diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6a7ee0e63a94..ace8a694c487 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -9,3 +9,4 @@
 .DS_Store
 /Library/LinkedKegs
 /Library/Taps
+/Library/Formula/.gitignore
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/tap.rb b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/tap.rb
index e1f53db8bcd2..a311af7f0c40 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/tap.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/tap.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+require 'tempfile'
+
 HOMEBREW_LIBRARY = HOMEBREW_REPOSITORY/"Library"
 
 module Homebrew extend self
@@ -19,12 +21,23 @@ def install_tap user, repo
     raise "Already tapped!" if tapd.directory?
     abort unless system "git clone https://github.com/#{user}/homebrew-#{repo} #{tapd}"
 
+    gitignores = (HOMEBREW_LIBRARY/"Formula/.gitignore").read.split rescue []
+
     cd HOMEBREW_LIBRARY/"Formula"
     tapd.find_formula do |relative_pathname|
       # using the system ln is the only way to get relative symlinks
       system "ln -s ../Taps/#{user}-#{repo}/#{relative_pathname} 2>/dev/null"
-      opoo "#{relative_pathname.basename(".rb")} conflicts" unless $?.success?
+      if $?.success?
+        gitignores << relative_pathname.basename.to_s
+      else
+        opoo "#{relative_pathname.basename, ".rb"} conflicts"
+      end
     end
+
+    tf = Tempfile.new("brew-tap")
+    tf.write(gitignores.uniq.join("\n"))
+    tf.close
+    mv tf.path, "#{HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/Library/Formula/.gitignore"
   end
 
   private
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/untap.rb b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/untap.rb
index 78778e6fc191..80d38934b000 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/untap.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/untap.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 require 'cmd/tap' # for Pathname.recursive_formula
+require 'tempfile'
 
 module Homebrew extend self
   def untap
@@ -7,11 +8,19 @@ def untap
 
     raise "No such tap!" unless tapd.directory?
 
+    gitignores = (HOMEBREW_PREFIX/"Library/Formula/.gitignore").read.split rescue []
+
     tapd.find_formula do |pn|
-      pn = HOMEBREW_REPOSITORY/"Library/Formula"/pn.basename
+      bn = pn.basename.to_s
+      pn = HOMEBREW_REPOSITORY/"Library/Formula"/bn
       pn.delete if pn.symlink? and pn.realpath.to_s =~ %r[^#{tapd.realpath}]
+      gitignores.delete(bn)
     end
-
     rm_rf tapd
+
+    tf = Tempfile.new("brew-untap")
+    tf.write(gitignores.join("\n"))
+    tf.close
+    mv tf.path, "#{HOMEBREW_PREFIX}/Library/Formula/.gitignore"
   end
 end