diff --git a/lisp/progmodes/grep.el b/lisp/progmodes/grep.el
index f028a4279d..9b1dc337e8 100644
--- a/lisp/progmodes/grep.el
+++ b/lisp/progmodes/grep.el
@@ -959,10 +959,10 @@ grep-expand-keywords
 these include `opts', `dir', `files', `null-device', `excl' and
 `regexp'.")
 
-(defun grep-expand-template (template &optional regexp files dir excl)
+(defun grep-expand-template (template &optional regexp files dir excl more-opts)
   "Expand grep COMMAND string replacing <C>, <D>, <F>, <R>, and <X>."
   (let* ((command template)
-         (env `((opts . ,(let (opts)
+         (env `((opts . ,(let ((opts more-opts))
                            (when (and case-fold-search
                                       (isearch-no-upper-case-p regexp t))
                              (push "-i" opts))
@@ -1058,6 +1058,8 @@ grep-read-files
 	 (or (cdr (assoc files grep-files-aliases))
 	     files))))
 
+(defvar grep-use-directories-skip 'auto-detect)
+
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun lgrep (regexp &optional files dir confirm)
   "Run grep, searching for REGEXP in FILES in directory DIR.
@@ -1103,6 +1105,12 @@ lgrep
 	  (if (string= command grep-command)
 	      (setq command nil))
 	(setq dir (file-name-as-directory (expand-file-name dir)))
+	(unless (or (not grep-use-directories-skip) (eq grep-use-directories-skip t))
+	  (setq grep-use-directories-skip
+		(grep-probe grep-program
+			  `(nil nil nil "--directories=skip" "foo"
+				,null-device)
+			  nil 1)))
 	(setq command (grep-expand-template
 		       grep-template
 		       regexp
@@ -1119,13 +1127,10 @@ lgrep
 						     (shell-quote-argument
 						      (cdr ignore))))))
 				     grep-find-ignored-files
-				     " --exclude=")))))
+				     " --exclude=")))
+		       (and grep-use-directories-skip
+			    '("--directories=skip"))))
 	(when command
-          (when (grep-probe grep-program
-                            `(nil nil nil "--directories=skip" "foo"
-                                  ,null-device)
-                            nil 1)
-            (setq command (concat command " --directories=skip")))
 	  (if confirm
 	      (setq command
 		    (read-from-minibuffer "Confirm: "