diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 86df721..a6cd21f 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -37,6 +37,16 @@ const (
 
 	// PUBDIR is the default directory for publishing final built content
 	PUBDIR = ".pub"
+
+	// DefaultIgnore is the default set of ignore patterns if no .zsignore
+	DefaultIgnore = `*~
+*.bak
+
+COPYING
+Dockerfile
+LICENSE
+Makefile
+README.md`
 )
 
 // Ignore holds a set of patterns to ignore from parsing a .zsignore file
@@ -483,6 +493,14 @@ func buildAll(ctx context.Context, watch bool) error {
 		case <-ticker.C:
 			os.Mkdir(PUBDIR, 0755)
 			filepath.Walk(".", func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
+				// rebuild if changes to .zs/ or .zsignore
+				if (filepath.Base(path) == ZSIGNORE || filepath.Dir(path) == ZSDIR) && info.ModTime().After(lastModified) {
+					Ignore = ParseIgnoreFile(path)
+					// reset lastModified to 0 so everything rebuidls
+					lastModified = time.Unix(0, 0)
+					return nil
+				}
+
 				// ignore hidden files and directories and ignored patterns
 				if filepath.Base(path)[0] == '.' || strings.HasPrefix(path, ".") || Ignore.MatchesPath(path) {
 					return nil
@@ -578,17 +596,23 @@ func init() {
 	ensureFirstPath(filepath.Join(w, ZSDIR))
 }
 
+func ParseIgnoreFile(fn string) *ignore.GitIgnore {
+	obj, err := ignore.CompileIgnoreFile(ZSIGNORE)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.WithError(err).Warnf("error parsing .zsignore: % (using defaults)s", fn)
+		return ignore.CompileIgnoreLines(DefaultIgnore)
+	}
+
+	return obj
+}
+
 func main() {
 	// prepend .zs to $PATH, so plugins will be found before OS commands
 	w, _ := os.Getwd()
 	ensureFirstPath(filepath.Join(w, ZSDIR))
 
 	// initialise Ignore (.zsignore) patterns
-	if ignoreObject, err := ignore.CompileIgnoreFile(ZSIGNORE); err == nil {
-		Ignore = ignoreObject
-	} else {
-		Ignore = ignore.CompileIgnoreLines("")
-	}
+	Ignore = ParseIgnoreFile(ZSIGNORE)
 
 	if err := RootCmd.Execute(); err != nil {
 		log.WithError(err).Error("error executing command")