diff --git a/hugofs/walk.go b/hugofs/walk.go
index 18667a5fc..391f70a65 100644
--- a/hugofs/walk.go
+++ b/hugofs/walk.go
@@ -53,8 +53,9 @@ type WalkwayConfig struct {
 	Logger loggers.Logger
 
 	// One or both of these may be pre-set.
-	Info       FileMetaInfo   // The start info.
-	DirEntries []FileMetaInfo // The start info's dir entries.
+	Info       FileMetaInfo               // The start info.
+	DirEntries []FileMetaInfo             // The start info's dir entries.
+	IgnoreFile func(filename string) bool // Optional
 
 	// Will be called in order.
 	HookPre  WalkHook // Optional.
@@ -172,6 +173,17 @@ func (w *Walkway) walk(path string, info FileMetaInfo, dirEntries []FileMetaInfo
 
 	}
 
+	if w.cfg.IgnoreFile != nil {
+		n := 0
+		for _, fi := range dirEntries {
+			if !w.cfg.IgnoreFile(fi.Meta().Filename) {
+				dirEntries[n] = fi
+				n++
+			}
+		}
+		dirEntries = dirEntries[:n]
+	}
+
 	if w.cfg.HookPre != nil {
 		var err error
 		dirEntries, err = w.cfg.HookPre(info, path, dirEntries)
diff --git a/hugolib/hugo_sites.go b/hugolib/hugo_sites.go
index 24ff1077f..99dc88b10 100644
--- a/hugolib/hugo_sites.go
+++ b/hugolib/hugo_sites.go
@@ -473,7 +473,8 @@ func (h *HugoSites) loadData() error {
 	h.data = make(map[string]any)
 	w := hugofs.NewWalkway(
 		hugofs.WalkwayConfig{
-			Fs: h.PathSpec.BaseFs.Data.Fs,
+			Fs:         h.PathSpec.BaseFs.Data.Fs,
+			IgnoreFile: h.SourceSpec.IgnoreFile,
 			WalkFn: func(path string, fi hugofs.FileMetaInfo) error {
 				if fi.IsDir() {
 					return nil
diff --git a/hugolib/language_test.go b/hugolib/language_test.go
index c9368770e..582d3985f 100644
--- a/hugolib/language_test.go
+++ b/hugolib/language_test.go
@@ -135,3 +135,14 @@ FormatNumberCustom: 12,345.68
 NumFmt: -98,765.43
 `)
 }
+
+// Issue 11993.
+func TestI18nDotFile(t *testing.T) {
+	files := `
+-- hugo.toml --{}
+baseURL = "https://example.com"
+-- i18n/.keep --
+-- data/.keep --
+`
+	Test(t, files)
+}
diff --git a/hugolib/pages_capture.go b/hugolib/pages_capture.go
index acdc674e6..b7da065fd 100644
--- a/hugolib/pages_capture.go
+++ b/hugolib/pages_capture.go
@@ -249,9 +249,6 @@ func (c *pagesCollector) collectDir(dirPath *paths.Path, isDir bool, inFilter fu
 
 func (c *pagesCollector) collectDirDir(path string, root hugofs.FileMetaInfo, inFilter func(fim hugofs.FileMetaInfo) bool) error {
 	filter := func(fim hugofs.FileMetaInfo) bool {
-		if c.sp.IgnoreFile(fim.Meta().Filename) {
-			return false
-		}
 		if inFilter != nil {
 			return inFilter(fim)
 		}
@@ -330,13 +327,14 @@ func (c *pagesCollector) collectDirDir(path string, root hugofs.FileMetaInfo, in
 
 	w := hugofs.NewWalkway(
 		hugofs.WalkwayConfig{
-			Logger:   c.logger,
-			Root:     path,
-			Info:     root,
-			Fs:       c.fs,
-			HookPre:  preHook,
-			HookPost: postHook,
-			WalkFn:   wfn,
+			Logger:     c.logger,
+			Root:       path,
+			Info:       root,
+			Fs:         c.fs,
+			IgnoreFile: c.h.SourceSpec.IgnoreFile,
+			HookPre:    preHook,
+			HookPost:   postHook,
+			WalkFn:     wfn,
 		})
 
 	return w.Walk()
@@ -371,6 +369,7 @@ func (c *pagesCollector) handleBundleLeaf(dir, bundle hugofs.FileMetaInfo, inPat
 			Logger:     c.logger,
 			Info:       dir,
 			DirEntries: readdir,
+			IgnoreFile: c.h.SourceSpec.IgnoreFile,
 			WalkFn:     walk,
 		})
 
diff --git a/langs/i18n/translationProvider.go b/langs/i18n/translationProvider.go
index ab5247413..9bbd5d9f6 100644
--- a/langs/i18n/translationProvider.go
+++ b/langs/i18n/translationProvider.go
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ func (tp *TranslationProvider) NewResource(dst *deps.Deps) error {
 
 	w := hugofs.NewWalkway(
 		hugofs.WalkwayConfig{
-			Fs: dst.BaseFs.I18n.Fs,
+			Fs:         dst.BaseFs.I18n.Fs,
+			IgnoreFile: dst.SourceSpec.IgnoreFile,
 			WalkFn: func(path string, info hugofs.FileMetaInfo) error {
 				if info.IsDir() {
 					return nil