diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/nix-gitignore/default.nix b/pkgs/build-support/nix-gitignore/default.nix
index fba09adc2d41..abfe67ea4304 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/nix-gitignore/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/nix-gitignore/default.nix
@@ -150,10 +150,10 @@ in rec {
       '');
 
   withGitignoreFile = patterns: root:
-    lib.toList patterns ++ [(root + "/.gitignore")];
+    lib.toList patterns ++ [ ".git" ] ++ [(root + "/.gitignore")];
 
   withRecursiveGitignoreFile = patterns: root:
-    lib.toList patterns ++ [(compileRecursiveGitignore root)];
+    lib.toList patterns ++ [ ".git" ] ++ [(compileRecursiveGitignore root)];
 
   # filterSource derivatives