diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c45b8bd098c82c6f0b857ce4598a69dfbe078879..bd64eb5b1a7f94cb87a9e0d6a6240a9e495f980e 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,44 +1,17 @@
+# vim related ignores
+*.swp
+.lvimrc
+
+# emacs related ignores
 *#*#
 *.#*#
-*.[187]
-*.[187].in
-*.a
-*.cov
-*.exe
-*.exe.manifest
-*.gcda
-*.gcno
-*.gcov
-*.html
-*.i
-*.la
-*.lo
-*.loT
-*.o
-*.orig
-*.pem
-*.pyc
-*.rej
-*.s
-*.service
-*.socket
-*.swp
-*~
 .#*
-.color_coded
-.deps
-.dirstamp
-.gdb_history
-.git
-.git-module-status
-.libs
-.lvimrc
-.memdump
-.sc-start-sc_*
-.ycm_extra_conf.py
+
+# autotools related ignores
+!/m4/virt-*.m4
+*.cov
 /AUTHORS
 /INSTALL
-/NEWS
 /aclocal.m4
 /autom4te.cache
 /build-aux/.gitignore
@@ -46,70 +19,32 @@
 /build-aux/depcomp
 /build-aux/missing
 /build-aux/test-driver
-/build/
-/ci/scratch/
-/confdefs.h
-/config.cache
-/config.guess
-/config.h
 /config.h.in
 /config.log
-/config.rpath
-/config.status
-/config.sub
 /configure
-/configure.lineno
-/conftest.*
-/docs/aclperms.htmlinc
-/docs/apibuild.py.stamp
-/docs/devhelp/libvirt.devhelp
-/docs/hvsupport.html.in
-/docs/libvirt-admin-*.xml
-/docs/libvirt-api.xml
-/docs/libvirt-lxc-*.xml
-/docs/libvirt-qemu-*.xml
-/docs/libvirt-refs.xml
-/docs/news.html.in
-/docs/todo.html.in
-/examples/c/admin/client_close
-/examples/c/admin/client_info
-/examples/c/admin/client_limits
-/examples/c/admin/list_clients
-/examples/c/admin/list_servers
-/examples/c/admin/logging
-/examples/c/admin/threadpool_params
-/examples/c/domain/dommigrate
-/examples/c/domain/domtop
-/examples/c/domain/info1
-/examples/c/domain/rename
-/examples/c/domain/suspend
-/examples/c/misc/event-test
-/examples/c/misc/hellolibvirt
-/examples/c/misc/openauth
+/m4/*
+Makefile.in
+
+# gnulib related ignores
+!/gnulib/lib/Makefile.am
+!/gnulib/tests/Makefile.am
+*.rej
+*~
 /gnulib/lib/*
 /gnulib/m4/*
 /gnulib/tests/*
-/include/libvirt/libvirt-common.h
-/libtool
-/libvirt-*.tar.xz
-/libvirt-[0-9]*
-/libvirt*.pc
-/libvirt.spec
-/ltconfig
-/ltmain.sh
-/m4/*
-/mingw-libvirt.spec
-/mkinstalldirs
+
+# git related ignores
+*.orig
+.git-module-status
+
+# libvirt related ignores
+!/po/*.mini.po
+/build/
+/ci/scratch/
 /po/*gmo
 /po/*po
-!/po/*.mini.po
 /po/*pot
-/proxy/
-/python/
-/run
-/sc_*
-/src/.*.stamp
-/src/*.pc
 /src/access/org.libvirt.api.policy
 /src/access/viraccessapicheck.c
 /src/access/viraccessapicheck.h
@@ -120,151 +55,19 @@
 /src/admin/admin_client.h
 /src/admin/admin_protocol.[ch]
 /src/admin/admin_server_dispatch_stubs.h
-/src/admin/libvirt_admin.def
-/src/admin/libvirt_admin.syms
-/src/bhyve/test_libvirtd_bhyve.aug
-/src/bhyve/test_virtbhyved.aug
-/src/bhyve/virtbhyved.aug
-/src/bhyve/virtbhyved.conf
 /src/esx/*.generated.*
 /src/hyperv/*.generated.*
-/src/interface/test_virtinterfaced.aug
-/src/interface/virtinterfaced.aug
-/src/interface/virtinterfaced.conf
-/src/libvirt*.def
-/src/libvirt.syms
-/src/libvirt_access.syms
-/src/libvirt_access.xml
-/src/libvirt_access_lxc.syms
-/src/libvirt_access_lxc.xml
-/src/libvirt_access_qemu.syms
-/src/libvirt_access_qemu.xml
-/src/libvirt_*.stp
-/src/libvirt_*helper
-/src/libvirt_*probes.h
-/src/libvirt_lxc
-/src/libvirtd
-/src/libvirtd*.logrotate
-/src/libxl/test_libvirtd_libxl.aug
-/src/libxl/test_virtxend.aug
-/src/libxl/virtxend.aug
-/src/libxl/virtxend.conf
-/src/locking/libxl-lockd.conf
-/src/locking/libxl-sanlock.conf
 /src/locking/lock_daemon_dispatch_stubs.h
 /src/locking/lock_protocol.[ch]
-/src/locking/qemu-lockd.conf
-/src/locking/qemu-sanlock.conf
-/src/locking/test_libvirt_sanlock.aug
-/src/locking/test_libvirt_lockd.aug
-/src/locking/test_virtlockd.aug
 /src/logging/log_daemon_dispatch_stubs.h
 /src/logging/log_protocol.[ch]
-/src/logging/test_virtlogd.aug
 /src/lxc/lxc_controller_dispatch.h
 /src/lxc/lxc_monitor_dispatch.h
 /src/lxc/lxc_monitor_protocol.c
 /src/lxc/lxc_monitor_protocol.h
-/src/lxc/lxc_protocol.[ch]
-/src/lxc/test_libvirtd_lxc.aug
-/src/lxc/test_virtlxcd.aug
-/src/lxc/virtlxcd.aug
-/src/lxc/virtlxcd.conf
-/src/network/test_virtnetworkd.aug
-/src/network/virtnetworkd.aug
-/src/network/virtnetworkd.conf
-/src/node_device/test_virtnodedevd.aug
-/src/node_device/virtnodedevd.aug
-/src/node_device/virtnodedevd.conf
-/src/nwfilter/test_virtnwfilterd.aug
-/src/nwfilter/virtnwfilterd.aug
-/src/nwfilter/virtnwfilterd.conf
-/src/qemu/test_libvirtd_qemu.aug
-/src/qemu/test_virtqemud.aug
-/src/qemu/virtqemud.aug
-/src/qemu/virtqemud.conf
 /src/remote/*_client_bodies.h
 /src/remote/*_protocol.[ch]
 /src/remote/*_stubs.h
-/src/remote/libvirtd.aug
-/src/remote/libvirtd.conf
-/src/remote/test_libvirtd.aug
-/src/remote/test_virtproxyd.aug
-/src/remote/virtproxyd.aug
-/src/remote/virtproxyd.conf
 /src/rpc/virkeepaliveprotocol.[ch]
 /src/rpc/virnetprotocol.[ch]
-/src/secret/test_virtsecretd.aug
-/src/secret/virtsecretd.aug
-/src/secret/virtsecretd.conf
-/src/storage/test_virtstoraged.aug
-/src/storage/virtstoraged.aug
-/src/storage/virtstoraged.conf
-/src/test*.aug
-/src/util/virkeycodetable*.h
-/src/util/virkeynametable*.h
-/src/vbox/test_virtvboxd.aug
-/src/vbox/virtvboxd.aug
-/src/vbox/virtvboxd.conf
-/src/virt-aa-helper
-/src/virtbhyved
-/src/virtinterfaced
-/src/virtxend
-/src/virtlockd
-/src/virtlogd
-/src/virtlxcd
-/src/virtnetworkd
-/src/virtnodedevd
-/src/virtnwfilterd
-/src/virtproxyd
-/src/virtqemud
-/src/virtsecretd
-/src/virtstoraged
-/src/virtvboxd
-/src/virtvzd
-/src/virt-guest-shutdown.target
-/src/vz/test_virtvzd.aug
-/src/vz/virtvzd.aug
-/src/vz/virtvzd.conf
-/tests/*.log
-/tests/*.pid
-/tests/*.trs
-/tests/*test
-/tests/commandhelper
-/tests/qemucapsprobe
-!/tests/virsh-self-test
-!/tests/virt-aa-helper-test
-!/tests/virt-admin-self-test
-/tests/reconnect
-/tests/ssh
-/tests/test_file_access.txt
-/tests/test_conf
-/tools/libvirt-guests.sh
-/tools/virt-login-shell
-/tools/virt-login-shell-helper
-/tools/virsh
-/tools/virsh-*-edit.c
-/tools/virt-admin
-/tools/virt-*-validate
-/tools/virt-sanlock-cleanup
-/tools/wireshark/src/libvirt
-/update.log
-GPATH
-GRTAGS
-GTAGS
-Makefile
-Makefile.in
-TAGS
-coverage
-cscope.files
-cscope.in.out
-cscope.out
-cscope.po.out
-results.log
-stamp-h
-stamp-h.in
-stamp-h1
 tags
-!/gnulib/lib/Makefile.am
-!/gnulib/tests/Makefile.am
-!/m4/virt-*.m4