diff --git a/.geminiignore b/.geminiignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e9d77be50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.geminiignore
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# Summary: tell Gemini CLI it should (or should not) ignore certain files and
+# folders. Gemini CLI reads .gitignore too, but .geminiignore takes precedence
+# -- useful for un-ignoring files that shouldn't be committed to git yet should
+# be visible to Gemini CLI. (Note also a different file, .aiexclude, is read by
+# Gemini Code Assist.) See https://geminicli.com/docs/cli/gemini-ignore/.
+
+# Don't ignore the Bazel config files created by configure.sh.
+!.bazelrc
+!.tf_configure.bazelrc
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 3c76c8c9b..3f67c4df5 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -24,11 +24,13 @@
 .idea/*
 *.iml
 
-# ignore cache
+# ignore caches
 *__pycache__/*
 *.cache/*
 *.ipynb_checkpoints*
 .ipynb_checkpoints
+.mypy_cache
+.pytest_cache
 
 # Mac only
 .DS_Store
@@ -53,8 +55,11 @@ venv/
 quantum_env/
 quantum_venv/
 
-# ignore emacs temp files
-*#
+# Ignore Emacs backup, checkpoint, and other files.
+.\#*
+\#*\#
+.git/COMMIT_EDITMSG
+TAGS
 
 # vscode
 .vscode/*