diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4873702a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+*.5
+*.8
+*.d
+*.o
+*.pc
+*.pot
+
+.export.sym
+.gdb_history
+
+Makefile
+make.tmpl
+
+configure.h
+version.h
+
+/autom4te.cache/
+/config.log
+/config.status
+/cscope.out
+/tmp/
diff --git a/include/.gitignore b/include/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fdfc22c7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+.symlinks_created
diff --git a/old-tests/config/.gitignore b/old-tests/config/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..24600083d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old-tests/config/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+!Makefile
diff --git a/scripts/lvm2create_initrd/.gitignore b/scripts/lvm2create_initrd/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dad061105
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/lvm2create_initrd/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+!Makefile
+!lvm2create_initrd.8
diff --git a/tools/.gitignore b/tools/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..94f0c40b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+.commands