diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 1bf91cda47..3a85a380a7 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -9,3 +9,5 @@ book-example/book
 .vscode
 tests/dummy_book/book/
 
+# Ignore Jetbrains specific files.
+.idea/
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 76bae9838e..82be48cce1 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -385,6 +385,19 @@ dependencies = [
  "wasi 0.7.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "gitignore"
+version = "1.0.6"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+dependencies = [
+ "glob 0.2.11 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "glob"
+version = "0.2.11"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "handlebars"
 version = "2.0.2"
@@ -659,6 +672,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "elasticlunr-rs 2.3.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "env_logger 0.6.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "error-chain 0.12.1 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
+ "gitignore 1.0.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "handlebars 2.0.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "iron 0.6.1 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
  "itertools 0.8.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
@@ -1703,6 +1717,8 @@ dependencies = [
 "checksum generic-array 0.12.3 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "c68f0274ae0e023facc3c97b2e00f076be70e254bc851d972503b328db79b2ec"
 "checksum getopts 0.2.21 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "14dbbfd5c71d70241ecf9e6f13737f7b5ce823821063188d7e46c41d371eebd5"
 "checksum getrandom 0.1.12 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "473a1265acc8ff1e808cd0a1af8cee3c2ee5200916058a2ca113c29f2d903571"
+"checksum gitignore 1.0.6 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "f5beed3b526478bebc1dd164b7aa770ae709f918a7b978fcb4afdaf3bbee8dfd"
+"checksum glob 0.2.11 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "8be18de09a56b60ed0edf84bc9df007e30040691af7acd1c41874faac5895bfb"
 "checksum handlebars 2.0.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "91ef1ac30f2eaaa2b835fce73c57091cb6b9fc62b7eef285efbf980b0f20001b"
 "checksum hashbrown 0.5.0 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "e1de41fb8dba9714efd92241565cdff73f78508c95697dd56787d3cba27e2353"
 "checksum heck 0.3.1 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)" = "20564e78d53d2bb135c343b3f47714a56af2061f1c928fdb541dc7b9fdd94205"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 974fa90f42..5690cacbaa 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ toml-query = "0.9"
 
 # Watch feature
 notify = { version = "4.0", optional = true }
+gitignore = { version = "1.0", optional = true }
 
 # Serve feature
 iron = { version = "0.6", optional = true }
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ walkdir = "2.0"
 default = ["output", "watch", "serve", "search"]
 debug = []
 output = []
-watch = ["notify"]
+watch = ["notify", "gitignore"]
 serve = ["iron", "staticfile", "ws"]
 search = ["elasticlunr-rs", "ammonia"]
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/watch.rs b/src/cmd/watch.rs
index bf903f90a7..fe1f188c5c 100644
--- a/src/cmd/watch.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/watch.rs
@@ -48,6 +48,38 @@ pub fn execute(args: &ArgMatches) -> Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
+fn remove_ignored_files(book_root: &PathBuf, paths: &[PathBuf]) -> Vec<PathBuf> {
+    if paths.is_empty() {
+        return vec![];
+    }
+
+    let gitignore_path = book_root.with_file_name(".gitignore");
+
+    match gitignore::File::new(gitignore_path.as_path()) {
+        Ok(exclusion_checker) => paths
+            .iter()
+            .filter(|path| match exclusion_checker.is_excluded(path) {
+                Ok(exclude) => !exclude,
+                Err(error) => {
+                    warn!(
+                        "Unable to determine if {:?} is excluded: {:?}. Including it.",
+                        &path, error
+                    );
+                    true
+                }
+            })
+            .map(|path| path.to_path_buf())
+            .collect(),
+        Err(error) => {
+            warn!(
+                "Unable to read gitignore file at {:?} file: {:?}. All files will be allowed.",
+                gitignore_path, error
+            );
+            paths.iter().map(|path| path.to_path_buf()).collect()
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// Calls the closure when a book source file is changed, blocking indefinitely.
 pub fn trigger_on_change<F>(book: &MDBook, closure: F)
 where
@@ -96,8 +128,12 @@ where
                     _ => None,
                 }
             })
-            .collect();
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>();
 
-        closure(paths, &book.root);
+        let paths = remove_ignored_files(&book.root, &paths[..]);
+
+        if !paths.is_empty() {
+            closure(paths, &book.root);
+        }
     }
 }