diff --git a/pkg/executor/build.go b/pkg/executor/build.go
index 88ebafe14..67c36d7d8 100644
--- a/pkg/executor/build.go
+++ b/pkg/executor/build.go
@@ -337,6 +337,9 @@ func DoBuild(opts *config.KanikoOptions) (v1.Image, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	if err := util.GetExcludedFiles(opts.SrcContext); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	for index, stage := range stages {
 		sb, err := newStageBuilder(opts, stage)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/util/command_util_test.go b/pkg/util/command_util_test.go
index d4acfe003..c4c6fead4 100644
--- a/pkg/util/command_util_test.go
+++ b/pkg/util/command_util_test.go
@@ -382,6 +382,9 @@ var isSrcValidTests = []struct {
 func Test_IsSrcsValid(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, test := range isSrcValidTests {
 		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if err := GetExcludedFiles(buildContextPath); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("error getting excluded files: %v", err)
+			}
 			err := IsSrcsValid(test.srcsAndDest, test.resolvedSources, buildContextPath)
 			testutil.CheckError(t, test.shouldErr, err)
 		})
diff --git a/pkg/util/fs_util.go b/pkg/util/fs_util.go
index 0f3a8ed2e..8cc912fb4 100644
--- a/pkg/util/fs_util.go
+++ b/pkg/util/fs_util.go
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ var whitelist = []WhitelistEntry{
 	},
 }
 
+var excluded []string
+
 // GetFSFromImage extracts the layers of img to root
 // It returns a list of all files extracted
 func GetFSFromImage(root string, img v1.Image) ([]string, error) {
@@ -549,14 +551,25 @@ func CopyFile(src, dest, buildcontext string) (bool, error) {
 	return false, CreateFile(dest, srcFile, fi.Mode(), uid, gid)
 }
 
+// GetExcludedFiles gets a list of files to exclude from the .dockerignore
+func GetExcludedFiles(buildcontext string) error {
+	path := filepath.Join(buildcontext, ".dockerignore")
+	if !FilepathExists(path) {
+		return nil
+	}
+	contents, err := ioutil.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "parsing .dockerignore")
+	}
+	reader := bytes.NewBuffer(contents)
+	excluded, err = dockerignore.ReadAll(reader)
+	return err
+}
+
 // excludeFile returns true if the .dockerignore specified this file should be ignored
 func excludeFile(path, buildcontext string) bool {
-	excluded, err := parseDockerignore(buildcontext)
-	if err != nil {
-		logrus.Errorf("unable to parse dockerignore, including %s in build: %v", path, err)
-		return false
-	}
 	if HasFilepathPrefix(path, buildcontext, false) {
+		var err error
 		path, err = filepath.Rel(buildcontext, path)
 		if err != nil {
 			logrus.Errorf("unable to get relative path, including %s in build: %v", path, err)
@@ -571,20 +584,6 @@ func excludeFile(path, buildcontext string) bool {
 	return match
 }
 
-// parseDockerignore returns a list of all paths in .dockerignore
-func parseDockerignore(buildcontext string) ([]string, error) {
-	path := filepath.Join(buildcontext, ".dockerignore")
-	if !FilepathExists(path) {
-		return nil, nil
-	}
-	contents, err := ioutil.ReadFile(path)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "parsing .dockerignore")
-	}
-	reader := bytes.NewBuffer(contents)
-	return dockerignore.ReadAll(reader)
-}
-
 // HasFilepathPrefix checks  if the given file path begins with prefix
 func HasFilepathPrefix(path, prefix string, prefixMatchOnly bool) bool {
 	path = filepath.Clean(path)