diff --git a/readthedocs/doc_builder/backends/sphinx.py b/readthedocs/doc_builder/backends/sphinx.py
index 66154f68dea..5ed06c8f831 100644
--- a/readthedocs/doc_builder/backends/sphinx.py
+++ b/readthedocs/doc_builder/backends/sphinx.py
@@ -237,6 +237,7 @@ class SearchBuilder(BaseSphinx):
     type = 'sphinx_search'
     sphinx_builder = 'json'
     sphinx_build_dir = '_build/json'
+    ignore_patterns = ['_static']
 
 
 class LocalMediaBuilder(BaseSphinx):
diff --git a/readthedocs/doc_builder/base.py b/readthedocs/doc_builder/base.py
index d81565d9c7c..fcb70964709 100644
--- a/readthedocs/doc_builder/base.py
+++ b/readthedocs/doc_builder/base.py
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ class BaseBuilder(object):
 
     _force = False
 
+    ignore_patterns = []
+
     # old_artifact_path = ..
 
     def __init__(self, build_env, python_env, force=False):
@@ -63,7 +65,12 @@ def move(self, **__):
             if os.path.exists(self.target):
                 shutil.rmtree(self.target)
             log.info('Copying %s on the local filesystem', self.type)
-            shutil.copytree(self.old_artifact_path, self.target)
+            log.info('Ignoring patterns %s', self.ignore_patterns)
+            shutil.copytree(
+                self.old_artifact_path,
+                self.target,
+                ignore=shutil.ignore_patterns(*self.ignore_patterns)
+            )
         else:
             log.warning('Not moving docs, because the build dir is unknown.')
 
diff --git a/readthedocs/rtd_tests/tests/test_doc_builder.py b/readthedocs/rtd_tests/tests/test_doc_builder.py
index 5713ba00961..8ac0a30c8e3 100644
--- a/readthedocs/rtd_tests/tests/test_doc_builder.py
+++ b/readthedocs/rtd_tests/tests/test_doc_builder.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 from mock import patch, Mock
 import pytest
 
-from readthedocs.doc_builder.backends.sphinx import BaseSphinx
+from readthedocs.doc_builder.backends.sphinx import BaseSphinx, SearchBuilder
 from readthedocs.projects.exceptions import ProjectConfigurationError
 from readthedocs.projects.models import Project
 
@@ -69,3 +69,42 @@ def test_create_conf_py(self, conf_file, get_conf_py_path, _, get_config_params,
         expected_conf_py = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..', 'files', 'conf.py')
         with open(generated_conf_py) as gf, open(expected_conf_py) as ef:
             self.assertEqual(gf.read(), ef.read())
+
+
+class SphinxSearchBuilderTest(TestCase):
+
+    fixtures = ['test_data']
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.project = Project.objects.get(slug='pip')
+        self.version = self.project.versions.first()
+
+        build_env = namedtuple('project', 'version')
+        build_env.project = self.project
+        build_env.version = self.version
+
+        self.searchbuilder = SearchBuilder(build_env=build_env, python_env=None)
+
+    def test_ignore_patterns(self):
+        src = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+        src_static = os.path.join(src, '_static/')
+        src_other = os.path.join(src, 'other/')
+        os.mkdir(src_static)
+        os.mkdir(src_other)
+
+        dest = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+        dest_static = os.path.join(dest, '_static/')
+        dest_other = os.path.join(dest, 'other/')
+
+        self.searchbuilder.old_artifact_path = src
+        self.searchbuilder.target = dest
+
+        # There is a _static/ dir in src/ but not in dest/
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(src_static))
+        self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(dest_static))
+
+        self.searchbuilder.move()
+
+        # There is a dest/other/ but not a dest/_static
+        self.assertFalse(os.path.exists(dest_static))
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(dest_other))