diff --git a/src/Microsoft.DotNet.ProjectModel/Files/ProjectFilesCollection.cs b/src/Microsoft.DotNet.ProjectModel/Files/ProjectFilesCollection.cs
index 8444538b8..931e21cf5 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.DotNet.ProjectModel/Files/ProjectFilesCollection.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.DotNet.ProjectModel/Files/ProjectFilesCollection.cs
@@ -12,11 +12,12 @@ namespace Microsoft.DotNet.ProjectModel.Files
     public class ProjectFilesCollection
     {
         public static readonly string[] DefaultCompileBuiltInPatterns = new[] { @"**/*.cs" };
-        public static readonly string[] DefaultPublishExcludePatterns = new[] { @"obj/**/*.*", @"bin/**/*.*", @"**/.*/**", @"**/global.json", @"**/project.json", @"**/project.lock.json" };
         public static readonly string[] DefaultPreprocessPatterns = new[] { @"compiler/preprocess/**/*.cs" };
         public static readonly string[] DefaultSharedPatterns = new[] { @"compiler/shared/**/*.cs" };
         public static readonly string[] DefaultResourcesBuiltInPatterns = new[] { @"compiler/resources/**/*", "**/*.resx" };
-        public static readonly string[] DefaultContentsBuiltInPatterns = new[] { @"**/*" };
+
+        public static readonly string[] DefaultPublishExcludePatterns = new string[0];
+        public static readonly string[] DefaultContentsBuiltInPatterns = new string[0];
 
         public static readonly string[] DefaultBuiltInExcludePatterns = new[] { "bin/**", "obj/**", "**/*.xproj", "packages/**" };
 
@@ -73,11 +74,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.DotNet.ProjectModel.Files
                 .ExcludeGroup(_preprocessPatternsGroup)
                 .ExcludeGroup(_resourcePatternsGroup);
 
-            _contentPatternsGroup = PatternGroup.Build(_rawProject, _projectDirectory, _projectFilePath, "content", additionalIncluding: contentBuiltIns, additionalExcluding: excludePatterns.Concat(_publishExcludePatterns))
-                .ExcludeGroup(_compilePatternsGroup)
-                .ExcludeGroup(_preprocessPatternsGroup)
-                .ExcludeGroup(_sharedPatternsGroup)
-                .ExcludeGroup(_resourcePatternsGroup);
+            _contentPatternsGroup = PatternGroup.Build(_rawProject, _projectDirectory, _projectFilePath, "content", additionalIncluding: contentBuiltIns, additionalExcluding: _publishExcludePatterns);
 
             _namedResources = NamedResourceReader.ReadNamedResources(_rawProject, _projectFilePath);
 
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Tools.Publish/PublishCommand.cs b/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Tools.Publish/PublishCommand.cs
index 14784539d..a22d8eb80 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Tools.Publish/PublishCommand.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Tools.Publish/PublishCommand.cs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.PlatformAbstractions;
+using Microsoft.DotNet.Tools.Common;
 
 namespace Microsoft.DotNet.Tools.Publish
 {
@@ -128,6 +129,8 @@ namespace Microsoft.DotNet.Tools.Publish
                 PublishFiles(export.NativeLibraries, outputPath, nativeSubdirectories);
             }
 
+            CopyContents(context, outputPath);
+
             // Publish a host if this is an application
             if (options.EmitEntryPoint.GetValueOrDefault())
             {
@@ -250,5 +253,50 @@ namespace Microsoft.DotNet.Tools.Publish
                 }
             }
         }
+
+        private static void CopyContents(ProjectContext context, string outputPath)
+        {
+            var contentFiles = context.ProjectFile.Files.GetContentFiles();
+            Copy(contentFiles, context.ProjectDirectory, outputPath);
+        }
+
+        private static void Copy(IEnumerable<string> contentFiles, string sourceDirectory, string targetDirectory)
+        {
+            if (contentFiles == null)
+            {
+                throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(contentFiles));
+            }
+
+            sourceDirectory = PathUtility.EnsureTrailingSlash(sourceDirectory);
+            targetDirectory = PathUtility.EnsureTrailingSlash(targetDirectory);
+
+            foreach (var contentFilePath in contentFiles)
+            {
+                Reporter.Verbose.WriteLine($"Publishing {contentFilePath.Green().Bold()} ...");
+
+                var fileName = Path.GetFileName(contentFilePath);
+
+                var targetFilePath = contentFilePath.Replace(sourceDirectory, targetDirectory);
+                var targetFileParentFolder = Path.GetDirectoryName(targetFilePath);
+
+                // Create directory before copying a file
+                if (!Directory.Exists(targetFileParentFolder))
+                {
+                    Directory.CreateDirectory(targetFileParentFolder);
+                }
+
+                File.Copy(
+                    contentFilePath,
+                    targetFilePath,
+                    overwrite: true);
+
+                // clear read-only bit if set
+                var fileAttributes = File.GetAttributes(targetFilePath);
+                if ((fileAttributes & FileAttributes.ReadOnly) == FileAttributes.ReadOnly)
+                {
+                    File.SetAttributes(targetFilePath, fileAttributes & ~FileAttributes.ReadOnly);
+                }
+            }
+        }
     }
 }