diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d4d4c9e7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+# See http://help.github.com/ignore-files/ for more about ignoring files.
+#
+# If you find yourself ignoring temporary files generated by your text editor
+# or operating system, you probably want to add a global ignore instead:
+#   git config --global core.excludesfile ~/.gitignore_global
+
+/tmp
+*/**/*un~
+*/**/*.test
+*un~
+.DS_Store
+*/**/.DS_Store
+.ethtest
+*/**/*tx_database*
+*/**/*dapps*
+Godeps/_workspace/pkg
+Godeps/_workspace/bin
+
+#*
+.#*
+*#
+*~
+.project
+.settings
+
+# used by the Makefile
+/build/_workspace/
+/build/bin/
+
+# travis
+profile.tmp
+profile.cov
+
+# vagrant
+.vagrant
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index fd821a091..96d5ea9a7 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
+GOBIN = build/bin
 GO ?= latest
 
 statusgo:
-	go install
-	@echo "Done installing status go."
-	@echo "Run \"statusgo\" to view available commands"
+	build/env.sh go build -i -o $(GOBIN)/statusgo ./
+	@echo "status go compilation done."
+	@echo "Run \"build/bin/statusgo\" to view available commands"
 
 statusgo-android: xgo
-	xgo --go=$(GO) --targets=android-16/aar ./
+	build/env.sh $(GOBIN)/xgo --go=$(GO) --dest=$(GOBIN) --targets=android-16/aar ./
 	@echo "Android cross compilation done:"
 
 xgo:
-	go get github.com/karalabe/xgo
+	build/env.sh go get github.com/karalabe/xgo
diff --git a/build/env.sh b/build/env.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..a9a0fbc88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build/env.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+set -e
+
+if [ ! -f "build/env.sh" ]; then
+    echo "$0 must be run from the root of the repository."
+    exit 2
+fi
+
+# Create fake Go workspace if it doesn't exist yet.
+workspace="$PWD/build/_workspace"
+root="$PWD"
+ethdir="$workspace/src/github.com/ethereum"
+if [ ! -L "$ethdir/go-ethereum" ]; then
+    mkdir -p "$ethdir"
+    cd "$ethdir"
+    ln -s ../../../../../. go-ethereum
+    cd "$root"
+fi
+
+# Set up the environment to use the workspace.
+# Also add Godeps workspace so we build using canned dependencies.
+GOPATH="$ethdir/go-ethereum/Godeps/_workspace:$workspace"
+GOBIN="$PWD/build/bin"
+export GOPATH GOBIN
+
+# Run the command inside the workspace.
+cd "$ethdir/go-ethereum"
+PWD="$ethdir/go-ethereum"
+
+# Launch the arguments with the configured environment.
+exec "$@"
\ No newline at end of file