diff --git a/detect_secrets/core/baseline.py b/detect_secrets/core/baseline.py
index 41692f266..f32ce48ca 100644
--- a/detect_secrets/core/baseline.py
+++ b/detect_secrets/core/baseline.py
@@ -361,22 +361,30 @@ def _get_git_tracked_files(rootdir='.'):
     :returns: filepaths to files which git currently tracks (locally)
     """
     output = []
+
+    # git <1.8.5 https://github.com/git/git/commit/44e1e4d67d5148c245db362cc48c3cc6c2ec82ca
+    # doesn't support -C <path> and we can achieve the same using cwd arg to subproc
+    cmd = ['git', 'ls-files']
+    if not os.path.exists(rootdir) or not os.path.isdir(rootdir):
+        log.debug(f'Skipping {rootdir} bc dir doesn\'t exist or isn\'t a directory')
+        return []
+
     try:
         with open(os.devnull, 'w') as fnull:
-            git_files = subprocess.check_output(
-                [
-                    'git',
-                    '-C', rootdir,
-                    'ls-files',
-                ],
-                stderr=fnull,
-            )
+            git_files = subprocess.check_output(cmd, cwd=rootdir, stderr=fnull)
+
         for filename in git_files.decode('utf-8').split():
             relative_path = util.get_relative_path_if_in_cwd(rootdir, filename)
             if relative_path:
                 output.append(relative_path)
-    except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+
+    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as err:
+        log.error(
+            'detect-secrets: Encountered error trying to list git tracked ' +
+            f'files for dir {rootdir}: {str(err)}',
+        )
         pass
+
     return output
 
 
diff --git a/tests/core/baseline_test.py b/tests/core/baseline_test.py
index efd7c7ea2..bb778e0fb 100644
--- a/tests/core/baseline_test.py
+++ b/tests/core/baseline_test.py
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ def test_error_when_getting_git_tracked_files(self, path):
             'detect_secrets.core.baseline.subprocess.check_output',
             (
                 SubprocessMock(
-                    expected_input='git -C ./test_data/files ls-files',
+                    expected_input='git ls-files',
                     should_throw_exception=True,
                     mocked_output='',
                 ),