diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1694b86e..11915d49 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ include ${MK}/sys.mk
 include ${MK}/os.mk
 include ${MK}/subdir.mk
 include ${MK}/dist.mk
-include ${MK}/gitignore.mk
 
 _installafter:
 	${INSTALL} -d ${DESTDIR}/${PREFIX}/${RC_LIB}/init.d
diff --git a/man/Makefile b/man/Makefile
index 5a63da82..7ec0df20 100644
--- a/man/Makefile
+++ b/man/Makefile
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ MAKE_LINKS=	suffix=$${man\#*.}; \
 
 MK=		../mk
 include ${MK}/sys.mk
-include ${MK}/gitignore.mk
+include ${MK}/svnignore.mk
 
 all:
 
diff --git a/mk/lib.mk b/mk/lib.mk
index e8b2eb7d..c5262383 100644
--- a/mk/lib.mk
+++ b/mk/lib.mk
@@ -64,4 +64,4 @@ extra_depend:
 include ${MK}/sys.mk
 include ${MK}/os.mk
 include ${MK}/depend.mk
-include ${MK}/gitignore.mk
+include ${MK}/svnignore.mk
diff --git a/mk/prog.mk b/mk/prog.mk
index c44b380e..3064e6e0 100644
--- a/mk/prog.mk
+++ b/mk/prog.mk
@@ -38,4 +38,4 @@ extra_depend:
 include ${MK}/sys.mk
 include ${MK}/os.mk
 include ${MK}/depend.mk
-include ${MK}/gitignore.mk
+include ${MK}/svnignore.mk
diff --git a/mk/scripts.mk b/mk/scripts.mk
index f65c1422..663731b8 100644
--- a/mk/scripts.mk
+++ b/mk/scripts.mk
@@ -56,4 +56,4 @@ CLEANFILES+=	${OBJS}
 clean:
 	@if test -n "${CLEANFILES}"; then echo "rm -f ${CLEANFILES}"; rm -f ${CLEANFILES}; fi 
 
-include ${MK}/gitignore.mk
+include ${MK}/svnignore.mk
diff --git a/mk/subdir.mk b/mk/subdir.mk
index 8ebaad4b..cf9628db 100644
--- a/mk/subdir.mk
+++ b/mk/subdir.mk
@@ -27,5 +27,5 @@ check test::
 	${_SUBDIR}
 depend:
 	${_SUBDIR}
-gitignore:
+ignore:
 	${_SUBDIR}
diff --git a/mk/gitignore.mk b/mk/svnignore.mk
similarity index 60%
rename from mk/gitignore.mk
rename to mk/svnignore.mk
index 50af3e55..6a979f62 100644
--- a/mk/gitignore.mk
+++ b/mk/svnignore.mk
@@ -1,15 +1,12 @@
-# rules to make .gitignore files
+# rules to make svn ignore files 
 # Copyright 2008 Roy Marples <roy@marples.name>
 # All rights reserved. Released under the 2-clause BSD license.
 
 IGNOREFILES+=	${CLEANFILES}
 
-.PHONY:		.gitignore
-
-.gitignore:
+ignore:
 	@if test -n "${IGNOREFILES}"; then \
 		echo "Ignoring ${IGNOREFILES}"; \
-		echo ${IGNOREFILES} | tr ' ' '\n' > .gitignore; \
+		files="$$(echo ${IGNOREFILES} | tr ' ' '\n')"; \
+		eval svn propset svn:ignore \'"$${files}"\' .; \
 	fi
-
-gitignore: .gitignore
diff --git a/runlevels/Makefile b/runlevels/Makefile
index b8a830af..fb882d94 100644
--- a/runlevels/Makefile
+++ b/runlevels/Makefile
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ INITDIR=	../init.d
 MK=		../mk
 include ${MK}/sys.mk
 include ${MK}/os.mk
-include ${MK}/gitignore.mk
+include ${MK}/svnignore.mk
 include Makefile.${OS}
 
 all:
diff --git a/src/test/Makefile b/src/test/Makefile
index bdc0587b..b57b8903 100644
--- a/src/test/Makefile
+++ b/src/test/Makefile
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ all:
 
 install:
 
-gitignore:
+ignore:
 
 check test::
 	./runtests.sh