diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 2beec26a..45a6e58b 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ topological-sort = "0.2.2"
 # Watch feature
 notify = { version = "6.1.1", optional = true }
 notify-debouncer-mini = { version = "0.4.1", optional = true }
-ignore = { version = "0.4.20", optional = true }
+ignore = { version = "0.4.20" }
 pathdiff = { version = "0.2.1", optional = true }
 
 # Serve feature
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ walkdir = "2.3.3"
 
 [features]
 default = ["watch", "serve", "search"]
-watch = ["dep:notify", "dep:notify-debouncer-mini", "dep:ignore", "dep:pathdiff"]
+watch = ["dep:notify", "dep:notify-debouncer-mini", "dep:pathdiff"]
 serve = ["dep:futures-util", "dep:tokio", "dep:warp"]
 search = ["dep:elasticlunr-rs", "dep:ammonia"]
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/html_handlebars/hbs_renderer.rs b/src/renderer/html_handlebars/hbs_renderer.rs
index 30d4c84b..5081ba99 100644
--- a/src/renderer/html_handlebars/hbs_renderer.rs
+++ b/src/renderer/html_handlebars/hbs_renderer.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
 use crate::utils::fs::get_404_output_file;
 use handlebars::Handlebars;
+use ignore::gitignore::GitignoreBuilder;
 use log::{debug, trace, warn};
 use once_cell::sync::Lazy;
 use regex::{Captures, Regex};
@@ -602,7 +603,23 @@ impl Renderer for HtmlHandlebars {
             .context("Unable to emit redirects")?;
 
         // Copy all remaining files, avoid a recursive copy from/to the book build dir
-        utils::fs::copy_files_except_ext(&src_dir, destination, true, Some(&build_dir), &["md"])?;
+        let mut builder = GitignoreBuilder::new(&src_dir);
+        let mdbook_ignore = src_dir.join(".mdbookignore");
+        if mdbook_ignore.exists() {
+            if let Some(err) = builder.add(mdbook_ignore) {
+                warn!("Unable to load '.mdbookignore' file: {}", err);
+            }
+        }
+        builder.add_line(None, "*.md")?;
+        let ignore = builder.build()?;
+
+        utils::fs::copy_files_except_ext(
+            &src_dir,
+            destination,
+            true,
+            Some(&build_dir),
+            Some(&ignore),
+        )?;
 
         Ok(())
     }
diff --git a/src/utils/fs.rs b/src/utils/fs.rs
index d0d56760..93299e8c 100644
--- a/src/utils/fs.rs
+++ b/src/utils/fs.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use crate::errors::*;
+use ignore::gitignore::Gitignore;
 use log::{debug, trace};
 use std::fs::{self, File};
 use std::io::Write;
@@ -92,13 +93,13 @@ pub fn copy_files_except_ext(
     to: &Path,
     recursive: bool,
     avoid_dir: Option<&PathBuf>,
-    ext_blacklist: &[&str],
+    ignore: Option<&Gitignore>,
 ) -> Result<()> {
     debug!(
         "Copying all files from {} to {} (blacklist: {:?}), avoiding {:?}",
         from.display(),
         to.display(),
-        ext_blacklist,
+        ignore,
         avoid_dir
     );
 
@@ -126,6 +127,13 @@ pub fn copy_files_except_ext(
                 }
             }
 
+            if let Some(ignore) = ignore {
+                let path = entry.path();
+                if ignore.matched(&path, path.is_dir()).is_ignore() {
+                    continue;
+                }
+            }
+
             // check if output dir already exists
             if !to.join(entry.file_name()).exists() {
                 fs::create_dir(&to.join(entry.file_name()))?;
@@ -136,15 +144,17 @@ pub fn copy_files_except_ext(
                 &to.join(entry.file_name()),
                 true,
                 avoid_dir,
-                ext_blacklist,
+                ignore,
             )?;
         } else if metadata.is_file() {
             // Check if it is in the blacklist
-            if let Some(ext) = entry.path().extension() {
-                if ext_blacklist.contains(&ext.to_str().unwrap()) {
+            if let Some(ignore) = ignore {
+                let path = entry.path();
+                if ignore.matched(&path, path.is_dir()).is_ignore() {
                     continue;
                 }
             }
+
             debug!(
                 "creating path for file: {:?}",
                 &to.join(
@@ -245,6 +255,7 @@ pub fn get_404_output_file(input_404: &Option<String>) -> String {
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::copy_files_except_ext;
+    use ignore::gitignore::GitignoreBuilder;
     use std::{fs, io::Result, path::Path};
 
     #[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
@@ -298,9 +309,19 @@ mod tests {
             panic!("Could not create output/sub_dir_exists: {}", err);
         }
 
-        if let Err(e) =
-            copy_files_except_ext(tmp.path(), &tmp.path().join("output"), true, None, &["md"])
-        {
+        let ignore = GitignoreBuilder::new(tmp.path())
+            .add_line(None, "*.md")
+            .expect("Unable to add '*.md' to gitignore builder")
+            .build()
+            .expect("Unable to build gitignore");
+
+        if let Err(e) = copy_files_except_ext(
+            tmp.path(),
+            &tmp.path().join("output"),
+            true,
+            None,
+            Some(&ignore),
+        ) {
             panic!("Error while executing the function:\n{:?}", e);
         }