diff --git a/lua/nvim-tree/class.lua b/lua/nvim-tree/class.lua
index 8565e3c6..41f7f9b6 100644
--- a/lua/nvim-tree/class.lua
+++ b/lua/nvim-tree/class.lua
@@ -37,4 +37,9 @@ function Class:as(class)
   return self:is(class) and self or nil
 end
 
+-- avoid unused param warnings in abstract methods
+---@param ... any
+function Class:nop(...)
+end
+
 return Class
diff --git a/lua/nvim-tree/node/directory.lua b/lua/nvim-tree/node/directory.lua
index cf423364..da4bcef9 100644
--- a/lua/nvim-tree/node/directory.lua
+++ b/lua/nvim-tree/node/directory.lua
@@ -139,6 +139,19 @@ function DirectoryNode:refresh()
   end)
 end
 
+---@param projects table
+function DirectoryNode:reload_node_status(projects)
+  local toplevel = git.get_toplevel(self.absolute_path)
+  local status = projects[toplevel] or {}
+  for _, node in ipairs(self.nodes) do
+    node:update_git_status(self:is_git_ignored(), status)
+    local dir = node:as(DirectoryNode)
+    if dir and #dir.nodes > 0 then
+      dir:reload_node_status(projects)
+    end
+  end
+end
+
 -- If node is grouped, return the last node in the group. Otherwise, return the given node.
 ---@return DirectoryNode
 function DirectoryNode:last_group_node()
diff --git a/lua/nvim-tree/node/init.lua b/lua/nvim-tree/node/init.lua
index 5b7f7b1a..d11df48b 100644
--- a/lua/nvim-tree/node/init.lua
+++ b/lua/nvim-tree/node/init.lua
@@ -21,32 +21,18 @@ local Node = Class:new()
 function Node:destroy()
 end
 
---luacheck: push ignore 212
 ---Update the GitStatus of the node
+---Abstract
 ---@param parent_ignored boolean
 ---@param status table?
-function Node:update_git_status(parent_ignored, status) ---@diagnostic disable-line: unused-local
-  ---TODO find a way to declare abstract methods
+function Node:update_git_status(parent_ignored, status)
+  self:nop(parent_ignored, status)
 end
 
---luacheck: pop
-
 ---@return GitStatus?
 function Node:get_git_status()
 end
 
----@param projects table
-function Node:reload_node_status(projects)
-  local toplevel = git.get_toplevel(self.absolute_path)
-  local status = projects[toplevel] or {}
-  for _, node in ipairs(self.nodes) do
-    node:update_git_status(self:is_git_ignored(), status)
-    if node.nodes and #node.nodes > 0 then
-      node:reload_node_status(projects)
-    end
-  end
-end
-
 ---@return boolean
 function Node:is_git_ignored()
   return self.git_status ~= nil and self.git_status.file == "!!"