diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f49e8216
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# make sure that .gitignore, .travis.yml,... are not part of a
+# source-package generated via 'git archive'
+.git*      	export-ignore
+/.*		export-ignore