diff --git a/pkg/commands/git_commands/working_tree.go b/pkg/commands/git_commands/working_tree.go
index 664436066..7aafe3655 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/git_commands/working_tree.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/git_commands/working_tree.go
@@ -246,7 +246,11 @@ func (self *WorkingTreeCommands) Ignore(filename string) error {
 
 // Exclude adds a file to the .git/info/exclude for the repo
 func (self *WorkingTreeCommands) Exclude(filename string) error {
-	excludeFile := filepath.Join(self.repoPaths.repoGitDirPath, "info", "exclude")
+	infoDir := filepath.Join(self.repoPaths.repoGitDirPath, "info")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(infoDir, 0o755); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	excludeFile := filepath.Join(infoDir, "exclude")
 	return self.os.AppendLineToFile(excludeFile, escapeFilename(filename))
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/integration/tests/file/exclude_without_info_dir.go b/pkg/integration/tests/file/exclude_without_info_dir.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6e88de747
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/integration/tests/file/exclude_without_info_dir.go
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package file
+
+import (
+	"github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/config"
+	. "github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/integration/components"
+)
+
+var ExcludeWithoutInfoDir = NewIntegrationTest(NewIntegrationTestArgs{
+	Description:  "Exclude a file when .git/info directory does not exist",
+	ExtraCmdArgs: []string{},
+	Skip:         false,
+	SetupConfig: func(config *config.AppConfig) {
+	},
+	SetupRepo: func(shell *Shell) {
+		// Remove .git/info directory to reproduce #5302
+		shell.RunCommand([]string{"rm", "-rf", ".git/info"})
+		shell.CreateFile("toExclude", "")
+	},
+	Run: func(t *TestDriver, keys config.KeybindingConfig) {
+		t.Views().Files().
+			IsFocused().
+			Focus().
+			NavigateToLine(Contains("toExclude")).
+			Press(keys.Files.IgnoreFile).
+			Tap(func() {
+				t.ExpectPopup().Menu().Title(Equals("Ignore or exclude file")).Select(Contains("Add to .git/info/exclude")).Confirm()
+
+				// Should succeed without error, creating .git/info/ directory automatically
+				t.FileSystem().FileContent(".git/info/exclude", Contains("/toExclude"))
+			})
+	},
+})
diff --git a/pkg/integration/tests/test_list.go b/pkg/integration/tests/test_list.go
index 1fdd4c161..c336cce1f 100644
--- a/pkg/integration/tests/test_list.go
+++ b/pkg/integration/tests/test_list.go
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@ var tests = []*components.IntegrationTest{
 	file.DiscardUnstagedRangeSelect,
 	file.DiscardVariousChanges,
 	file.DiscardVariousChangesRangeSelect,
+	file.ExcludeWithoutInfoDir,
 	file.Gitignore,
 	file.GitignoreSpecialCharacters,
 	file.RememberCommitMessageAfterFail,