diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c4235de..3777663 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -13,6 +13,16 @@ Pre-v1.0.0 tags followed the pi npm version (`v{pi_version}[letter]`).
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+### Added
+
+- **Global gitignore baked into the image.** A `~/.gitignore_global`
+  (`*.bak`, `*.bak.*`, `*~`, `*.orig`, `*.swp`, `*.tmp`) is seeded into the home
+  dir from `/etc/skel-devbox/` on first boot (seed-if-absent, like
+  `.bash_aliases`/`.inputrc`, so user edits survive recreate) and wired via
+  `git config --global core.excludesFile`. Personal/tooling backup artifacts are
+  now ignored across all repos in the container without per-repo `.gitignore`
+  entries. The `core.excludesFile` wiring is skipped if the user already set one.
+
 ### Changed
 
 - **Secrets are now delivered to the container via `env_file: .env` only; the
diff --git a/Dockerfile.base b/Dockerfile.base
index c9f503e..01ed5a2 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.base
+++ b/Dockerfile.base
@@ -477,8 +477,9 @@ ENV PATH="/home/${USER_NAME}/.pi/npm-global/bin:${PATH}"
 
 # ── Shell defaults (bash history, aliases, readline) ─────────────────
 RUN mkdir -p /etc/skel-devbox
-COPY rootfs/home/developer/.bash_aliases /etc/skel-devbox/.bash_aliases
-COPY rootfs/home/developer/.inputrc      /etc/skel-devbox/.inputrc
+COPY rootfs/home/developer/.bash_aliases     /etc/skel-devbox/.bash_aliases
+COPY rootfs/home/developer/.inputrc          /etc/skel-devbox/.inputrc
+COPY rootfs/home/developer/.gitignore_global /etc/skel-devbox/.gitignore_global
 
 # ── Entrypoint ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 COPY rootfs/usr/local/lib/pi-devbox/ /usr/local/lib/pi-devbox/
diff --git a/entrypoint-user.sh b/entrypoint-user.sh
index 08c5eb5..60cb3fa 100755
--- a/entrypoint-user.sh
+++ b/entrypoint-user.sh
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ fi
 # directly.
 SKEL_DIR="/etc/skel-devbox"
 if [ -d "$SKEL_DIR" ]; then
-  for f in .bash_aliases .inputrc; do
+  for f in .bash_aliases .inputrc .gitignore_global; do
     if [ -f "$SKEL_DIR/$f" ] && [ ! -e "$HOME/$f" ]; then
       cp "$SKEL_DIR/$f" "$HOME/$f"
     fi
@@ -91,6 +91,12 @@ fi
 if [ -n "${GIT_USER_EMAIL:-}" ] && ! git config --global user.email &>/dev/null; then
   git config --global user.email "$GIT_USER_EMAIL"
 fi
+# Global gitignore for personal/tooling artifacts (*.bak, *~, *.orig, ...).
+# Seeded above into $HOME/.gitignore_global from /etc/skel-devbox. Point git at
+# it only if the user has not already set their own core.excludesFile.
+if [ -f "$HOME/.gitignore_global" ] && ! git config --global core.excludesFile &>/dev/null; then
+  git config --global core.excludesFile "$HOME/.gitignore_global"
+fi
 
 # ── pi: deploy toolkit + extensions + mempalace bridge ─────────────
 # pi is always installed in pi-devbox; no INSTALL_PI guard needed.
diff --git a/rootfs/home/developer/.gitignore_global b/rootfs/home/developer/.gitignore_global
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c35a754
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rootfs/home/developer/.gitignore_global
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# Global gitignore — personal/tooling artifacts (applies to all repos in the container)
+# Seeded into $HOME/.gitignore_global by entrypoint-user.sh and wired via
+# `git config --global core.excludesFile`. Edit freely; it is yours after first boot.
+
+# backup / editor / merge artifacts
+*.bak
+*.bak.*
+*~
+*.orig
+*.swp
+*.tmp