diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a89adcbd..851805a0 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 *.egg/
 /env
 /paste.ini
+/mediagoblin.ini
 
 # pyconfigure/automake generated files
 /Makefile
diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 4192559a..58cae88f 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -81,8 +81,12 @@ installdirs i18n virtualenv
 
 all: develop
 
-develop: $(maybe_venv_dep) i18n paste.ini
+develop: $(maybe_venv_dep) i18n paste.ini mediagoblin.ini
 
+mediagoblin.ini:
+	cp --no-clobber mediagoblin.example.ini mediagoblin.ini
+
+# We just symlink the mediagoblin from the appropriate python version
 paste.ini:
 ifeq ($(USE_PYTHON3),yes)
 	-ln -s paste.py3.ini paste.ini
diff --git a/mediagoblin.ini b/mediagoblin.example.ini
similarity index 100%
rename from mediagoblin.ini
rename to mediagoblin.example.ini