diff --git a/dotfiles.yml b/dotfiles.yml
index e18e4aa..cf6a6e4 100644
--- a/dotfiles.yml
+++ b/dotfiles.yml
@@ -79,10 +79,14 @@
   vars:
     BIN_DIR: "{{ansible_env.HOME}}/bin"
   tasks:
+    - name: ensure Git is properly configured
+      tags: git
+      template: src=templates/{{ item.src }} dest={{ansible_env.HOME}}/{{ item.dest }}
+      with_items:
+        - { src: gitconfig.j2, dest: .gitconfig }
+        - { src: gitignore.j2, dest: .gitignore }
     - name: ensure a writable "bin" directory exists
       file: path={{BIN_DIR}} state=directory mode=0755
-    - name: ensure Git is properly configured
-      template: src=templates/gitconfig.j2 dest={{ansible_env.HOME}}/.gitconfig
     - name: ensure fasd is installed and configured
       get_url: url=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/clvv/fasd/master/fasd dest={{BIN_DIR}}/fasd mode=0755
     - name: ensure binaries are available in path
diff --git a/templates/gitignore.j2 b/templates/gitignore.j2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3065e36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/gitignore.j2
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# {{ansible_managed}}
+.DS_Store
+.svn
+*~
+*.swp
+*.rbc
+.watsonrc
+.idea