diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index fd5b70c7af..c81ead1375 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,13 +1,10 @@
 /book/html/
 /book/src/img/
 /book/src/tests.ok
-/core/target/
 /farf/
-/ledger-tool/target/
 /solana-release/
 solana-release.tar.bz2
 /target/
-/wallet/target/
 
 **/*.rs.bk
 .cargo
diff --git a/bench-streamer/.gitignore b/bench-streamer/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bench-streamer/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/ci/nits.sh b/ci/nits.sh
index 8dd39340c0..55c69bb1f5 100755
--- a/ci/nits.sh
+++ b/ci/nits.sh
@@ -38,3 +38,17 @@ if _ git grep 'Default::default()' -- '*.rs'; then
     exit 1
 fi
 
+# Let's keep a .gitignore for every crate, ensure it's got
+#  /target/ in it
+declare gitignores_ok=true
+for i in $(git ls-files \*/Cargo.toml ); do
+  dir=$(dirname "$i")
+  if [[ ! -f $dir/.gitignore ]]; then
+      echo 'error: nits.sh .gitnore missing for crate '"$dir" >&2
+      gitignores_ok=false
+  elif ! grep -q -e '^/target/$' "$dir"/.gitignore; then
+      echo 'error: nits.sh "/target/" apparently missing from '"$dir"'/.gitignore' >&2
+      gitignores_ok=false
+  fi
+done
+"$gitignores_ok"
diff --git a/client/.gitignore b/client/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/core/.gitignore b/core/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/drone/.gitignore b/drone/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/drone/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/fullnode/.gitignore b/fullnode/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fullnode/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/genesis/.gitignore b/genesis/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/genesis/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/gossip/.gitignore b/gossip/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gossip/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/install/.gitignore b/install/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/install/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/keygen/.gitignore b/keygen/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/keygen/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/kvstore/.gitignore b/kvstore/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kvstore/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/ledger-tool/.gitignore b/ledger-tool/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ledger-tool/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/logger/.gitignore b/logger/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/logger/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/metrics/.gitignore b/metrics/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/metrics/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/netutil/.gitignore b/netutil/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/netutil/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/programs/bpf/.gitignore b/programs/bpf/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programs/bpf/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/programs/bpf_loader/.gitignore b/programs/bpf_loader/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programs/bpf_loader/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/programs/budget_api/.gitignore b/programs/budget_api/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programs/budget_api/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/programs/budget_program/.gitignore b/programs/budget_program/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programs/budget_program/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/programs/config_api/.gitignore b/programs/config_api/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programs/config_api/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/programs/config_program/.gitignore b/programs/config_program/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programs/config_program/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/programs/exchange_api/.gitignore b/programs/exchange_api/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programs/exchange_api/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/programs/exchange_program/.gitignore b/programs/exchange_program/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programs/exchange_program/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/programs/failure_program/.gitignore b/programs/failure_program/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programs/failure_program/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/programs/noop_program/.gitignore b/programs/noop_program/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programs/noop_program/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/programs/stake_api/.gitignore b/programs/stake_api/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programs/stake_api/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/programs/stake_program/.gitignore b/programs/stake_program/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programs/stake_program/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/programs/storage_api/.gitignore b/programs/storage_api/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programs/storage_api/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/programs/storage_program/.gitignore b/programs/storage_program/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programs/storage_program/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/programs/token_api/.gitignore b/programs/token_api/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programs/token_api/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/programs/token_program/.gitignore b/programs/token_program/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programs/token_program/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/programs/vote_api/.gitignore b/programs/vote_api/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programs/vote_api/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/programs/vote_program/.gitignore b/programs/vote_program/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/programs/vote_program/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/replicator/.gitignore b/replicator/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/replicator/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/runtime/.gitignore b/runtime/.gitignore
index 2f7896d1d1..b83d22266a 100644
--- a/runtime/.gitignore
+++ b/runtime/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1 @@
-target/
+/target/
diff --git a/sdk/.gitignore b/sdk/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sdk/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/upload-perf/.gitignore b/upload-perf/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/upload-perf/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/vote-signer/.gitignore b/vote-signer/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vote-signer/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/
diff --git a/wallet/.gitignore b/wallet/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b83d22266a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wallet/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/target/