Recent annoying problem with Linus's git repository?

I've been tracking Junio's git.git and Linus's kernel.git for ages, and just in the last two weeks or so I've been having a recurring problem with the file "arch/arm/mach-integrator/clock.h" from Linus.

Any time I check out an old kernel version (e.g. during a bisect) and then do a "checkout master" when I'm done fiddling, git thinks my repository is "dirty".

This is the reason for my impurity:

# git status # On branch master # Changed but not updated: # (use "git add/rm <file>..." to update what will be committed) # (use "git checkout -- <file>..." to discard changes in working directory) # # deleted: arch/arm/mach-integrator/clock.h

It's always that same damned clock.h that remains in my working directory after doing the "checkout master" but it shouldn't be there -- it has indeed been deleted from branch master.

When I then do a "git reset --hard" I Am Purified! and no longer considered dirty. But why should that extra reset step be needed?

Only that one file is involved in this recurring annoyance. Can anyone figure out why, or at least reproduce the problem?

Thanks!