diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index bc91ae89c..07ca555a6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ You can create a `component.json` file in your project's root, specifying all of
 
 Put this under your project's root, listing all of your dependencies. When you run `bower install`, Bower will read this `component.json` file, resolve all the relevant dependencies and install them.
 
-For now, `name`, `version`, `main`, and `dependencies` are the only properties that are used by Bower. If you have several files you're distributing as part of your package, pass an array to `main` like this:
+For now, `name`, `version`, `main`, `dependencies`, and `ignore` are the only properties that are used by Bower. If you have several files you're distributing as part of your package, pass an array to `main` like this:
 
 ```json
 {
@@ -133,14 +133,27 @@ For now, `name`, `version`, `main`, and `dependencies` are the only properties t
 Bower only recognizes versions that follow the [semver](http://semver.org/) specification.
 There should only be at most one file per file type in the `main` list. So only one `.js` or `.css`.
 
-You can also point to packages by adding their URL or file path in the dependency's property, just like.
+You can also point to packages by adding their URL or file path in the dependency's property.
 
 ```json
-"dependencies": {
-  "eventEmitter": "Wolfy87/EventEmitter", // GitHub short URL
-  "eventEmitter": "Wolfy87/EventEmitter#>=3", // with version
-  "eventEmitter": "git://github.com/Wolfy87/EventEmitter",
-  "eventEmitter": "git@github.com:Wolfy87/EventEmitter.git"
+{
+  "dependencies": {
+    "eventEmitter": "Wolfy87/EventEmitter", // GitHub short URL
+    "eventEmitter": "Wolfy87/EventEmitter#>=3", // with version
+    "eventEmitter": "git://github.com/Wolfy87/EventEmitter",
+    "eventEmitter": "git@github.com:Wolfy87/EventEmitter.git"
+  }
+}
+```
+
+Chances are you have a bunch of extra stuff in the repo that are not needed in production. List these non-necessary file paths in `ignore`.
+
+```json
+{
+  "ignore": [
+    "tests/",
+    "**/*.txt"
+  ]
 }
 ```
 
diff --git a/lib/core/package.js b/lib/core/package.js
index 50ae0fa54..bd950e24d 100644
--- a/lib/core/package.js
+++ b/lib/core/package.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ var async      = require('async');
 var https      = require('https');
 var http       = require('http');
 var path       = require('path');
+var glob       = require('glob');
 var url        = require('url');
 var tmp        = require('tmp');
 var fs         = require('fs');
@@ -237,10 +238,51 @@ Package.prototype.cleanUpLocal = function () {
     fs.writeFile(path.join(this.localPath, this.localConfig.json), jsonStr);
     if (this.gitUrl || this.gitPath) fs.writeFile(path.join(this.gitPath, this.localConfig.json), jsonStr);
 
-    rimraf(path.join(this.localPath, '.git'), this.emit.bind(this, 'install'));
+    this.removeLocalPaths();
   }.bind(this)).readLocalConfig();
 };
 
+// finish clean up local by removing .git/ and any ignored files
+Package.prototype.removeLocalPaths = function () {
+  var removePatterns = ['.git'];
+  if (this.json.ignore) {
+    removePatterns.push.apply(removePatterns, this.json.ignore);
+  }
+
+  var removePaths = [];
+
+  // 3: done
+  var pathsRemoved = function (err) {
+    if (err) return this.emit('error', err);
+    this.emit('install');
+  }.bind(this);
+
+  // 2: trigger after paths have been globbed
+  var rimrafPaths = function (err) {
+    if (err) return this.emit('error', err);
+    async.forEach(removePaths, function (removePath, next) {
+      // rimraf all the paths
+      rimraf(removePath, function (err) {
+        if (err) return this.emit('error', err);
+        next();
+      }.bind(this));
+    // finished callback
+    }.bind(this), pathsRemoved);
+  }.bind(this);
+
+  // 1: get paths
+  var globOpts = { dot: true };
+  async.forEach(removePatterns, function (removePattern, next) {
+    // glob path for file path pattern matching
+    var globPattern = path.join(this.localPath, removePattern);
+    glob(globPattern, globOpts, function (err, globPaths) {
+      if (err) return this.emit('error', err);
+      removePaths = removePaths.concat(globPaths);
+      next();
+    }.bind(this));
+  }.bind(this), rimrafPaths);
+};
+
 Package.prototype.generateAssetJSON = function () {
   return {
     name: this.name,
diff --git a/test/assets/package-ignorables/.casey b/test/assets/package-ignorables/.casey
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f5f35a378
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/assets/package-ignorables/.casey
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Casey Jones
diff --git a/test/assets/package-ignorables/.hide/turtle-location.mdown b/test/assets/package-ignorables/.hide/turtle-location.mdown
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5eea78164
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/assets/package-ignorables/.hide/turtle-location.mdown
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+NYC Sewer System
diff --git a/test/assets/package-ignorables/component.json b/test/assets/package-ignorables/component.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..29df483ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/assets/package-ignorables/component.json
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{
+  "name": "turtles",
+  "version": "0.0.1",
+  "dependencies": {},
+  "ignore": [
+    "test/",
+    "**/*.txt",
+    "config/**/*",
+    ".casey",
+    "**/turtle-location*"
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/test/assets/package-ignorables/config/.jshintrc b/test/assets/package-ignorables/config/.jshintrc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..77a940634
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/assets/package-ignorables/config/.jshintrc
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+  "asi": false
+}
diff --git a/test/assets/package-ignorables/don.txt b/test/assets/package-ignorables/don.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..042a139b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/assets/package-ignorables/don.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Donatello
diff --git a/test/assets/package-ignorables/index.js b/test/assets/package-ignorables/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4694cda55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/assets/package-ignorables/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+/**
+ * after bower install, this packge should not have *.txt or test/
+ */
+(function () {
+  // heroes in a half shell
+  console.log('turtle power');
+})();
diff --git a/test/assets/package-ignorables/leo.txt b/test/assets/package-ignorables/leo.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..266e524ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/assets/package-ignorables/leo.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Leonardo
diff --git a/test/assets/package-ignorables/lib/april.txt b/test/assets/package-ignorables/lib/april.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..83deb68d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/assets/package-ignorables/lib/april.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+April wears yellow.
diff --git a/test/assets/package-ignorables/names.txt b/test/assets/package-ignorables/names.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3a43c454b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/assets/package-ignorables/names.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Leonardo
+Donatello
+Raphael
+Michelangelo
diff --git a/test/assets/package-ignorables/test/shredder.js b/test/assets/package-ignorables/test/shredder.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3de674727
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/assets/package-ignorables/test/shredder.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+(function () {
+  return 'Shredder';
+})();
diff --git a/test/assets/package-ignorables/test/splinter.js b/test/assets/package-ignorables/test/splinter.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b6ddd019c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/assets/package-ignorables/test/splinter.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+(function () {
+  return 'Splinter';
+})();
diff --git a/test/package.js b/test/package.js
index c0d297388..40923d9c1 100644
--- a/test/package.js
+++ b/test/package.js
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@
 
 var assert  = require('assert');
 var fs      = require('fs');
+var path    = require('path');
 var nock    = require('nock');
 var _       = require('lodash');
 var rimraf  = require('rimraf');
+var glob    = require('glob');
 var async   = require('async');
 var config  = require('../lib/core/config');
 var Package = require('../lib/core/package');
@@ -518,4 +520,66 @@ describe('package', function () {
 
     pkg.resolve();
   });
+
+  it('Should remove ignored filepaths', function (next) {
+    var pkg = new Package('turtles', __dirname + '/assets/package-ignorables');
+
+    pkg.on('resolve', function () {
+      pkg.install();
+    });
+
+    pkg.on('error', function (err) {
+      throw new Error(err);
+    });
+
+    var pkgInstallPath = path.join(__dirname, '/../components/turtles/');
+    pkg.on('install', function () {
+      // these files should have been deleted
+      assert(!fs.existsSync(pkgInstallPath + 'don.txt'));
+      assert(!fs.existsSync(pkgInstallPath + 'leo.txt'));
+      assert(!fs.existsSync(pkgInstallPath + '/test/'));
+      // ignored dot files
+      assert(!fs.existsSync(pkgInstallPath + '/config/.jshintrc'));
+      assert(!fs.existsSync(pkgInstallPath + '.casey'));
+      assert(!fs.existsSync(pkgInstallPath + '.hide/turtle-location.mdown'));
+      // this file should still be there
+      assert(fs.existsSync(pkgInstallPath + 'index.js'));
+      // all ignore file pattern should be removed
+      async.forEach(pkg.json.ignore, function (ignorePattern, asyncNext) {
+        var pattern = path.join(__dirname, '/../components/turtles/' + ignorePattern);
+        glob(pattern, function (err, globPath) {
+          assert(globPath.length === 0);
+          asyncNext();
+        });
+      }, next);
+    });
+
+    pkg.resolve();
+  });
+
+  it('Should remove .git directory', function (next) {
+    var dir = __dirname + '/assets/package-repo';
+
+    fs.renameSync(dir + '/git_repo', dir + '/.git');
+
+    var pkg = new Package('spark-md5', dir);
+
+    pkg.on('resolve', function () {
+      pkg.install();
+    });
+
+    pkg.on('error', function (err) {
+      fs.renameSync(dir + '/.git', dir + '/git_repo');
+      throw new Error(err);
+    });
+
+    var pkgInstallPath = path.join(__dirname, '/../components/spark-md5/');
+    pkg.on('install', function () {
+      fs.renameSync(dir + '/.git', dir + '/git_repo');
+      assert(!fs.existsSync(pkgInstallPath + '/.git/'));
+      next();
+    });
+
+    pkg.resolve();
+  });
 });