stat.isFile || stat.isDirectory);
+                    resolve(exists);
+                });
+            }
+        }).then(function (hasGitDir) {
+            if (!hasGitDir) {
+                return null;
+            }
+            return git(["rev-parse", "--show-toplevel"], {
+                cwd: fs.getTauriPlatformPath(projectRoot)
+            })
             .catch(function (e) {
                 if (ErrorHandler.contains(e, "Not a git repository")) {
                     return null;
@@ -1095,6 +1119,7 @@ define(function (require, exports) {
                 });
 
             });
+        });
     }
 
     function setTagName(tagname, commitHash) {
diff --git a/src/extensions/default/Git/src/utils/Setup.js b/src/extensions/default/Git/src/utils/Setup.js
index af109c30b9..a172da134c 100644
--- a/src/extensions/default/Git/src/utils/Setup.js
+++ b/src/extensions/default/Git/src/utils/Setup.js
@@ -16,9 +16,10 @@ define(function (require, exports) {
     ];
 
     let standardGitPathsNonWin = [
+        "/opt/homebrew/bin/git",   // Apple Silicon Homebrew
         "/usr/local/git/bin/git",
         "/usr/local/bin/git",
-        "/usr/bin/git"
+        "/usr/bin/git"             // macOS CLT shim check handled on node side
     ];
 
     let extensionActivated = false;
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ define(function (require, exports) {
     function getGitVersion() {
         return new Promise(function (resolve, reject) {
 
-            // TODO: do this in two steps - first check user config and then check all
+            // User-configured path gets priority, then "git" (PATH lookup), then standard paths
             var pathsToLook = [Preferences.get("gitPath"), "git"].concat(brackets.platform === "win" ? standardGitPathsWin : standardGitPathsNonWin);
             pathsToLook = _.unique(_.compact(pathsToLook));