How to Fix a Hotfix in a Git Worktree Without Stashing

Production just caught fire and your working directory is a mess of half-finished edits. Stashing that work is how it ends up dying in a merge conflict three days later. Git already has the fix built in, and it does not need a plugin.

That fix is git worktree. It hands you a second checkout of the same project in a sibling folder, so you can patch the emergency there while everything you were doing stays exactly where it was. Your work in progress is untouched, and your dev server cache stays intact.

What You Need

• Git installed on your machine.

Tutorial

1. Run git worktree add ../hotfix main. This creates an isolated checkout of the project in a sibling folder, and it does not disturb the directory you are already working in.

1. Fix the bug in that new folder, then commit it. Work in the hotfix checkout like any other, and your uncommitted changes plus your running dev server keep going as before.

1. Run git worktree remove ../hotfix. The temporary checkout is cleaned up once the fix is in, and your original working directory is still the one you left.

Wrapping Up

You now have a way to handle a production emergency without shoving half-baked work into a stash you may never sort out. The next time something breaks, add a worktree, fix it there, and remove the folder when you are done. Try it on a throwaway branch first so the commands feel familiar before the real fire starts.