diff --git a/debian/.gitignore b/debian/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..91c6278aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+!/patches
+!*.patch
+!*.diff
+*.pyc
diff --git a/debian/patches/debian/gitignore.patch b/debian/patches/debian/gitignore.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9387677e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/patches/debian/gitignore.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+From: Ian Campbell <ijc@hellion.org.uk>
+Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2013 08:55:21 +0000
+Subject: Tweak gitignore for Debian pkg-kernel using git svn.
+
+--- a/.gitignore
++++ b/.gitignore
+@@ -46,11 +46,6 @@
+ /Module.symvers
+ 
+ #
+-# Debian directory (make deb-pkg)
+-#
+-/debian/
+-
+-#
+ # git files that we don't want to ignore even it they are dot-files
+ #
+ !.gitignore
diff --git a/debian/patches/series b/debian/patches/series
index e9f2e4fab..910042f71 100644
--- a/debian/patches/series
+++ b/debian/patches/series
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 debian/version.patch
 debian/kernelvariables.patch
 debian/doc-build-parallel.patch
+debian/gitignore.patch
 
 features/all/drivers-media-dvb-usb-af9005-request_firmware.patch