diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d1a7b1604b1..ff4333a6b3c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
-*~
 *.py[co]
 build
+# Emacs backup files...
+*~
+.\#*
diff --git a/docs/man/.gitignore b/docs/man/.gitignore
index b81c7954b78..7c0aaeb5e42 100644
--- a/docs/man/.gitignore
+++ b/docs/man/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
-*.xml
\ No newline at end of file
+*.xml
+*.[0-9]
diff --git a/hacking/README b/hacking/README
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..dd7abbd4fed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hacking/README
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+The 'env-setup' script modifies your environment to allow you to run
+ansible from a git checkout.
+
+To use it from the root of a checkout:
+
+    $ . ./hacking/env-setup
+
+Note the space between the '.' and the './'
+
+Man pages will not load until you run 'make docs' from the root of the
+checkout.
diff --git a/hacking/env-setup b/hacking/env-setup
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..1f4af4e1a26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hacking/env-setup
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# -*- mode: shell-script -*-
+PREFIX_PYTHONPATH="`pwd`/lib/ansible:`pwd`/lib"
+PREFIX_PATH="`pwd`/bin"
+PREFIX_MANPATH="`pwd`/docs/man"
+
+echo "Prefixing PYTHONPATH with $PREFIX_PYTHONPATH"
+export PYTHONPATH=$PREFIX_PYTHONPATH:$PYTHONPATH
+echo "Prefixing PATH with $PREFIX_PATH"
+export PATH=$PREFIX_PATH:$PATH
+echo "Prefixing MANPATH with $PREFIX_MANPATH"
+export MANPATH=$PREFIX_MANPATH:$MANPATH