diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 61f2f07f2..7da888cf9 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@ debian
 *swp
 *.pyc
 .DS_Store
+build*/
diff --git a/firmware/fx2/.gitignore b/firmware/fx2/.gitignore
index e9fd37231..e6405860e 100644
--- a/firmware/fx2/.gitignore
+++ b/firmware/fx2/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
-/build
 *.sym
diff --git a/firmware/octoclock/.gitignore b/firmware/octoclock/.gitignore
index d6e09dedb..a39790fed 100644
--- a/firmware/octoclock/.gitignore
+++ b/firmware/octoclock/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-build
 *.o
 *.elf
 *.hex
diff --git a/firmware/usrp2/.gitignore b/firmware/usrp2/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index 796b96d1c..000000000
--- a/firmware/usrp2/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-/build
diff --git a/firmware/usrp3/.gitignore b/firmware/usrp3/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index 796b96d1c..000000000
--- a/firmware/usrp3/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-/build
diff --git a/fpga/usrp2/top/.gitignore b/fpga/usrp2/top/.gitignore
index 0d90f1698..bf1b77066 100644
--- a/fpga/usrp2/top/.gitignore
+++ b/fpga/usrp2/top/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
 /*.sav
-build*
diff --git a/fpga/usrp2/top/B100/.gitignore b/fpga/usrp2/top/B100/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index 1b2211df0..000000000
--- a/fpga/usrp2/top/B100/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-build*
diff --git a/fpga/usrp2/top/N2x0/.gitignore b/fpga/usrp2/top/N2x0/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index 1b2211df0..000000000
--- a/fpga/usrp2/top/N2x0/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-build*
diff --git a/fpga/usrp2/top/USRP2/.gitignore b/fpga/usrp2/top/USRP2/.gitignore
index f50a2b7e5..909572290 100644
--- a/fpga/usrp2/top/USRP2/.gitignore
+++ b/fpga/usrp2/top/USRP2/.gitignore
@@ -54,4 +54,3 @@
 /*.rpt
 /*.cel
 /*.restore
-/build*
diff --git a/fpga/usrp3/.gitignore b/fpga/usrp3/.gitignore
index 307a96618..68aaff85b 100644
--- a/fpga/usrp3/.gitignore
+++ b/fpga/usrp3/.gitignore
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 xsim_proj
 modelsim_proj
-build-ip
 .ip_user_files
 .Xil
 xsim.dir
diff --git a/fpga/usrp3/lib/io_port2/.gitignore b/fpga/usrp3/lib/io_port2/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index 796b96d1c..000000000
--- a/fpga/usrp3/lib/io_port2/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-/build
diff --git a/fpga/usrp3/top/b200/.gitignore b/fpga/usrp3/top/b200/.gitignore
index 376246b05..aaccdbeac 100644
--- a/fpga/usrp3/top/b200/.gitignore
+++ b/fpga/usrp3/top/b200/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-build*
 catcap_tb
 catgen_tb
 fuse*
diff --git a/fpga/usrp3/top/b2xxmini/.gitignore b/fpga/usrp3/top/b2xxmini/.gitignore
index f61be8ab7..ba7620bec 100644
--- a/fpga/usrp3/top/b2xxmini/.gitignore
+++ b/fpga/usrp3/top/b2xxmini/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-build*
 catcap_tb
 catgen_tb
 fuse*
diff --git a/fpga/usrp3/top/e31x/.gitignore b/fpga/usrp3/top/e31x/.gitignore
index 1b0a8a728..c010369ea 100644
--- a/fpga/usrp3/top/e31x/.gitignore
+++ b/fpga/usrp3/top/e31x/.gitignore
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-build
-build-*
 isim*
 fuse*
 tmp*
diff --git a/fpga/usrp3/top/e320/.gitignore b/fpga/usrp3/top/e320/.gitignore
index 1b0a8a728..c010369ea 100644
--- a/fpga/usrp3/top/e320/.gitignore
+++ b/fpga/usrp3/top/e320/.gitignore
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-build
-build-*
 isim*
 fuse*
 tmp*
diff --git a/fpga/usrp3/top/n3xx/.gitignore b/fpga/usrp3/top/n3xx/.gitignore
index 1b0a8a728..c010369ea 100644
--- a/fpga/usrp3/top/n3xx/.gitignore
+++ b/fpga/usrp3/top/n3xx/.gitignore
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-build
-build-*
 isim*
 fuse*
 tmp*
diff --git a/fpga/usrp3/top/n3xx/dboards/rh/cpld/.gitignore b/fpga/usrp3/top/n3xx/dboards/rh/cpld/.gitignore
index fcdcdf540..cc54b69ce 100644
--- a/fpga/usrp3/top/n3xx/dboards/rh/cpld/.gitignore
+++ b/fpga/usrp3/top/n3xx/dboards/rh/cpld/.gitignore
@@ -4,4 +4,3 @@ db/
 incremental_db/
 output_files/
 *.sopcinfo
-build/
diff --git a/fpga/usrp3/top/x300/.gitignore b/fpga/usrp3/top/x300/.gitignore
index 1b0a8a728..c010369ea 100644
--- a/fpga/usrp3/top/x300/.gitignore
+++ b/fpga/usrp3/top/x300/.gitignore
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-build
-build-*
 isim*
 fuse*
 tmp*
diff --git a/fpga/usrp3/top/x400/.gitignore b/fpga/usrp3/top/x400/.gitignore
index 21b2f4999..f6e670e58 100644
--- a/fpga/usrp3/top/x400/.gitignore
+++ b/fpga/usrp3/top/x400/.gitignore
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-build
-build-*
 *.log
 *.jou
 vivado*.str
diff --git a/fpga/usrp3/top/x400/cpld/.gitignore b/fpga/usrp3/top/x400/cpld/.gitignore
index fcdcdf540..cc54b69ce 100644
--- a/fpga/usrp3/top/x400/cpld/.gitignore
+++ b/fpga/usrp3/top/x400/cpld/.gitignore
@@ -4,4 +4,3 @@ db/
 incremental_db/
 output_files/
 *.sopcinfo
-build/
diff --git a/host/.gitignore b/host/.gitignore
index a3d6d91bf..dbdf56867 100644
--- a/host/.gitignore
+++ b/host/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
 !debian
-/build
 tags
 *~
diff --git a/host/docs/sphinx/.gitignore b/host/docs/sphinx/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index ce8c7a876..000000000
--- a/host/docs/sphinx/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-build/
-build_doxygen/
diff --git a/host/examples/extension_example/.gitignore b/host/examples/extension_example/.gitignore
index a3d6d91bf..dbdf56867 100644
--- a/host/examples/extension_example/.gitignore
+++ b/host/examples/extension_example/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
 !debian
-/build
 tags
 *~
diff --git a/host/examples/init_usrp/.gitignore b/host/examples/init_usrp/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index 567609b12..000000000
--- a/host/examples/init_usrp/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-build/
diff --git a/host/examples/rfnoc-gain/.gitignore b/host/examples/rfnoc-gain/.gitignore
index a5f29446b..c0f49890d 100644
--- a/host/examples/rfnoc-gain/.gitignore
+++ b/host/examples/rfnoc-gain/.gitignore
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-build/
-build-ip/
 xsim*log
 xsim_proj
 modelsim_proj
diff --git a/host/examples/rfnoc-gain/gr-rfnoc_gain/python/rfnoc_gain/.gitignore b/host/examples/rfnoc-gain/gr-rfnoc_gain/python/rfnoc_gain/.gitignore
index 85c92e8d3..46ce3e56a 100644
--- a/host/examples/rfnoc-gain/gr-rfnoc_gain/python/rfnoc_gain/.gitignore
+++ b/host/examples/rfnoc-gain/gr-rfnoc_gain/python/rfnoc_gain/.gitignore
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 *~
 *.pyc
 *.pyo
-build*/
 examples/grc/*.py
diff --git a/images/.gitignore b/images/.gitignore
index 6cebd43d7..d2a24a5cb 100644
--- a/images/.gitignore
+++ b/images/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-/build
 /images
 uhdimgs.pyc
 uhd-images*.tar.gz
diff --git a/mpm/.gitignore b/mpm/.gitignore
index 32f53b126..527e21ade 100644
--- a/mpm/.gitignore
+++ b/mpm/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
-build
-msvcbuild
\ No newline at end of file
+msvcbuild
diff --git a/tools/dissectors/.gitignore b/tools/dissectors/.gitignore
index 257f20c8c..aba7c5bdd 100644
--- a/tools/dissectors/.gitignore
+++ b/tools/dissectors/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
-build
 moduleinfo.h
diff --git a/tools/kitchen_sink/.gitignore b/tools/kitchen_sink/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index 567609b12..000000000
--- a/tools/kitchen_sink/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-build/
diff --git a/tools/nirio_programmer/.gitignore b/tools/nirio_programmer/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index 567609b12..000000000
--- a/tools/nirio_programmer/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-build/