diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 39c24e310..de8116141 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -321,6 +321,10 @@ _This flag must be used in conjunction with the `--cache=true` flag._
 
 Set this flag to cleanup the filesystem at the end, leaving a clean kaniko container (if you want to build multiple images in the same container, using the debug kaniko image)
 
+#### --ignore
+
+Set this flag to ignore files in your build context. For examples, set `--ignore pkg/*` to ignore all files in the `pkg` directory. 
+
 ### Debug Image
 
 The kaniko executor image is based off of scratch and doesn't contain a shell.
diff --git a/cmd/executor/cmd/root.go b/cmd/executor/cmd/root.go
index 55d256f28..089378442 100644
--- a/cmd/executor/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/executor/cmd/root.go
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ var RootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		if err := resolveSourceContext(); err != nil {
 			return errors.Wrap(err, "error resolving source context")
 		}
+		if err := removeIgnoredFiles(); err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "error removing ignored files from build context")
+		}
 		return resolveDockerfilePath()
 	},
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
@@ -91,6 +94,7 @@ func addKanikoOptionsFlags(cmd *cobra.Command) {
 	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().VarP(&opts.Destinations, "destination", "d", "Registry the final image should be pushed to. Set it repeatedly for multiple destinations.")
 	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&opts.SnapshotMode, "snapshotMode", "", "full", "Change the file attributes inspected during snapshotting")
 	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().VarP(&opts.BuildArgs, "build-arg", "", "This flag allows you to pass in ARG values at build time. Set it repeatedly for multiple values.")
+	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().VarP(&opts.Ignore, "ignore", "", "Set this flag to ignore files in the build context. Set it repeatedly for multiple values.")
 	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVarP(&opts.InsecurePush, "insecure", "", false, "Push to insecure registry using plain HTTP")
 	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVarP(&opts.SkipTLSVerify, "skip-tls-verify", "", false, "Push to insecure registry ignoring TLS verify")
 	RootCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&opts.TarPath, "tarPath", "", "", "Path to save the image in as a tarball instead of pushing")
@@ -182,6 +186,35 @@ func resolveSourceContext() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func removeIgnoredFiles() error {
+	logrus.Infof("Removing ignored files from build context: %s", opts.Ignore)
+	for r, i := range opts.Ignore {
+		opts.Ignore[r] = filepath.Clean(filepath.Join(opts.SrcContext, i))
+	}
+	err := filepath.Walk(opts.SrcContext, func(path string, fi os.FileInfo, _ error) error {
+		if ignoreFile(path) {
+			if err := os.RemoveAll(path); err != nil {
+				logrus.Debugf("error removing %s from buildcontext", path)
+			}
+		}
+		return nil
+	})
+	return err
+}
+
+func ignoreFile(path string) bool {
+	for _, i := range opts.Ignore {
+		matched, err := filepath.Match(i, path)
+		if err != nil {
+			return false
+		}
+		if matched {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 func exit(err error) {
 	fmt.Println(err)
 	os.Exit(1)
diff --git a/integration/dockerfiles/Dockerfile_test_ignore b/integration/dockerfiles/Dockerfile_test_ignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..04fdc2701
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration/dockerfiles/Dockerfile_test_ignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+FROM scratch
+COPY . .
diff --git a/integration/images.go b/integration/images.go
index 464db8cc8..daeeca24b 100644
--- a/integration/images.go
+++ b/integration/images.go
@@ -54,6 +54,16 @@ var argsMap = map[string][]string{
 	"Dockerfile_test_multistage": {"file=/foo2"},
 }
 
+var filesToIgnore = []string{"context/bar/*", "context/tars/"}
+
+func ignoreFlags() []string {
+	var f []string
+	for _, i := range filesToIgnore {
+		f = append(f, fmt.Sprintf("--ignore=%s", i))
+	}
+	return f
+}
+
 // Arguments to build Dockerfiles with when building with docker
 var additionalDockerFlagsMap = map[string][]string{
 	"Dockerfile_test_target": {"--target=second"},
@@ -64,6 +74,7 @@ var additionalKanikoFlagsMap = map[string][]string{
 	"Dockerfile_test_add":     {"--single-snapshot"},
 	"Dockerfile_test_scratch": {"--single-snapshot"},
 	"Dockerfile_test_target":  {"--target=second"},
+	"Dockerfile_test_ignore":  ignoreFlags(),
 }
 
 var bucketContextTests = []string{"Dockerfile_test_copy_bucket"}
@@ -110,9 +121,10 @@ func FindDockerFiles(dockerfilesPath string) ([]string, error) {
 // keeps track of which files have been built.
 type DockerFileBuilder struct {
 	// Holds all available docker files and whether or not they've been built
-	FilesBuilt           map[string]bool
-	DockerfilesToIgnore  map[string]struct{}
-	TestCacheDockerfiles map[string]struct{}
+	FilesBuilt            map[string]bool
+	DockerfilesToIgnore   map[string]struct{}
+	TestCacheDockerfiles  map[string]struct{}
+	TestIgnoreDockerfiles map[string]struct{}
 }
 
 // NewDockerFileBuilder will create a DockerFileBuilder initialized with dockerfiles, which
@@ -130,6 +142,9 @@ func NewDockerFileBuilder(dockerfiles []string) *DockerFileBuilder {
 		"Dockerfile_test_cache":         {},
 		"Dockerfile_test_cache_install": {},
 	}
+	d.TestIgnoreDockerfiles = map[string]struct{}{
+		"Dockerfile_test_ignore": {},
+	}
 	return &d
 }
 
@@ -158,11 +173,23 @@ func (d *DockerFileBuilder) BuildImage(imageRepo, gcsBucket, dockerfilesPath, do
 			"."},
 			additionalFlags...)...,
 	)
+	if d.includeDockerIgnore(dockerfile) {
+		if err := generateDockerIgnore(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
 	_, err := RunCommandWithoutTest(dockerCmd)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to build image %s with docker command \"%s\": %s", dockerImage, dockerCmd.Args, err)
 	}
 
+	if d.includeDockerIgnore(dockerfilesPath) {
+		if err := deleteDockerIgnore(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
 	contextFlag := "-c"
 	contextPath := buildContextPath
 	for _, d := range bucketContextTests {
@@ -252,3 +279,29 @@ func (d *DockerFileBuilder) buildCachedImages(imageRepo, cacheRepo, dockerfilesP
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (d *DockerFileBuilder) includeDockerIgnore(dockerfile string) bool {
+	for i := range d.TestIgnoreDockerfiles {
+		if i == dockerfile {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+func generateDockerIgnore() error {
+	f, err := os.Create(".dockerignore")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer f.Close()
+	contents := strings.Join(filesToIgnore, "\n")
+	if _, err := f.Write([]byte(contents)); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func deleteDockerIgnore() error {
+	return os.Remove(".dockerignore")
+}
diff --git a/pkg/config/options.go b/pkg/config/options.go
index fc15c1f21..2c9195598 100644
--- a/pkg/config/options.go
+++ b/pkg/config/options.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ type KanikoOptions struct {
 	CacheDir       string
 	Destinations   multiArg
 	BuildArgs      multiArg
+	Ignore         multiArg
 	InsecurePush   bool
 	SkipTLSVerify  bool
 	SingleSnapshot bool