diff --git a/autoload/vimtex/options.vim b/autoload/vimtex/options.vim
index 8f62d24121..e329694b8b 100644
--- a/autoload/vimtex/options.vim
+++ b/autoload/vimtex/options.vim
@@ -487,6 +487,7 @@ function! s:check_for_deprecated_options() abort " {{{1
         \ 'g:vimtex_change_set_formatexpr',
         \ 'g:vimtex_change_toggled_delims',
         \ 'g:vimtex_compiler_callback_hooks',
+        \ 'g:vimtex_disable_recursive_main_file_detection',
         \ 'g:vimtex_env_complete_list',
         \ 'g:vimtex_fold_commands',
         \ 'g:vimtex_fold_commands_default',
diff --git a/autoload/vimtex/state.vim b/autoload/vimtex/state.vim
index f29713931c..9ef4b130a0 100644
--- a/autoload/vimtex/state.vim
+++ b/autoload/vimtex/state.vim
@@ -237,17 +237,15 @@ function! s:get_main() abort " {{{1
   endif
 
   " Search for main file recursively through include specifiers
-  if !get(g:, 'vimtex_disable_recursive_main_file_detection', 0)
-    if &filetype ==# 'tex'
-      let l:candidate = s:get_main_choose(s:get_main_recurse())
-      if !empty(l:candidate)
-        return [l:candidate, 'recursive search']
-      endif
-    else
-      let l:candidate = s:get_main_choose(s:get_main_recurse_from_bib())
-      if !empty(l:candidate)
-        return [l:candidate, 'recursive search (bib)']
-      endif
+  if &filetype ==# 'tex'
+    let l:candidate = s:get_main_choose(s:get_main_recurse())
+    if !empty(l:candidate)
+      return [l:candidate, 'recursive search']
+    endif
+  else
+    let l:candidate = s:get_main_choose(s:get_main_recurse_from_bib())
+    if !empty(l:candidate)
+      return [l:candidate, 'recursive search (bib)']
     endif
   endif
 
@@ -340,7 +338,7 @@ endfunction
 
 " }}}1
 function! s:get_main_latexmain(file) abort " {{{1
-  for l:cand in s:findfiles_recursive('*.latexmain', expand('%:p:h'))
+  for l:cand in s:globpathupwards('*.latexmain', expand('%:p:h'))
     let l:cand = fnamemodify(l:cand, ':p:r')
     if s:file_reaches_current(l:cand)
       return l:cand
@@ -394,9 +392,9 @@ function! s:get_main_recurse(...) abort " {{{1
   let l:re_filter1 = fnamemodify(l:file, ':t:r')
   let l:re_filter2 = g:vimtex#re#tex_input . '\s*\f*' . l:re_filter1
 
-  " Search through candidates found recursively upwards in the directory tree
+  " Search through candidates found upwards in the directory tree
   let l:results = []
-  for l:cand in s:findfiles_recursive('*.tex', fnamemodify(l:file, ':p:h'))
+  for l:cand in s:globpathupwards('*.tex', fnamemodify(l:file, ':p:h'))
     if index(l:tried[l:file], l:cand) >= 0 | continue | endif
     call add(l:tried[l:file], l:cand)
 
@@ -420,9 +418,9 @@ function! s:get_main_recurse_from_bib() abort " {{{1
   let l:re_filter1 = fnamemodify(l:file, ':t:r')
   let l:re_filter2 = g:vimtex#re#bib_input . '\s*\f*' . l:re_filter1
 
-  " Search through candidates found recursively upwards in the directory tree
+  " Search through candidates found upwards in the directory tree
   let l:results = []
-  for l:cand in s:findfiles_recursive('*.tex', fnamemodify(l:file, ':p:h'))
+  for l:cand in s:globpathupwards('*.tex', fnamemodify(l:file, ':p:h'))
     if index(l:tried[l:file], l:cand) >= 0 | continue | endif
     call add(l:tried[l:file], l:cand)
 
@@ -523,7 +521,9 @@ function! s:file_reaches_current(file) abort " {{{1
 endfunction
 
 " }}}1
-function! s:findfiles_recursive(expr, path) abort " {{{1
+function! s:globpathupwards(expr, path) abort " {{{1
+  " Returns the list of files obtained by globpath(p, expr) with p going from
+  " path upwards in the directory tree.
   let l:path = a:path
   let l:dirs = l:path
   while l:path != fnamemodify(l:path, ':h')
diff --git a/doc/vimtex.txt b/doc/vimtex.txt
index d170933c1a..9afbd2f70f 100644
--- a/doc/vimtex.txt
+++ b/doc/vimtex.txt
@@ -323,23 +323,24 @@ VimTeX supports most multi-file documents and has several methods to locate
 the `main` document. Locating this file is very important, because the main
 file is the one that must be compiled.
 
-The main method for locating the main file uses a recursive search algorithm
-that should find the main LaTeX file in most cases (method 6 in the list
-below). There are several alternative methods for specifying the main file
-that can be more flexible and is relevant for certain work flows and use
-cases. These alternative methods all require some explicit declaration of the
-main file. Thus, these methods will be tried first, and the recursive search
-is tried last if there are no explicit declarations that yield an appropriate
-main LaTeX file candidate.
+The default method for locating the main file uses a directory scan algorithm
+that searches for a main LaTeX file, see method 6 below. It is expected to
+work in the vast majority of cases.
 
-The methods are tried in the following order:
+There are several alternative methods for specifying the main file that can be
+more flexible and are relevant for certain work flows and use cases. These
+methods all require some explicit declaration of the main file and are
+therefore tried prior to the directory scan.
+
+The complete list of methods in the order of priority is as follows and are
+then described in more detail:
 
   1. Buffer variable
   2. TeX root directive
   3. Subfiles package
   4. File `.latexmain` specifier
   5. Local `latexmkrc` file specifier (from `@default_files` option)
-  6. Recursive search
+  6. Directory scan
 
                                                                  *b:vimtex_main*
 Buffer variable~
@@ -447,34 +448,34 @@ Local latexmkrc file specifier~
   Note: `@default_files` is a list of files, VimTeX will use the first
         entry that is found.
 
-Recursive search~
-  If no other method provides an appropriate candidate, then the recursive
-  search detects the main LaTeX file by searching for a file in the current
-  and parent directories that
+Directory scan~
+  If the above methods give no appropriate candidate for a main file of the
+  present file then a search for a suitable main file from the current
+  directory upwards is started.
 
-  1. includes the present file (directly or indirectly),
-  2. has a `\documentclass` line near the top of its parsed content, and
-  3. contains `\begin{document}` in its parsed content.
+  To test whether a candidate tex file qualifies as a main file the following
+  happens: First, the candidate tex file is parsed and recursively expanded by
+  all tex files included. Then it is checked whether all of the following
+  three requirements are met in order to qualify as a main file for the
+  present file:
 
-  As long as a project follows these rules, the recursive search should work.
-  Notice, though, that the first point is important and is where the recursive
-  nature is implemented. There must be a "straight" inclusive line from the
-  main file to the present file. If not, then rule 1 is violated.
+  1. It includes the present file, either directly or indirectly.
+  2. The expanded content contains a `\documentclass` line near the top.
+  3. The expanded content contains `\begin{document}`.
 
-  Let's consider a common construct that will fail: >
+  Note that the main file itself does not need to contain the `\documentclass`
+  line and `\begin{docment}`; it could instead stem from included tex files.
 
-    path1/main.tex
-    path2/chapter.tex
-<
-  In this example, the main file does not live in the same folder or a parent
-  folder, and so the recursive search fails.
+  See details on |g:vimtex_include_indicators| for all commands that are
+  considered to include tex files by the parser for the recursive expansion.
 
-  In these cases where the recursive method fails, one may safely rely on the
-  TeX root directive as an alternative.
+  Note that no recursive directory descents are performed to find a main file.
+  That is, if the current file is `./B/chapter.tex` then `./A/main.tex` will not
+  be found as the main file, because the descent to subdirectory `./A/` is not
+  performed.
 
-  Note: In rare cases, such as if there are _very_ many tex files in the
-        directory tree, this method may be slow. One may therefore disable it
-        through the option |g:vimtex_disable_recursive_main_file_detection|.
+  In cases where automatic detection of the main file through the directory
+  scan fails, one may explicitly set up method 1 to 5 instead.
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 SUPPORT FOR TEX DIRECTIVES                              *vimtex-tex-directives*
@@ -1493,15 +1494,6 @@ OPTIONS                                                        *vimtex-options*
 
   Default value: 500
 
-*g:vimtex_disable_recursive_main_file_detection*
-  In rare cases, the recursive method of finding the main file in multi file
-  projects may be slow. This might happen for instance when there are _very_
-  many tex files in the directory tree that is searched. In such cases, one
-  may disable the recursive method by setting this variable to a nonzero
-  value.
-
-  Default value: 0
-
 *g:vimtex_doc_handlers*
   With this option, one may specify a list of custom documentation handlers.
   The following pre-made handlers are available:
@@ -6115,6 +6107,10 @@ The following changelog only logs particularly important changes, such as
 changes that break backwards compatibility.  See the git log for the detailed
 changelog.
 
+2022-11-06: Better main file detection algorithm~
+The detection whether a file is a main file has been improved. In course of
+this *g:vimtex_disable_recursive_main_file_detection* has been removed.
+
 2021-10-25: Better inverse search~
 Deprecate *g:vimtex_compiler_progname* as it is no longer necessary.