diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 245d8f1d..918d674d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,6 @@
+##########
+# This file is autogenerated by Organist, don't edit
+##########
+.editorconfig
 /examples/*/result
 /result
diff --git a/lib/files.ncl b/lib/files.ncl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1605c2db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/files.ncl
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+let nix = import "./nix-interop/nix.ncl" in
+{
+  File = {
+    target
+      | doc m%"
+        The file to write to.
+        If null, defaults to the attribute name of the file.
+      "%
+      | String
+      | optional,
+    content
+      | doc m%"
+        The content of the file.
+      "%
+      | nix.derivation.NixString,
+    materialisation_method
+      : [| 'Symlink, 'Copy |]
+      | doc m%"
+        How the file should be materialized on-disk.
+
+        Symlinking makes it easier to track where the files are coming from,
+        but their target only exists after a first call to Organist, which
+        might be undesirable.
+      "%
+      | default
+      = 'Copy,
+    ..
+  },
+  Files = { _ : File },
+  NormaliseTargets = fun label files =>
+    files
+    |> std.record.map (fun name file_descr => file_descr & { target | default = name }),
+
+  Schema = {
+    files
+      | Files
+      | NormaliseTargets
+      | doc m%"
+        Set of files that should be generated in the project's directory.
+      "%
+      = {},
+    flake.apps.regenerate-files.program = nix-s%"%{regenerate_files files}/bin/regenerate-files"%,
+  },
+
+  regenerate_files | Files -> nix.derivation.Derivation = fun files_to_generate =>
+      let regnerate_one | String -> File -> nix.derivation.NixString = fun key file_descr =>
+          let file_content = file_descr.content in
+          let target = file_descr.target in
+          let copy_command =
+            match {
+              'Symlink => "ln -s",
+              'Copy => "cp",
+            }
+              file_descr.materialisation_method
+          in
+          let file_in_store =
+            nix.builtins.to_file
+              (nix.utils.escape_drv_name key)
+              file_content
+          in
+          nix-s%"
+            rm -f %{target}
+            echo "Regenerating %{target}"
+            %{copy_command} %{file_in_store} %{target}
+          "%
+        in
+      {
+        name = "regenerate-files",
+        content.text =
+          files_to_generate
+          |> std.record.to_array
+          |> std.array.map (fun { field, value } => regnerate_one field value)
+          |> std.array.fold_left
+            (
+              fun acc elt =>
+                nix-s%"
+                  %{acc}
+                  %{elt}
+                "%
+            )
+            "",
+      }
+        | nix.builders.ShellApplication,
+}
diff --git a/lib/git.ncl b/lib/git.ncl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d9aeb7dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/git.ncl
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+# let nix = import "./nix-interop/nix.ncl" in
+let filegen = import "./files.ncl" in
+let Gitignorable = {
+  gitignore
+    : Bool
+    | doc "Whether to gitignore the file"
+    | default
+    = false,
+  ..
+}
+in
+let header : String = m%"
+    ##########
+    # This file is autogenerated by Organist, don't edit
+    ##########
+
+  "%
+  in
+let ignored_files | { _ : Gitignorable } -> { _ : Bool } = fun files =>
+    files
+    |> std.record.to_array
+    |> std.array.filter (fun { value = { gitignore, .. }, .. } => gitignore)
+    |> std.array.map (fun { value = { target, .. }, .. } => { field = target, value = true })
+    |> std.record.from_array
+  in
+let gitignore_content | { _ : Bool } -> String = fun ignores =>
+    ignores
+    |> std.record.map
+      (
+        fun pattern is_ignored =>
+          "%{if is_ignored then "" else "!"}%{pattern}"
+      )
+    |> std.record.values
+    |> std.string.join "\n"
+    |> (fun c => header ++ c ++ "\n")
+  in
+{
+  Schema =
+    filegen.Schema
+    & {
+
+      files | filegen.Files,
+      files | { _ : Gitignorable },
+
+      git.ignore
+        | { _ : Bool }
+        = ignored_files files,
+
+      files.".gitignore".materialisation_method = 'Copy,
+      files.".gitignore".content = gitignore_content git.ignore,
+    }
+}
diff --git a/lib/nix-interop/nix.ncl b/lib/nix-interop/nix.ncl
index 18bfa233..62f4cbc8 100644
--- a/lib/nix-interop/nix.ncl
+++ b/lib/nix-interop/nix.ncl
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
   builders = import "builders.ncl",
   shells = import "shells.ncl",
   builtins = import "builtins.ncl",
+  utils = import "utils.ncl",
 
   import_nix = builtins.import_nix,
 }
diff --git a/lib/nix-interop/utils.ncl b/lib/nix-interop/utils.ncl
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d6d03aeb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/nix-interop/utils.ncl
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{
+  escape_drv_name
+    : String -> String
+    | doc m%"
+      Escape the given string to make it an allowed derivation name
+    "%
+    = fun str =>
+      if std.string.is_match "^\\." str then
+        "-" ++ str
+      else
+        str
+}
diff --git a/lib/schema.ncl b/lib/schema.ncl
index d227178d..22b0f801 100644
--- a/lib/schema.ncl
+++ b/lib/schema.ncl
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 let nix = import "./nix-interop/nix.ncl" in
+let filegen = import "files.ncl" in
+let git = import "git.ncl" in
 {
   OrganistShells = {
     dev | nix.derivation.NickelDerivation = build,
@@ -20,11 +22,14 @@ let nix = import "./nix-interop/nix.ncl" in
   #
   # The contract must be: what the Nix side of the code can "parse" without
   # erroring out.
-  OrganistExpression = {
-    shells
-      | OrganistShells
-      | optional,
-    flake | FlakeOutputs | optional,
-    ..
-  },
+  OrganistExpression =
+    {
+      shells
+        | OrganistShells
+        | optional,
+      flake | FlakeOutputs = {},
+      ..
+    }
+    & filegen.Schema
+    & git.Schema,
 }
diff --git a/project.ncl b/project.ncl
index a03c1c94..073b215e 100644
--- a/project.ncl
+++ b/project.ncl
@@ -73,5 +73,22 @@ let import_nix = organist.nix.import_nix in
     },
 
   flake.checks = import "tests/main.ncl",
+
+  # Simple config file. It will be gitignore and regenerated on the fly by the
+  # `#regenerate-files` command.
+  files.".editorconfig".content = m%"
+    # Auto-generated by Organist, don't edit
+
+    root = true
+    [*.{nix,nickel}]
+    indent_style = spaces
+    indent_size = 2
+
+  "%,
+  files.".editorconfig".gitignore = true,
+
+  # Extra gitignored files
+  git.ignore."/result" = true,
+  git.ignore."/examples/*/result" = true,
 }
   | organist.OrganistExpression