diff --git a/src/lib/server/git-deletions.ts b/src/lib/server/git-deletions.ts
index 44378fe..b21f6c9 100644
--- a/src/lib/server/git-deletions.ts
+++ b/src/lib/server/git-deletions.ts
@@ -376,6 +376,39 @@ export function buildNextManifest(newCommit: string, newFiles: Record<string, st
 	return { commit: newCommit, files: { ...newFiles } };
 }
 
+/** Compare two commit refs by their 7-char short form (the DB stores 7-char,
+ * git returns 40-char); null/empty never matches. */
+function sameCommit(a: string | null | undefined, b: string | null | undefined): boolean {
+	if (!a || !b) return false;
+	return a.substring(0, 7) === b.substring(0, 7);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Whether a sync can skip re-hashing the whole compose tree. Skipping is safe
+ * ONLY when the git diff proved no compose-dir change AND the diff was taken
+ * against the SAME commit the manifest was built at. The second condition is
+ * load-bearing: a bare Sync advances the diff baseline (lastCommit) without
+ * persisting the manifest (only a deploy does), so `changedInComposeDir===false`
+ * alone does NOT imply the on-disk tree still matches the manifest. When the
+ * baselines match and a prior manifest exists, nothing was added/modified/
+ * deleted, so the manifest carries forward verbatim and the unconditional
+ * full re-hash (which blocks the event loop on a large tree) is skipped. Any
+ * mismatch, undefined change state (new clone / diff failed), or empty manifest
+ * falls back to a full re-hash - the safe default that self-corrects drift.
+ */
+export function canSkipTreeRehash(
+	changedInComposeDir: boolean | undefined,
+	manifestSize: number,
+	manifestCommit: string | null | undefined,
+	diffBaselineCommit: string | null | undefined
+): boolean {
+	return (
+		changedInComposeDir === false &&
+		manifestSize > 0 &&
+		sameCommit(manifestCommit, diffBaselineCommit)
+	);
+}
+
 // =============================================================================
 // Sync summary (per-file status table)
 // =============================================================================
diff --git a/src/lib/server/git.ts b/src/lib/server/git.ts
index ccd98d5..d8b9071 100644
--- a/src/lib/server/git.ts
+++ b/src/lib/server/git.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import {
 	hashDirFiles,
 	computeDeletions,
 	buildNextManifest,
+	canSkipTreeRehash,
 	buildSyncChangeSummary,
 	formatChangeTable,
 	skipReasonMessage,
@@ -470,13 +471,34 @@ async function computeSyncDeletionPlan(options: {
 	composeDir: string; // absolute path inside the clone
 	composeFileName: string | undefined; // compose file relative to composeDir
 	rawManifest: string | null | undefined;
+	// When the caller's git diff proved NOTHING changed in the compose dir between
+	// the deployed commit and the new clone, hashing the whole tree is pure waste:
+	// no file changed, so none was deleted. Large trees (tens of thousands of files)
+	// otherwise block the event loop re-hashing unchanged files on every deploy.
+	// undefined = unknown -> hash (safe default; e.g. new clone / diff failed).
+	changedInComposeDir?: boolean;
+	// The commit the git diff was taken against. Skipping is only safe when this
+	// equals the manifest's own commit; otherwise the diff baseline has drifted
+	// from the manifest (e.g. a bare Sync advanced lastCommit without persisting
+	// the manifest) and a full re-hash is required to stay correct.
+	diffBaselineCommit?: string | null;
 }): Promise<{ plan: DeletionPlan; newFiles: Record<string, string>; previousManifest: SyncManifest }> {
-	const { logPrefix, composeDir, composeFileName, rawManifest } = options;
+	const { logPrefix, composeDir, composeFileName, rawManifest, changedInComposeDir, diffBaselineCommit } = options;
 
 	const previousManifest = parseManifest(rawManifest);
+	const manifestSize = Object.keys(previousManifest.files).length;
+
+	// Fast path: git proved no compose-dir file changed, the diff baseline matches
+	// the manifest's commit, and we have a prior manifest. Nothing can have been
+	// added/modified/deleted, so carry the manifest forward verbatim instead of
+	// re-hashing the entire tree.
+	if (canSkipTreeRehash(changedInComposeDir, manifestSize, previousManifest.commit, diffBaselineCommit)) {
+		console.log(`${logPrefix} Deletion sync: no compose-dir changes, skipping full re-hash of ${manifestSize} file(s)`);
+		return { plan: { toDelete: [], skipped: [] }, newFiles: { ...previousManifest.files }, previousManifest };
+	}
+
 	const newFiles = hashDirFiles(composeDir);
 
-	const manifestSize = Object.keys(previousManifest.files).length;
 	console.log(`${logPrefix} Deletion sync: manifest has ${manifestSize} file(s)${manifestSize === 0 ? ' (first sync — nothing will be deleted)' : ''}`);
 
 	// First sync / legacy manifest: nothing was recorded, so nothing can be deleted
@@ -1236,12 +1258,17 @@ export async function syncGitStack(stackId: number): Promise<SyncResult> {
 			console.log(`${logPrefix} No env file path configured`);
 		}
 
-		// Deletion sync (#966): manifest-vs-clone deletion plan
+		// Deletion sync (#966): manifest-vs-clone deletion plan.
+		// `updated` is the dir-scoped git-diff result (false when the commit didn't
+		// change OR no compose-dir file changed) - lets the plan skip re-hashing an
+		// unchanged tree.
 		const deletionData = await computeSyncDeletionPlan({
 			logPrefix,
 			composeDir,
 			composeFileName,
-			rawManifest: gitStack.syncedFiles
+			rawManifest: gitStack.syncedFiles,
+			changedInComposeDir: updated,
+			diffBaselineCommit: previousCommit
 		});
 
 		// Update git stack status
@@ -1875,13 +1902,17 @@ export async function deployGitStackWithProgress(
 			}
 		}
 
-		// Deletion sync (#966): manifest-vs-clone deletion plan
+		// Deletion sync (#966): manifest-vs-clone deletion plan. `updated` is the
+		// dir-scoped git-diff result; when nothing changed the plan skips re-hashing
+		// the whole tree.
 		const logPrefix = `[Stack:${gitStack.stackName}]`;
 		const deletionData = await computeSyncDeletionPlan({
 			logPrefix,
 			composeDir,
 			composeFileName: progressComposeFileName,
-			rawManifest: gitStack.syncedFiles
+			rawManifest: gitStack.syncedFiles,
+			changedInComposeDir: updated,
+			diffBaselineCommit: previousCommit
 		});
 
 		// Update git stack status
diff --git a/tests/git-deletions-canskip.test.ts b/tests/git-deletions-canskip.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b357c0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/git-deletions-canskip.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import { describe, test, expect } from 'bun:test';
+import { canSkipTreeRehash } from '../src/lib/server/git-deletions';
+
+const A = 'aaaaaaa1111111111111111111111111111111111';
+const A7 = 'aaaaaaa'; // same 7-char prefix, DB-stored short form
+const B = 'bbbbbbb2222222222222222222222222222222222';
+
+describe('canSkipTreeRehash', () => {
+	test('skips when no change, prior manifest, and baselines match (full vs full)', () => {
+		expect(canSkipTreeRehash(false, 5, A, A)).toBe(true);
+	});
+
+	test('skips when baselines match by 7-char prefix (manifest full vs DB short)', () => {
+		expect(canSkipTreeRehash(false, 5, A, A7)).toBe(true);
+	});
+
+	test('does NOT skip when the diff baseline drifted from the manifest commit', () => {
+		// bare Sync advanced lastCommit to B while manifest stayed at A -> must re-hash
+		expect(canSkipTreeRehash(false, 5, A, B)).toBe(false);
+	});
+
+	test('does NOT skip when files changed', () => {
+		expect(canSkipTreeRehash(true, 5, A, A)).toBe(false);
+	});
+
+	test('does NOT skip on the first sync (empty manifest must be built)', () => {
+		expect(canSkipTreeRehash(false, 0, A, A)).toBe(false);
+	});
+
+	test('does NOT skip when change state is unknown (new clone / diff failed)', () => {
+		expect(canSkipTreeRehash(undefined, 5, A, A)).toBe(false);
+	});
+
+	test('does NOT skip when either commit is null/empty', () => {
+		expect(canSkipTreeRehash(false, 5, null, A)).toBe(false);
+		expect(canSkipTreeRehash(false, 5, A, null)).toBe(false);
+		expect(canSkipTreeRehash(false, 5, A, '')).toBe(false);
+	});
+});