diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index b53b06b03ca..64b5e577607 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+# This file should only ignore things that are generatd during a build,
+# generated by common IDEs, and optional files controlled by the user
+# that affect the build (such as config.toml).
+# FIXME: This needs cleanup.
 *~
 .#*
 .DS_Store