diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index cec168f558..0fd2f26c03 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ once_cell = "1.17.1"
 env_logger = "0.11.1"
 handlebars = "6.0"
 hex = "0.4.3"
+ignore = "0.4.23"
 log = "0.4.17"
 memchr = "2.5.0"
 opener = "0.7.0"
@@ -44,7 +45,6 @@ topological-sort = "0.2.2"
 # Watch feature
 notify = { version = "8.0.0", optional = true }
 notify-debouncer-mini = { version = "0.6.0", optional = true }
-ignore = { version = "0.4.20", optional = true }
 pathdiff = { version = "0.2.1", optional = true }
 walkdir = { version = "2.3.3", optional = true }
 
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ walkdir = "2.3.3"
 
 [features]
 default = ["watch", "serve", "search"]
-watch = ["dep:notify", "dep:notify-debouncer-mini", "dep:ignore", "dep:pathdiff", "dep:walkdir"]
+watch = ["dep:notify", "dep:notify-debouncer-mini", "dep:pathdiff", "dep:walkdir"]
 serve = ["dep:futures-util", "dep:tokio", "dep:warp"]
 search = ["dep:elasticlunr-rs", "dep:ammonia"]
 
diff --git a/guide/src/format/configuration/renderers.md b/guide/src/format/configuration/renderers.md
index a827d2936f..5d4390eeee 100644
--- a/guide/src/format/configuration/renderers.md
+++ b/guide/src/format/configuration/renderers.md
@@ -318,6 +318,18 @@ The value can be any valid URI the browser should navigate to (e.g. `https://rus
 This will generate an HTML page which will automatically redirect to the given location.
 Note that the source location does not support `#` anchor redirects.
 
+### `.mdbookignore`
+
+You can use a `.mdbookignore` file to exclude files from the build process.
+The file is placed in the `src` directory of your book and has the same format as
+[`.gitignore`](https://git-scm.com/docs/gitignore) files.
+
+For example:
+```
+*.rs
+/target/
+```
+
 ## Markdown Renderer
 
 The Markdown renderer will run preprocessors and then output the resulting
diff --git a/src/book/mod.rs b/src/book/mod.rs
index c5d20130ee..89e7cad15b 100644
--- a/src/book/mod.rs
+++ b/src/book/mod.rs
@@ -626,7 +626,8 @@ fn preprocessor_should_run(
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
     use std::str::FromStr;
-    use toml::value::Table;
+    use tempfile::Builder as TempFileBuilder;
+    use toml::value::{Table, Value};
 
     #[test]
     fn config_defaults_to_html_renderer_if_empty() {
@@ -895,4 +896,21 @@ mod tests {
         let got = preprocessor_should_run(&BoolPreprocessor(should_be), &html, &cfg);
         assert_eq!(got, should_be);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn mdbookignore_ignores_file() {
+        let temp_dir = TempFileBuilder::new().prefix("mdbook-").tempdir().unwrap();
+        let test_book_dir = PathBuf::from(env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR")).join("test_book");
+
+        utils::fs::copy_files_except_ignored(&test_book_dir, temp_dir.path(), true, None, None)
+            .expect("Error while copying test book to temp dir");
+
+        let book = MDBook::load(temp_dir.path()).expect("Unable to load book");
+        book.build().expect("Error while building book");
+
+        let book_dir = temp_dir.path().join("book");
+        assert!(book_dir.join("index.html").exists());
+        assert!(book_dir.join(".mdbookignore").exists());
+        assert!(!book_dir.join("ignored_file").exists());
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/renderer/html_handlebars/hbs_renderer.rs b/src/renderer/html_handlebars/hbs_renderer.rs
index 02951c2559..11ec385603 100644
--- a/src/renderer/html_handlebars/hbs_renderer.rs
+++ b/src/renderer/html_handlebars/hbs_renderer.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
 use crate::utils::fs::get_404_output_file;
 use handlebars::Handlebars;
+use ignore::gitignore::GitignoreBuilder;
 use log::{debug, trace, warn};
 use once_cell::sync::Lazy;
 use regex::{Captures, Regex};
@@ -479,7 +480,23 @@ impl Renderer for HtmlHandlebars {
             .context("Unable to emit redirects")?;
 
         // Copy all remaining files, avoid a recursive copy from/to the book build dir
-        utils::fs::copy_files_except_ext(&src_dir, destination, true, Some(&build_dir), &["md"])?;
+        let mut builder = GitignoreBuilder::new(&src_dir);
+        let mdbook_ignore = src_dir.join(".mdbookignore");
+        if mdbook_ignore.exists() {
+            if let Some(err) = builder.add(mdbook_ignore) {
+                warn!("Unable to load '.mdbookignore' file: {}", err);
+            }
+        }
+        builder.add_line(None, "*.md")?;
+        let ignore = builder.build()?;
+
+        utils::fs::copy_files_except_ignored(
+            &src_dir,
+            destination,
+            true,
+            Some(&build_dir),
+            Some(&ignore),
+        )?;
 
         Ok(())
     }
diff --git a/src/utils/fs.rs b/src/utils/fs.rs
index 220bcd8b33..9dfe49c3ad 100644
--- a/src/utils/fs.rs
+++ b/src/utils/fs.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use crate::errors::*;
+use ignore::gitignore::{Gitignore, GitignoreBuilder};
 use log::{debug, trace};
 use std::fs::{self, File};
 use std::io::Write;
@@ -91,12 +92,30 @@ pub fn copy_files_except_ext(
     recursive: bool,
     avoid_dir: Option<&PathBuf>,
     ext_blacklist: &[&str],
+) -> Result<()> {
+    let mut builder = GitignoreBuilder::new(from);
+    for ext in ext_blacklist {
+        builder.add_line(None, &format!("*.{ext}"))?;
+    }
+    let ignore = builder.build()?;
+
+    copy_files_except_ignored(from, to, recursive, avoid_dir, Some(&ignore))
+}
+
+/// Copies all files of a directory to another one except the files that are
+/// ignored by the passed [`Gitignore`]
+pub fn copy_files_except_ignored(
+    from: &Path,
+    to: &Path,
+    recursive: bool,
+    avoid_dir: Option<&PathBuf>,
+    ignore: Option<&Gitignore>,
 ) -> Result<()> {
     debug!(
         "Copying all files from {} to {} (blacklist: {:?}), avoiding {:?}",
         from.display(),
         to.display(),
-        ext_blacklist,
+        ignore,
         avoid_dir
     );
 
@@ -114,6 +133,14 @@ pub fn copy_files_except_ext(
         let entry_file_name = entry.file_name().unwrap();
         let target_file_path = to.join(entry_file_name);
 
+        // Check if it is in the blacklist
+        if let Some(ignore) = ignore {
+            let path = entry.as_path();
+            if ignore.matched(path, path.is_dir()).is_ignore() {
+                continue;
+            }
+        }
+
         // If the entry is a dir and the recursive option is enabled, call itself
         if metadata.is_dir() && recursive {
             if entry == to.as_os_str() {
@@ -126,19 +153,20 @@ pub fn copy_files_except_ext(
                 }
             }
 
+            if let Some(ignore) = ignore {
+                let path = entry.as_path();
+                if ignore.matched(path, path.is_dir()).is_ignore() {
+                    continue;
+                }
+            }
+
             // check if output dir already exists
             if !target_file_path.exists() {
                 fs::create_dir(&target_file_path)?;
             }
 
-            copy_files_except_ext(&entry, &target_file_path, true, avoid_dir, ext_blacklist)?;
+            copy_files_except_ignored(&entry, &target_file_path, true, avoid_dir, ignore)?;
         } else if metadata.is_file() {
-            // Check if it is in the blacklist
-            if let Some(ext) = entry.extension() {
-                if ext_blacklist.contains(&ext.to_str().unwrap()) {
-                    continue;
-                }
-            }
             debug!("Copying {entry:?} to {target_file_path:?}");
             copy(&entry, &target_file_path)?;
         }
@@ -268,7 +296,7 @@ mod tests {
         if let Err(e) =
             copy_files_except_ext(tmp.path(), &tmp.path().join("output"), true, None, &["md"])
         {
-            panic!("Error while executing the function:\n{e:?}");
+            panic!("Error while executing the function:\n{:?}", e);
         }
 
         // Check if the correct files where created
diff --git a/test_book/src/.mdbookignore b/test_book/src/.mdbookignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6a79f808a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_book/src/.mdbookignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+ignored_file
diff --git a/test_book/src/ignored_file b/test_book/src/ignored_file
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1ce1f71700
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_book/src/ignored_file
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+This will not be copied to the book directory.