diff --git a/plugin/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/sbt/CompatibilityScalafmtSession.scala b/plugin/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/sbt/CompatibilityScalafmtSession.scala
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..40d910d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugin/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/sbt/CompatibilityScalafmtSession.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+package org.scalafmt.sbt
+
+import java.nio.file.Path
+import org.scalafmt.interfaces.{Scalafmt, ScalafmtSession}
+
+private[sbt] class CompatibilityScalafmtSession(
+    config: Path,
+    instance: Scalafmt
+) extends ScalafmtSession {
+  override def format(file: Path, code: String): String =
+    instance.format(config, file, code)
+  override def matchesProjectFilters(file: Path): Boolean = true
+}
diff --git a/plugin/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/sbt/ScalafmtPlugin.scala b/plugin/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/sbt/ScalafmtPlugin.scala
index ca05da6..02f18f3 100644
--- a/plugin/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/sbt/ScalafmtPlugin.scala
+++ b/plugin/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/sbt/ScalafmtPlugin.scala
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import sbt.util.Logger
 import scala.util.Failure
 import scala.util.Success
 import scala.util.Try
-import org.scalafmt.interfaces.Scalafmt
+import org.scalafmt.interfaces.{Scalafmt, ScalafmtSessionFactory}
 import sbt.librarymanagement.MavenRepository
 
 object ScalafmtPlugin extends AutoPlugin {
@@ -104,10 +104,22 @@ object ScalafmtPlugin extends AutoPlugin {
     val repositories = resolvers.collect {
       case r: MavenRepository => r.root
     }
-    val scalafmtInstance =
+    val scalafmtSession =
       globalInstance
         .withReporter(reporter)
         .withMavenRepositories(repositories: _*)
+        .withRespectProjectFilters(true) match {
+        case t: ScalafmtSessionFactory =>
+          val session = t.createSession(config.toAbsolutePath)
+          if (session == null) {
+            throw new MessageOnlyException(
+              "failed to create formatting session. Please report bug to https://github.com/scalameta/sbt-scalafmt"
+            )
+          }
+          session
+        case instance =>
+          new CompatibilityScalafmtSession(config.toAbsolutePath, instance)
+      }
 
     log.debug(
       s"Adding repositories ${repositories.mkString("[", ",", "]")}"
@@ -116,8 +128,7 @@ object ScalafmtPlugin extends AutoPlugin {
       .map { file =>
         val input = IO.read(file)
         val output =
-          scalafmtInstance.format(
-            config.toAbsolutePath,
+          scalafmtSession.format(
             file.toPath.toAbsolutePath,
             input
           )