diff --git a/src/commands/scan.rs b/src/commands/scan.rs
index 1a46c63..c884ace 100644
--- a/src/commands/scan.rs
+++ b/src/commands/scan.rs
@@ -117,11 +117,15 @@ pub async fn execute_scan(
     // 2b. Run index-powered deterministic scans (unused imports, dead code)
     // These work even without LLM and add findings to the final report.
     let root_abs = root.canonicalize().unwrap_or_else(|_| root.clone());
+    // Same merged exclusion set as `cora index` (#521).
+    let mut index_skip = config.ignore.files.clone();
+    index_skip.extend(config.rules_config.index_skip_files.iter().cloned());
+    index_skip.dedup();
     let index_findings = crate::engine::index_scanner::scan_project_index(
         &root_abs,
         &files,
         config.rules_config.max_findings,
-        &config.rules_config.index_skip_files,
+        &index_skip,
     );
     if !index_findings.is_empty() {
         eprintln!(
diff --git a/src/commands/watch.rs b/src/commands/watch.rs
index 762b9fb..0d4c0da 100644
--- a/src/commands/watch.rs
+++ b/src/commands/watch.rs
@@ -37,9 +37,13 @@ pub fn run_watch(
     // Load skip patterns + brain embedding backend from config
     let config =
         crate::config::loader::load_config(config_path, None, None, None, None, false).ok();
-    let skip_patterns: Option<Vec<String>> = config
-        .as_ref()
-        .map(|c| c.rules_config.index_skip_files.clone());
+    // Same merged exclusion set as `cora index` (#521).
+    let skip_patterns: Option<Vec<String>> = config.as_ref().map(|c| {
+        let mut pats = c.ignore.files.clone();
+        pats.extend(c.rules_config.index_skip_files.iter().cloned());
+        pats.dedup();
+        pats
+    });
 
     // Resolve embedding backend
     let brain_mode = config
diff --git a/src/index/mod.rs b/src/index/mod.rs
index f6259b6..5ed9ae9 100644
--- a/src/index/mod.rs
+++ b/src/index/mod.rs
@@ -286,14 +286,17 @@ fn load_all_fingerprints(
 ///
 /// Returns summary stats.
 pub fn index_project(conn: &Connection, root: &Path, verbose: bool) -> anyhow::Result<IndexStats> {
-    index_project_with_skip(conn, root, verbose, None)
+    index_project_with_id(conn, ensure_project(conn, root)?, root, verbose, None)
 }
 
-/// Index a project directory, with config hash invalidation.
+/// Index a project directory, honoring skip patterns (glob `*`/`**`, matched
+/// against paths relative to the project root).
 ///
-/// If `skip_patterns` is provided, the config hash is compared against
-/// the stored hash in the DB. If they differ, all fingerprints are
-/// cleared, forcing a full re-index.
+/// Patterns do two things:
+/// 1. Files matching are EXCLUDED from indexing entirely (#521), so index
+///    consumers like dead-code and review's index scanners never see them.
+/// 2. The pattern list is hashed into the DB; a change forces a full
+///    re-index so previously indexed-but-now-excluded files get purged.
 pub fn index_project_with_skip(
     conn: &Connection,
     root: &Path,
@@ -344,7 +347,7 @@ pub fn index_project_with_skip(
         }
     }
 
-    index_project_with_id(conn, project_id, root, verbose)
+    index_project_with_id(conn, project_id, root, verbose, skip_patterns)
 }
 
 /// Internal: index a project with an already-resolved `project_id`.
@@ -353,6 +356,7 @@ fn index_project_with_id(
     project_id: i64,
     root: &Path,
     verbose: bool,
+    skip_patterns: Option<&[String]>,
 ) -> anyhow::Result<IndexStats> {
     let mut stats = IndexStats::default();
 
@@ -383,6 +387,16 @@ fn index_project_with_id(
             continue;
         }
 
+        // Config-driven exclusion (#521): honor ignore.files /
+        // index_skip_files so dead-code, review index scanners, and brain
+        // never see these files.
+        if skip_patterns.is_some_and(|patterns| {
+            crate::engine::index_scanner::should_skip_file(&rel_str, patterns)
+        }) {
+            stats.files_excluded += 1;
+            continue;
+        }
+
         stats.files_scanned += 1;
 
         // Compute mtime:size fingerprint — cheap, no file read needed.
@@ -655,6 +669,8 @@ pub struct IndexStats {
     pub files_scanned: usize,
     pub files_indexed: usize,
     pub files_skipped: usize,
+    /// Files excluded by config skip patterns (ignore.files / index.skip_files).
+    pub files_excluded: usize,
     pub symbols_indexed: usize,
     pub errors: usize,
     pub embedded_symbols: Option<usize>,
@@ -772,6 +788,41 @@ pub struct AuthService {
         assert_eq!(stats.total_symbols, 0);
     }
 
+    /// Regression (#521): skip patterns must EXCLUDE files from indexing
+    /// (previously they only invalidated fingerprints), so dead-code and
+    /// review's index scanners stop reporting matches from ignored dirs.
+    #[test]
+    fn test_skip_patterns_exclude_files_from_index() {
+        let conn = mem_conn();
+        let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let root = tmp.path().to_path_buf();
+        std::fs::create_dir(root.join("examples")).unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(
+            root.join("examples").join("demo.py"),
+            "def client_method():\n    pass\n",
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(root.join("core.py"), "def core_fn():\n    pass\n").unwrap();
+
+        // First run: no patterns → everything indexed.
+        let stats = index_project_with_skip(&conn, &root, false, Some(&[])).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(stats.files_scanned, 2);
+        assert_eq!(stats.files_excluded, 0);
+
+        // Second run WITH a pattern: examples/ excluded via full re-index…
+        let pats = vec!["examples/**".to_string()];
+        let stats = index_project_with_skip(&conn, &root, false, Some(&pats)).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(stats.files_excluded, 1);
+        assert!(stats.files_indexed > 0, "remaining files get re-indexed");
+
+        let pid = ensure_project(&conn, &root).unwrap();
+        let summary = index_stats(&conn, pid).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            summary.total_files, 1,
+            "only core.py remains indexed after exclusion"
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_reindex_replaces_symbols() {
         let conn = mem_conn();
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 349c0ac..e646cde 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -774,9 +774,14 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
                     false,
                 )
                 .ok();
-                let skip_patterns = config
-                    .as_ref()
-                    .map(|c| c.rules_config.index_skip_files.clone());
+                // Exclusion patterns = review's ignore.files + index.skip_files
+                // so dead-code/index scanners respect the same ignores (#521).
+                let skip_patterns: Option<Vec<String>> = config.as_ref().map(|c| {
+                    let mut pats = c.ignore.files.clone();
+                    pats.extend(c.rules_config.index_skip_files.iter().cloned());
+                    pats.dedup();
+                    pats
+                });
 
                 // Resolve embedding backend from brain config
                 let brain_mode = config
@@ -826,6 +831,16 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
                         .green()
                     );
                 }
+                if stats.files_excluded > 0 {
+                    eprintln!(
+                        "{}",
+                        format!(
+                            "   {} files excluded by ignore patterns",
+                            stats.files_excluded
+                        )
+                        .dimmed()
+                    );
+                }
                 eprintln!(
                     "{}",
                     format!(