diff --git a/pkg/snclient/check_files.go b/pkg/snclient/check_files.go
index 1e354b11..8136fa12 100644
--- a/pkg/snclient/check_files.go
+++ b/pkg/snclient/check_files.go
@@ -166,10 +166,7 @@ func (l *CheckFiles) Check(_ context.Context, _ *Agent, check *CheckData, _ []Ar
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Cleanup the listData if a filter is used
-	if l.pattern != "*" {
-		l.removeDirectoriesWithoutFilesUnder(check)
-	}
+	l.removeDirectoriesThatDontMatchPattern(check)
 
 	if l.calculateSubdirectorySizes {
 		l.addSubdirectorySizes(check)
@@ -558,10 +555,31 @@ func checkSlowFileOperations(check *CheckData, entry map[string]string, path str
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (l *CheckFiles) removeDirectoriesThatDontMatchPattern(check *CheckData) {
+	if l.pattern == "*" {
+		return
+	}
+
+	newListdata := make([]map[string]string, 0)
+
+	for _, data := range check.listData {
+		if data["type"] == "dir" {
+			if match, _ := filepath.Match(l.pattern, data["filename"]); !match {
+				continue
+			}
+		}
+		newListdata = append(newListdata, data)
+	}
+
+	check.listData = newListdata
+}
+
 // The WalkDir normally adds every directory and files under the search path.
-// If a pattern is specified, this prevents files that dont match the pattern to be skipped.
+// If a pattern/filter is specified, this prevents files that dont match the pattern/filter to be skipped.
 // This can lead to some directories being in the listData, while not having any matched files under them.
 // This function cleans those directories up.
+//
+//nolint:unused // this function was called if pattern was specified, in previous versions. still keeping it for possible future use with filters.
 func (l *CheckFiles) removeDirectoriesWithoutFilesUnder(check *CheckData) {
 	fileFilepaths := make([]string, 0)
 
diff --git a/pkg/snclient/check_files_test.go b/pkg/snclient/check_files_test.go
index 223c5fed..2bc5939d 100644
--- a/pkg/snclient/check_files_test.go
+++ b/pkg/snclient/check_files_test.go
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ func TestCheckFilesSizePerfdata(t *testing.T) {
 	// The second pass should remove the "a" folder where files with "a" extension is found
 	res = snc.RunCheck("check_files", []string{"path=" + geneartionDirectory, "pattern=*.b", "crit='size > 100MiB'"})
 	outputString = string(res.BuildPluginOutput())
-	assert.Containsf(t, outputString, "OK - All 6 files are ok", "output matches")
+	assert.Containsf(t, outputString, "OK - All 5 files are ok", "output matches")
 	res = snc.RunCheck("check_files", []string{"path=" + geneartionDirectory, "pattern=*.b", "crit='size > 100MiB'", "filter=' type == file'"})
 	outputString = string(res.BuildPluginOutput())
 	assert.Containsf(t, outputString, "OK - All 5 files are ok", "output matches")
@@ -517,9 +517,19 @@ func TestCheckFilesSizePerfdata(t *testing.T) {
 	// When using a pattern and calculate subdirectory sizes is enabled, it will add the subdirectory sizes as metrics
 	res = snc.RunCheck("check_files", []string{"path=" + geneartionDirectory, "pattern=*_3.*", "crit='size > 0Mib'", "calculate-subdirectory-sizes=true"})
 	outputString = string(res.BuildPluginOutput())
-	assert.Containsf(t, outputString, "CRITICAL - 6/6 files (3.50 MiB) critical", "output matches")
-	assert.Containsf(t, outputString, "'a size'=1048576B", "should calculate the size of the subfolder a")
-	assert.Containsf(t, outputString, "'b size'=1048576B", "should calculate the size of the subfolder b")
+	assert.Containsf(t, outputString, "CRITICAL - 4/4 files (3.50 MiB) critical", "output matches")
+	assert.NotContainsf(t, outputString, "'a size'=1048576B", "should calculate the size of the subfolder a, as it does not match pattern")
+	assert.NotContainsf(t, outputString, "'b size'=1048576B", "should calculate the size of the subfolder b, as it does not match pattern")
+
+	// only matches the directory "a" itself
+	res = snc.RunCheck("check_files", []string{"path=" + geneartionDirectory, "pattern=a"})
+	outputString = string(res.BuildPluginOutput())
+	assert.Containsf(t, outputString, "OK - All 1 files are ok: (0 B)", "output matches")
+
+	// matches the four files inside directory "a": file_1024kb_1.a , file_1024kb_2.a , file_1024kb_3.a , file_1024kb_4.a
+	res = snc.RunCheck("check_files", []string{"path=" + geneartionDirectory, "pattern=*.a"})
+	outputString = string(res.BuildPluginOutput())
+	assert.Containsf(t, outputString, "OK - All 4 files are ok: (4.00 MiB)", "output matches")
 
 	StopTestAgent(t, snc)
 }