diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c341c7b38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+### mostly autoconf crap
+Makefile
+autom4te.cache
+*.in
+aclocal.m4
+config.*
+configure
+depcomp
+install-sh
+*.pc
+libtool
+ltmain.sh
+missing
+stamp-h1
+README
+COPYING
+INSTALL
+
+### objects and libs
+.libs
+.deps
+*.o
+*.lo
+*.a
+*.la
+
+### binaries that fall out of the build
+lib/sectionsdclient/sectionsdcontrol
+src/neutrino
+src/nhttpd/web/*.js.gz
+src/zapit/src/pzapit
+src/zapit/src/udpstreampes