diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a563186..a9e9a25 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -268,6 +268,12 @@ upaas fails the deploy instead of building. A Dockerfile that uses
 `RUN --network` needs Docker Engine 23.0 or later unless its `# syntax=` line
 names Dockerfile frontend 1.3 or later, such as `docker/dockerfile:1`.
 
+The build context leaves out the files the app's ignore file names, as
+`docker build` does: `<Dockerfile>.dockerignore` next to the app's Dockerfile if
+there is one, otherwise `.dockerignore` at the root of the repository. The
+Dockerfile and `.dockerignore` are always sent, even when the ignore file names
+them.
+
 Session secrets are automatically generated on first startup and persisted to
 `$UPAAS_DATA_DIR/session.key`.
 
diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index 196aba3..6d40707 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@ regress.
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-10-03: An app's build context leaves out the files its `.dockerignore`
+  names, such as `.git/config`, as `docker build` does; before, every file in
+  the clone was sent. An ignore file next to the Dockerfile,
+  `<Dockerfile>.dockerignore`, is read instead when there is one. The Dockerfile
+  and `.dockerignore` are always sent. An ignore file that cannot be read, or
+  holds a pattern Docker rejects, fails the build (#274).
+
 - 2026-10-02: In a window too narrow for the top bar, such as 390 px, the New
   App and Logout buttons move to a second row instead of running into "by
   @sneak"; the bar keeps a gap between its two sides at every width (#272).
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index b2de996..6dc00c9 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/joho/godotenv v1.5.1
 	github.com/mattn/go-sqlite3 v1.14.32
 	github.com/moby/buildkit v0.16.0
+	github.com/moby/patternmatcher v0.6.0
 	github.com/oklog/ulid/v2 v2.1.1
 	github.com/prometheus/client_golang v1.23.2
 	github.com/spf13/viper v1.21.0
@@ -60,7 +61,6 @@ require (
 	github.com/klauspost/compress v1.18.2 // indirect
 	github.com/moby/docker-image-spec v1.3.1 // indirect
 	github.com/moby/locker v1.0.1 // indirect
-	github.com/moby/patternmatcher v0.6.0 // indirect
 	github.com/moby/sys/sequential v0.6.0 // indirect
 	github.com/moby/sys/signal v0.7.1 // indirect
 	github.com/moby/sys/user v0.4.0 // indirect
diff --git a/internal/docker/buildcontext.go b/internal/docker/buildcontext.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2ec9428
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/docker/buildcontext.go
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+package docker
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"io/fs"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/archive"
+	"github.com/moby/patternmatcher"
+	"github.com/moby/patternmatcher/ignorefile"
+)
+
+// defaultDockerfileName is the Dockerfile Docker builds when none is named.
+const defaultDockerfileName = "Dockerfile"
+
+// defaultDockerignoreName is the ignore file at the root of a build context,
+// read when the Dockerfile has no ignore file of its own.
+const defaultDockerignoreName = ".dockerignore"
+
+// tarBuildContext returns a tar of the build context in contextDir that leaves
+// out the files the app's ignore file names, as docker build does; Docker does
+// not apply the ignore file to a build context sent as a tar. dockerfile is
+// the path of the Dockerfile inside contextDir.
+func tarBuildContext(contextDir, dockerfile string) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
+	excludes, err := readDockerignore(contextDir, dockerfile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return archive.TarWithOptions(contextDir, &archive.TarOptions{
+		ExcludePatterns: excludes,
+	})
+}
+
+// readDockerignore returns the patterns of the files to leave out of the
+// build context in contextDir, read as docker build reads them for the
+// Dockerfile at dockerfile: from <dockerfile>.dockerignore next to the
+// Dockerfile if there is one, otherwise from .dockerignore at the root of the
+// context. Without either file there are no patterns.
+func readDockerignore(contextDir, dockerfile string) ([]string, error) {
+	// Docker reads the Dockerfile path as a path inside the build context:
+	// cleaned, with a leading / and any .. that would lead out of the context
+	// dropped, so ./Dockerfile and /Dockerfile both name the Dockerfile at the
+	// root.
+	dockerfile = strings.TrimPrefix(filepath.Join("/", dockerfile), "/")
+	if dockerfile == "" {
+		dockerfile = defaultDockerfileName
+	}
+
+	// Reading through os.Root keeps the read inside the build context, even
+	// when the ignore file is a symlink.
+	root, err := os.OpenRoot(contextDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	defer func() { _ = root.Close() }()
+
+	name := dockerfile + defaultDockerignoreName
+
+	file, err := root.Open(name)
+	if errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+		name = defaultDockerignoreName
+		file, err = root.Open(name)
+	}
+
+	if errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read %s: %w", name, err)
+	}
+
+	defer func() { _ = file.Close() }()
+
+	excludes, err := ignorefile.ReadAll(file)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read %s: %w", name, err)
+	}
+
+	// Like the docker command line, never leave out .dockerignore or the
+	// Dockerfile: Docker reads the Dockerfile from the context.
+	for _, keep := range []string{defaultDockerignoreName, filepath.ToSlash(dockerfile)} {
+		excluded, err := patternmatcher.MatchesOrParentMatches(keep, excludes)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid pattern in %s: %w", name, err)
+		}
+
+		if excluded {
+			excludes = append(excludes, "!"+keep)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return excludes, nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/docker/buildcontext_test.go b/internal/docker/buildcontext_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..061efe8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/docker/buildcontext_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,269 @@
+package docker //nolint:testpackage // tests the unexported performBuild
+
+import (
+	"archive/tar"
+	"errors"
+	"io"
+	"log/slog"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"slices"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/docker/docker/client"
+)
+
+// File names used in more than one test build context, as constants to
+// satisfy the goconst linter.
+const (
+	testMainGo           = "main.go"
+	testSecretFile       = "secret.txt"
+	testDeployDockerfile = "deploy/Dockerfile"
+)
+
+// TestPerformBuildFollowsDockerignore runs builds against a fake Docker API
+// and checks which files the build context sent to it holds.
+func TestPerformBuildFollowsDockerignore(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name       string
+		dockerfile string
+		files      map[string]string // path in the context: contents
+		want       []string          // files sent in the build context
+	}{
+		{
+			name:       "no ignore file",
+			dockerfile: defaultDockerfileName,
+			files:      map[string]string{defaultDockerfileName: "", testMainGo: ""},
+			want:       []string{defaultDockerfileName, testMainGo},
+		},
+		{
+			name:       "excludes and re-includes",
+			dockerfile: defaultDockerfileName,
+			files: map[string]string{
+				defaultDockerignoreName: "secret.txt\n*.md\n!README.md\n",
+				defaultDockerfileName:   "",
+				"NOTES.md":              "",
+				"README.md":             "",
+				testMainGo:              "",
+				testSecretFile:          "",
+			},
+			want: []string{
+				defaultDockerignoreName, defaultDockerfileName, "README.md", testMainGo,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name:       "keeps the Dockerfile and .dockerignore",
+			dockerfile: defaultDockerfileName,
+			files: map[string]string{
+				defaultDockerignoreName: "Dockerfile\n.dockerignore\nsecret.txt\n",
+				defaultDockerfileName:   "",
+				testMainGo:              "",
+				testSecretFile:          "",
+			},
+			want: []string{defaultDockerignoreName, defaultDockerfileName, testMainGo},
+		},
+		{
+			name:       "an ignore file next to the Dockerfile wins over .dockerignore",
+			dockerfile: testDeployDockerfile,
+			files: map[string]string{
+				defaultDockerignoreName:          "main.go\n",
+				testDeployDockerfile:             "",
+				"deploy/Dockerfile.dockerignore": "secret.txt\n",
+				testMainGo:                       "",
+				testSecretFile:                   "",
+			},
+			want: []string{
+				defaultDockerignoreName,
+				testDeployDockerfile,
+				"deploy/Dockerfile.dockerignore",
+				testMainGo,
+			},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			contextDir := t.TempDir()
+			writeFiles(t, contextDir, tt.files)
+
+			got, err := buildContextFiles(t, contextDir, tt.dockerfile)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+
+			if !slices.Equal(got, tt.want) {
+				t.Errorf("build context holds %q, want %q", got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestPerformBuildReadsDockerfilePathInsideContext checks that ./Dockerfile
+// and /Dockerfile name the Dockerfile at the root of the context, as Docker
+// reads them, so an ignore file that names the Dockerfile does not leave it
+// out.
+func TestPerformBuildReadsDockerfilePathInsideContext(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	for _, dockerfile := range []string{"./Dockerfile", "/Dockerfile"} {
+		t.Run(dockerfile, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			contextDir := t.TempDir()
+			writeFiles(t, contextDir, map[string]string{
+				defaultDockerignoreName: "Dockerfile\nsecret.txt\n",
+				defaultDockerfileName:   "",
+				testMainGo:              "",
+				testSecretFile:          "",
+			})
+
+			got, err := buildContextFiles(t, contextDir, dockerfile)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+
+			want := []string{defaultDockerignoreName, defaultDockerfileName, testMainGo}
+			if !slices.Equal(got, want) {
+				t.Errorf("build context holds %q, want %q", got, want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestPerformBuildFailsOnMalformedDockerignore checks that a pattern the
+// docker command line would reject fails the build.
+func TestPerformBuildFailsOnMalformedDockerignore(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	contextDir := t.TempDir()
+	writeFiles(t, contextDir, map[string]string{defaultDockerignoreName: "[\n"})
+
+	_, err := buildContextFiles(t, contextDir, defaultDockerfileName)
+
+	want := "failed to create build context: " +
+		"invalid pattern in .dockerignore: syntax error in pattern"
+	if err == nil || err.Error() != want {
+		t.Errorf("got error %v, want %q", err, want)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestPerformBuildFailsOnUnreadableDockerignore checks that an ignore file
+// that cannot be read, here because it is a directory, fails the build.
+func TestPerformBuildFailsOnUnreadableDockerignore(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	contextDir := t.TempDir()
+
+	err := os.Mkdir(filepath.Join(contextDir, defaultDockerignoreName), 0o750)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	_, err = buildContextFiles(t, contextDir, defaultDockerfileName)
+
+	want := "failed to create build context: failed to read .dockerignore: "
+	if err == nil || !strings.HasPrefix(err.Error(), want) {
+		t.Errorf("got error %v, want one starting %q", err, want)
+	}
+}
+
+// writeFiles writes files, a map of paths inside dir to their contents,
+// creating the directories they are in.
+func writeFiles(t *testing.T, dir string, files map[string]string) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	for name, contents := range files {
+		path := filepath.Join(dir, name)
+
+		err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(path), 0o750)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		err = os.WriteFile(path, []byte(contents), 0o600)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// buildContextFiles runs a build of contextDir against a fake Docker API and
+// returns the names of the files in the build context sent to it, sorted.
+func buildContextFiles(t *testing.T, contextDir, dockerfile string) ([]string, error) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	sent := make(chan []string, 1)
+
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(
+		func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+			switch {
+			case strings.HasSuffix(r.URL.Path, "/version"):
+				_, _ = w.Write([]byte(`{"Version":"27.3.1","ApiVersion":"1.47"}`))
+			case strings.HasSuffix(r.URL.Path, "/session"):
+				serveSession(t, w, r, make(chan string, 1))
+			case strings.HasSuffix(r.URL.Path, "/build"):
+				sent <- tarFileNames(t, r.Body)
+			default:
+				t.Errorf("unexpected request to %s", r.URL.Path)
+			}
+		},
+	))
+	t.Cleanup(srv.Close)
+
+	dockerAPI, err := client.NewClientWithOpts(
+		client.WithHost("tcp://" + srv.Listener.Addr().String()),
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	c := &Client{docker: dockerAPI, log: slog.Default()}
+
+	_, err = c.performBuild(t.Context(), BuildImageOptions{
+		ContextDir:     contextDir,
+		DockerfilePath: dockerfile,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return <-sent, nil
+}
+
+// tarFileNames returns the names of the regular files in the tar read from r,
+// sorted.
+func tarFileNames(t *testing.T, r io.Reader) []string {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	var names []string
+
+	reader := tar.NewReader(r)
+
+	for {
+		header, err := reader.Next()
+		if errors.Is(err, io.EOF) {
+			break
+		}
+
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("reading the build context: %v", err)
+
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		if header.Typeflag == tar.TypeReg {
+			names = append(names, header.Name)
+		}
+	}
+
+	slices.Sort(names)
+
+	return names
+}
diff --git a/internal/docker/client.go b/internal/docker/client.go
index 1247e0d..f3b5305 100644
--- a/internal/docker/client.go
+++ b/internal/docker/client.go
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/network"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/versions"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/client"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/archive"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/jsonmessage"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/stdcopy"
 	"github.com/docker/go-connections/nat"
@@ -660,7 +659,7 @@ func (c *Client) performBuild(
 	}
 
 	// Create tar archive of build context
-	tarArchive, err := archive.TarWithOptions(opts.ContextDir, &archive.TarOptions{})
+	tarArchive, err := tarBuildContext(opts.ContextDir, opts.DockerfilePath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to create build context: %w", err)
 	}