diff --git a/packages/playwright/src/common/config.ts b/packages/playwright/src/common/config.ts
index 2e8102407b..82ab07e5c6 100644
--- a/packages/playwright/src/common/config.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright/src/common/config.ts
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ export class FullProjectInternal {
       const stylePaths = Array.isArray(this.expect.toHaveScreenshot.stylePath) ? this.expect.toHaveScreenshot.stylePath : [this.expect.toHaveScreenshot.stylePath];
       this.expect.toHaveScreenshot.stylePath = stylePaths.map(stylePath => path.resolve(configDir, stylePath));
     }
-    this.respectGitIgnore = projectConfig.respectGitIgnore ?? config.respectGitIgnore ?? (!projectConfig.testDir && !config.testDir);
+    this.respectGitIgnore = takeFirst(projectConfig.respectGitIgnore, config.respectGitIgnore, !projectConfig.testDir && !config.testDir);
     this.ignoreSnapshots = takeFirst(configCLIOverrides.ignoreSnapshots,  projectConfig.ignoreSnapshots, config.ignoreSnapshots, false);
   }
 }