diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index 68771f45b17..733ce470cd0 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 [submodule "components/bioformats"]
 	path = components/bioformats
 	url = git://github.com/openmicroscopy/bioformats.git
+	ignore = dirty
 [submodule "docs/sphinx"]
 	path = docs/sphinx
 	url = git://github.com/openmicroscopy/ome-documentation.git
+	ignore = dirty
 [submodule "components/tools/OmeroPy/scripts"]
 	path = components/tools/OmeroPy/scripts
 	url = git://github.com/ome/scripts.git
+	ignore = dirty