diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 7dd8869b16..2b3e3aef1f 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,5 +1,2 @@
-*.o
-*.hi
-*.ho
-*.a
+build/*
 git-annex
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8b7c9d3a0e..876407de09 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 git-annex:
-	ghc --make git-annex
+	mkdir -p build
+	ghc -odir build -hidir build --make git-annex
 
 clean:
-	rm -f git-annex *.o *.hi *.ho *.a
+	rm -rf build git-annex
 
 .PHONY: git-annex