diff --git a/main.js b/main.js
index a2bc259..43fe35e 100644
--- a/main.js
+++ b/main.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 var path = require('path')
+  , sys = require('sys')
   , fs = require('fs')
   , watch = require('watch')
   , request = require('request')
@@ -113,10 +114,35 @@ function copy (obj) {
 function playSound () {
   spawn("/usr/bin/afplay", ["/System/Library/Sounds/Blow.aiff"]);
 }
-  
+
 function createApp (doc, url, cb) {
   var app = {doc:doc}
   
+  
+  //check if .couchappignore exists, if it does, read it in
+  var ignoreFiles=[];
+  try{
+  if(fs.statSync(path.join(process.cwd(),".couchappignore")).isFile())
+   ignoreFiles = eval(fs.readFileSync(path.join(process.cwd(),".couchappignore")).toString()); 
+  }
+  catch(err) {}
+
+  console.log("ignore: " + ignoreFiles);
+
+  //utility function to detect filtered files
+  var filter = function(f){
+                                var match=false;
+                                ignoreFiles.forEach(
+                                    function(exp,i,arr){
+                                    if(new RegExp(exp).test(f))
+                                    {
+                                        match=true;
+                                        console.log("Ignoring file: " + f + " matching ignore rule: " + exp);
+                                    }
+                                });
+                                return match;
+                            }
+  
   app.fds = {};
   
   app.prepare = function () {
@@ -159,7 +185,7 @@ function createApp (doc, url, cb) {
       })
     })
   }
-  
+
   app.push = function (callback) {
     var revpos
       , pending_dirs = 0
@@ -176,11 +202,12 @@ function createApp (doc, url, cb) {
 
     pending_dirs = app.doc.__attachments.length;
     app.doc.__attachments.forEach(function (att) {
-      watch.walk(att.root, {ignoreDotFiles:true}, function (err, files) {
+      watch.walk(att.root, {ignoreDotFiles:true, filter:filter}, 
+        function (err, files) {
         var pending_files = Object.keys(files).length;
         for (i in files) { (function (f) {
           fs.readFile(f, function (err, data) {
-            f = f.replace(att.root, att.prefix || '').replace(/\\/g,"/");
+            f = f.replace(att.root, att.prefix || '');
             if (f[0] == '/') f = f.slice(1)
             if (!err) {
               var d = data.toString('base64')
@@ -231,20 +258,32 @@ function createApp (doc, url, cb) {
     
     app.push(function () {
       var changes = [];
+      //read in the .couchappignore file, if it exists
+      //var ignore = 
       console.log('Watching files for changes...')
+      //check if .couchappignore exists, if it does, read it in
+      var ignoreFiles=[];
+      try{
+      if(fs.statSync(path.join(process.cwd(),".couchappignore")).isFile())
+       ignoreFiles = eval(fs.readFileSync(path.join(process.cwd(),".couchappignore")).toString()); 
+      }
+      catch(err) {}
+      console.log("ignore: " + ignoreFiles);
+
       app.doc.__attachments.forEach(function (att) {
         var pre = att.root
         if (pre[pre.length - 1] !== '/') pre += '/';
-        watch.createMonitor(att.root, {ignoreDotFiles:true}, function (monitor) {
+        watch.createMonitor(att.root, {ignoreDotFiles:true, filter:filter}, 
+        function (monitor) {
           monitor.on("removed", function (f, stat) {
             f = f.replace(pre, '');
-            changes.push([null, f]);
+            if(!filter(f)) changes.push([null, f]);
           })
           monitor.on("created", function (f, stat) {
-            changes.push([f, f.replace(pre, ''), stat]);
+            if(!filter(f)) changes.push([f, f.replace(pre, ''), stat]);
           })
           monitor.on("changed", function (f, curr, prev) {
-            changes.push([f, f.replace(pre, ''), curr]);
+            if(!filter(f)) changes.push([f, f.replace(pre, ''), curr]);
           })
         })
       })
@@ -311,4 +350,4 @@ function createApp (doc, url, cb) {
 exports.createApp = createApp
 exports.loadAttachments = loadAttachments
 exports.bin = require('./bin')
-exports.loadFiles = loadFiles
+exports.loadFiles = loadFiles
\ No newline at end of file