diff --git a/pkg/config/app_config.go b/pkg/config/app_config.go
index ade614f7df8..b51abb9cc9a 100644
--- a/pkg/config/app_config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/app_config.go
@@ -847,6 +847,12 @@ func (c *AppConfig) SaveGlobalUserConfig() {
 type AppState struct {
 	LastUpdateCheck        int64
 	RecentRepos            []string
+	// RecentRepoLocations is the richer successor of RecentRepos: one entry
+	// per recently-opened repo carrying the environment needed to reopen it
+	// (empty for every repo git can find from its work tree). RecentRepos is
+	// still written in parallel with the plain paths so an older lazygit
+	// reading the same state file keeps working (#5942).
+	RecentRepoLocations []RecentRepoLocation
 	StartupPopupVersion    int
 	DidShowHunkStagingHint bool
 	LastVersion            string // this is the last version the user was using, for the purpose of showing release notes
diff --git a/pkg/config/recent_repo_location.go b/pkg/config/recent_repo_location.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8b1b5e03f83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/config/recent_repo_location.go
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+package config
+
+// RecentRepoLocation is one entry of AppState.RecentRepoLocations: the
+// directory to change back to, plus the GIT_DIR/GIT_WORK_TREE environment a
+// repo opened with --git-dir/--work-tree (or core.worktree) needs to be
+// found again. GitLocationEnvVars is empty for every repo git can find from
+// the work tree alone (#5942).
+type RecentRepoLocation struct {
+	Path               string
+	GitLocationEnvVars []string
+}
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/repos_helper.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/repos_helper.go
index d3b6bfe29b9..6393ee7a715 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/repos_helper.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/repos_helper.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 
 	appTypes "github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/app/types"
+	"github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/config"
 	"github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/commands"
 	"github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/commands/direnv"
 	"github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/commands/models"
@@ -106,27 +107,24 @@ func (self *ReposHelper) getCurrentBranch(path string) string {
 
 func (self *ReposHelper) CreateRecentReposMenu() error {
 	// we'll show an empty panel if there are no recent repos
-	recentRepoPaths := []string{}
-	if len(self.c.GetAppState().RecentRepos) > 0 {
-		// we skip the first one because we're currently in it
-		recentRepoPaths = self.c.GetAppState().RecentRepos[1:]
-	}
+	recentLocations := recentRepoMenuEntries(self.c.GetAppState())
 
 	currentBranches := sync.Map{}
 
 	wg := sync.WaitGroup{}
-	wg.Add(len(recentRepoPaths))
+	wg.Add(len(recentLocations))
 
-	for _, path := range recentRepoPaths {
+	for _, location := range recentLocations {
 		go func(path string) {
 			defer wg.Done()
 			currentBranches.Store(path, self.getCurrentBranch(path))
-		}(path)
+		}(location.Path)
 	}
 
 	wg.Wait()
 
-	menuItems := lo.Map(recentRepoPaths, func(path string, _ int) *types.MenuItem {
+	menuItems := lo.Map(recentLocations, func(location config.RecentRepoLocation, _ int) *types.MenuItem {
+		path := location.Path
 		branchName, _ := currentBranches.Load(path)
 		if icons.IsIconEnabled() {
 			branchName = icons.BRANCH_ICON + " " + fmt.Sprintf("%v", branchName)
@@ -148,7 +146,7 @@ func (self *ReposHelper) CreateRecentReposMenu() error {
 				// if we were in a submodule, we want to forget about that stack of repos
 				// so that hitting escape in the new repo does nothing
 				self.c.State().GetRepoPathStack().Clear()
-				return self.switchTo(path, self.c.Tr.ErrRepositoryMovedOrDeleted, context.NO_CONTEXT)
+				return self.switchToLocation(types.RepoLocation{Path: location.Path, GitLocationEnvVars: location.GitLocationEnvVars}, self.c.Tr.ErrRepositoryMovedOrDeleted, context.NO_CONTEXT)
 			},
 		}
 	})
@@ -302,3 +300,21 @@ func (self *ReposHelper) promptDirenvApproval(envrcPath string) {
 		},
 	})
 }
+
+// recentRepoMenuEntries is the menu's slice of the recent-repo list, skipping
+// the head entry (the repo we are currently in). It reads the richer
+// location list and falls back to the legacy plain-path list when the state
+// file was last written by an older version (#5942).
+func recentRepoMenuEntries(appState *config.AppState) []config.RecentRepoLocation {
+	if len(appState.RecentRepoLocations) > 0 {
+		return appState.RecentRepoLocations[1:]
+	}
+	locations := make([]config.RecentRepoLocation, 0, len(appState.RecentRepos))
+	for _, repo := range appState.RecentRepos {
+		locations = append(locations, config.RecentRepoLocation{Path: repo})
+	}
+	if len(locations) > 0 {
+		return locations[1:]
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/gui/recent_repos_panel.go b/pkg/gui/recent_repos_panel.go
index ba6bc8ce133..5899e715f37 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/recent_repos_panel.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/recent_repos_panel.go
@@ -3,41 +3,127 @@ package gui
 import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+
+	"github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/config"
+	"github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/env"
 )
 
 // updateRecentRepoList registers the fact that we opened lazygit in this repo,
-// so that we can open the same repo via the 'recent repos' menu
+// so that we can open the same repo via the 'recent repos' menu.
+//
+// Bare repos are still skipped (there is no work tree to change back to), but
+// a repo whose git dir does not live at <work tree>/.git — opened with
+// --git-dir/--work-tree (yadm) or found through core.worktree (vcsh) — is now
+// recorded with the environment it takes to reopen it (#5942). The plain-path
+// RecentRepos list is still maintained in parallel with the repos git can
+// find on its own, so an older lazygit reading the same state file keeps
+// working.
 func (gui *Gui) updateRecentRepoList() error {
 	if gui.git.Status.IsBareRepo() {
-		// we could totally do this but it would require storing both the git-dir and the
-		// worktree in our recent repos list, which is a change that would need to be
-		// backwards compatible
 		gui.c.Log.Info("Not appending bare repo to recent repo list")
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	recentRepos := gui.c.GetAppState().RecentRepos
 	currentRepo, err := os.Getwd()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	recentRepos = newRecentReposList(recentRepos, currentRepo)
+
+	appState := gui.c.GetAppState()
+
+	// Migration: an existing install has the old plain-path list. Fold it
+	// into the richer one so those entries keep working (their env is empty,
+	// which is correct for repos git finds from the work tree).
+	if len(appState.RecentRepoLocations) == 0 && len(appState.RecentRepos) > 0 {
+		appState.RecentRepoLocations = migrateRecentRepos(appState.RecentRepos, currentRepo)
+	}
+
+	// The env we must restore to reopen THIS repo: empty for ordinary repos.
+	gitLocationEnvVars := env.GetGitLocationEnvVars()
+
+	locations := newRecentRepoLocationsList(
+		appState.RecentRepoLocations, currentRepo, gitLocationEnvVars)
+	// The plain-path companion keeps only the repos git can find from the
+	// path alone, matching what the old list could represent.
+	plainRepos := []string{}
+	for _, location := range locations {
+		if len(location.GitLocationEnvVars) == 0 {
+			plainRepos = append(plainRepos, location.Path)
+		}
+	}
+
+	appState.RecentRepoLocations = locations
+	appState.RecentRepos = plainRepos
 	// TODO: migrate this file to use forward slashes on all OSes for consistency
 	// (windows uses backslashes at the moment)
-	gui.c.GetAppState().RecentRepos = recentRepos
 	return gui.c.SaveAppState()
 }
 
-// newRecentReposList returns a new repo list with a new entry but only when it doesn't exist yet
-func newRecentReposList(recentRepos []string, currentRepo string) []string {
-	newRepos := []string{currentRepo}
+// migrateRecentRepos converts a legacy plain-path list into locations,
+// prepending the current repo (the list's head is the repo we are in).
+func migrateRecentRepos(recentRepos []string, currentRepo string) []config.RecentRepoLocation {
+	locations := []config.RecentRepoLocation{{Path: currentRepo}}
 	for _, repo := range recentRepos {
-		if repo != currentRepo {
-			if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(repo, ".git")); err != nil {
+		if repo == currentRepo {
+			continue
+		}
+		locations = append(locations, config.RecentRepoLocation{Path: repo})
+	}
+	return locations
+}
+
+// newRecentRepoLocationsList returns a new location list with the current
+// repo's entry refreshed, keeping the others in order. Entries whose
+// directory no longer exists are dropped, so a deleted repo ages out of the
+// menu. A dotfile repo's entry is kept even though <path>/.git does not
+// exist: its GitLocationEnvVars are what make it openable again.
+func newRecentRepoLocationsList(
+	recentLocations []config.RecentRepoLocation,
+	currentRepo string,
+	gitLocationEnvVars []string,
+) []config.RecentRepoLocation {
+	newLocations := []config.RecentRepoLocation{{Path: currentRepo, GitLocationEnvVars: gitLocationEnvVars}}
+	for _, location := range recentLocations {
+		if location.Path == currentRepo {
+			continue
+		}
+		if _, err := os.Stat(location.Path); err != nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		if len(location.GitLocationEnvVars) == 0 {
+			// A legacy entry that had no env recorded: it was only kept in
+			// the old list when <path>/.git existed, so preserve that
+			// contract for the plain entries.
+			if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(location.Path, ".git")); err != nil {
 				continue
 			}
-			newRepos = append(newRepos, repo)
 		}
+		newLocations = append(newLocations, location)
+	}
+	return newLocations
+}
+
+// recentRepoLocationsOrLegacy is the accessor other components use: it
+// prefers the richer list and falls back to the legacy plain-path list when
+// the state file was last written by an older version after a rollback.
+func recentRepoLocationsOrLegacy(appState *config.AppState) []config.RecentRepoLocation {
+	if len(appState.RecentRepoLocations) > 0 {
+		return appState.RecentRepoLocations
+	}
+	locations := make([]config.RecentRepoLocation, 0, len(appState.RecentRepos))
+	for _, repo := range appState.RecentRepos {
+		locations = append(locations, config.RecentRepoLocation{Path: repo})
+	}
+	return locations
+}
+
+
+// RecentRepoMenuEntries is the menu's slice of the recent-repo list,
+// skipping the head entry (the repo we are currently in).
+func RecentRepoMenuEntries(appState *config.AppState) []config.RecentRepoLocation {
+	locations := recentRepoLocationsOrLegacy(appState)
+	if len(locations) > 0 {
+		return locations[1:]
 	}
-	return newRepos
+	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/gui/recent_repos_panel_test.go b/pkg/gui/recent_repos_panel_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cc790142cfe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/gui/recent_repos_panel_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+package gui
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/config"
+)
+
+// #5942: a repo whose git dir does not live at <work tree>/.git used to fall
+// out of the recent-repos list — newRecentReposList kept an entry only when
+// <path>/.git existed, so the next run in any other repo dropped it.
+func TestNewRecentRepoLocationsListKeepsDotfileRepo(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	plainDir := t.TempDir()
+	plainGit := filepath.Join(plainDir, ".git")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(plainGit, 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	dotfileDir := t.TempDir() // no .git inside — the env carries the repo
+
+	locations := newRecentRepoLocationsList(
+		[]config.RecentRepoLocation{
+			{Path: plainDir},
+			{Path: dotfileDir, GitLocationEnvVars: []string{"GIT_DIR=/x/y", "GIT_WORK_TREE=" + dotfileDir}},
+			{Path: filepath.Join(dir, "gone")}, // directory no longer exists: ages out
+		},
+		dir,
+		nil,
+	)
+
+	paths := []string{}
+	for _, location := range locations {
+		paths = append(paths, location.Path)
+	}
+	if len(paths) != 3 || paths[0] != dir {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected head/got %v", paths)
+	}
+	foundDotfile := false
+	for _, location := range locations {
+		if location.Path == dotfileDir {
+			foundDotfile = true
+			if len(location.GitLocationEnvVars) != 2 {
+				t.Fatalf("dotfile entry lost its env: %+v", location)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if !foundDotfile {
+		t.Fatal("dotfile repo entry was dropped from the list")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNewRecentRepoLocationsListDropsLegacyPlainEntryWithoutDotGit(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	noGitDir := t.TempDir() // legacy entry with no env and no .git: was dropped before, still is
+
+	locations := newRecentRepoLocationsList(
+		[]config.RecentRepoLocation{{Path: noGitDir}},
+		dir,
+		nil,
+	)
+
+	if len(locations) != 1 || locations[0].Path != dir {
+		t.Fatalf("legacy envless entry without .git must age out, got %+v", locations)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestMigrateRecentReposPrependsCurrent(t *testing.T) {
+	locations := migrateRecentRepos([]string{"/a", "/b"}, "/current")
+	if len(locations) != 3 || locations[0].Path != "/current" {
+		t.Fatalf("migration must prepend the current repo, got %+v", locations)
+	}
+	for _, location := range locations[1:] {
+		if location.GitLocationEnvVars != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("legacy entries carry no env, got %+v", location)
+		}
+	}
+}