diff --git a/backend/src/hatchling/builders/config.py b/backend/src/hatchling/builders/config.py
index 059e67f2a..ff0dc58fa 100644
--- a/backend/src/hatchling/builders/config.py
+++ b/backend/src/hatchling/builders/config.py
@@ -788,7 +788,7 @@ def load_vcs_exclusion_patterns(self) -> list[str]:
         # validate project root is not excluded by vcs
         exclude_spec = pathspec.GitIgnoreSpec.from_lines(patterns)
         if exclude_spec.match_file(self.root):
-            return patterns
+            return []
 
         return patterns