diff --git a/.github/workflows/quasar.yml b/.github/workflows/quasar.yml
index 609b913a..e006735f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/quasar.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/quasar.yml
@@ -57,7 +57,14 @@ jobs:
           # that by construction — no substring matching, no path-segment trickery,
           # so siblings like "quasar-example/" can never enter the build list.
           function get_projects() {
-            find . -type d -name "quasar" | grep -vE "$ignore_pattern" | sort
+            # An empty .ghaignore makes ignore_pattern empty, and `grep -vE ""`
+            # matches everything, silently emptying the project list - only
+            # filter when there is actually a pattern.
+            if [[ -n "$ignore_pattern" ]]; then
+              find . -type d -name "quasar" | grep -vE "$ignore_pattern" | sort
+            else
+              find . -type d -name "quasar" | sort
+            fi
           }
 
           # Filter the full project list down to projects touched by the given