diff --git a/integration/dockerfiles/Dockerfile_test_dockerignore_relative b/integration/dockerfiles/Dockerfile_test_dockerignore_relative
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bc9426805
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration/dockerfiles/Dockerfile_test_dockerignore_relative
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# This dockerfile makes sure Dockerfile.dockerignore is working
+# If so then ignore_relative/foo should copy to /foo
+# If not, then this image won't build because it will attempt to copy three files to /foo, which is a file not a directory
+FROM scratch 
+COPY ignore_relative/* /foo
diff --git a/integration/dockerfiles/Dockerfile_test_dockerignore_relative.dockerignore b/integration/dockerfiles/Dockerfile_test_dockerignore_relative.dockerignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7f5371bdd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration/dockerfiles/Dockerfile_test_dockerignore_relative.dockerignore
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# A .dockerignore file to make sure dockerignore support works
+ignore_relative/**
+!ignore_relative/foo
diff --git a/integration/ignore_relative/bar b/integration/ignore_relative/bar
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/integration/ignore_relative/baz b/integration/ignore_relative/baz
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/integration/ignore_relative/foo b/integration/ignore_relative/foo
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/pkg/executor/build.go b/pkg/executor/build.go
index e134e52b5..45f23cca3 100644
--- a/pkg/executor/build.go
+++ b/pkg/executor/build.go
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ func DoBuild(opts *config.KanikoOptions) (v1.Image, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	if err := util.GetExcludedFiles(opts.SrcContext); err != nil {
+	if err := util.GetExcludedFiles(opts.DockerfilePath, opts.SrcContext); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	// Some stages may refer to other random images, not previous stages
diff --git a/pkg/util/command_util_test.go b/pkg/util/command_util_test.go
index 3e2342595..cd1a324a2 100644
--- a/pkg/util/command_util_test.go
+++ b/pkg/util/command_util_test.go
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ 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 {
+			if err := GetExcludedFiles("", buildContextPath); err != nil {
 				t.Fatalf("error getting excluded files: %v", err)
 			}
 			err := IsSrcsValid(test.srcsAndDest, test.resolvedSources, buildContextPath)
diff --git a/pkg/util/fs_util.go b/pkg/util/fs_util.go
index 338caa02a..cc9e4a4bd 100644
--- a/pkg/util/fs_util.go
+++ b/pkg/util/fs_util.go
@@ -554,11 +554,15 @@ func CopyFile(src, dest, buildcontext string) (bool, error) {
 }
 
 // GetExcludedFiles gets a list of files to exclude from the .dockerignore
-func GetExcludedFiles(buildcontext string) error {
-	path := filepath.Join(buildcontext, ".dockerignore")
+func GetExcludedFiles(dockerfilepath string, buildcontext string) error {
+	path := dockerfilepath + ".dockerignore"
+	if !FilepathExists(path) {
+		path = filepath.Join(buildcontext, ".dockerignore")
+	}
 	if !FilepathExists(path) {
 		return nil
 	}
+	logrus.Infof("Using dockerignore file: %v", path)
 	contents, err := ioutil.ReadFile(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "parsing .dockerignore")
diff --git a/pkg/util/fs_util_test.go b/pkg/util/fs_util_test.go
index c44908056..37cb7b034 100644
--- a/pkg/util/fs_util_test.go
+++ b/pkg/util/fs_util_test.go
@@ -694,3 +694,49 @@ func Test_childDirInWhitelist(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func Test_correctDockerignoreFileIsUsed(t *testing.T) {
+	type args struct {
+		dockerfilepath string
+		buildcontext   string
+		excluded       string
+		notExcluded    string
+	}
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		args args
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "relative dockerfile used",
+			args: args{
+				dockerfilepath: "../../integration/dockerfiles/Dockerfile_test_dockerignore_relative",
+				buildcontext:   "../../integration/",
+				excluded:       "ignore_relative/bar",
+				notExcluded:    "ignore_relative/foo",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "context dockerfile is used",
+			args: args{
+				dockerfilepath: "../../integration/dockerfiles/Dockerfile_test_dockerignore",
+				buildcontext:   "../../integration/",
+				excluded:       "ignore/bar",
+				notExcluded:    "ignore/foo",
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			excluded = nil
+			if err := GetExcludedFiles(tt.args.dockerfilepath, tt.args.buildcontext); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			if excl := excludeFile(tt.args.excluded, tt.args.buildcontext); !excl {
+				t.Errorf("'%v' not excluded as expected", tt.args.excluded)
+			}
+			if excl := excludeFile(tt.args.notExcluded, tt.args.buildcontext); excl {
+				t.Errorf("'%v' excluded against expectation", tt.args.notExcluded)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}