diff --git a/debian/git-tuneclone.sh b/debian/git-tuneclone.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..59ac8c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/git-tuneclone.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+## script to initialize a cloned repository
+## with per (local) repository settings.
+
+# - ignore quilt's .pc/ directory
+# - enable the "--follow-tags" mode for pushing
+
+error() {
+ echo "$@" 1>&2
+}
+
+NAME=$(dpkg-parsechangelog -S Source)
+
+if [ "x${NAME}" = "x" ]; then
+ error "unable to determine package name"
+ error "make sure you run this script within a source package dir"
+ exit 1
+fi
+
+if [ ! -d ".git" ]; then
+ error "it seems like this source package is not under git control"
+ exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "tuning git-repository for ${NAME}"
+git config push.followTags true && echo "enabled push.followTags"
+
+GITEXCLUDE=".git/info/exclude"
+egrep "^/?\.pc/?$" "${GITEXCLUDE}" >/dev/null 2>&1 \
+  || (echo "/.pc/" >> "${GITEXCLUDE}" && echo "ignoring /.pc/")
+
+for branch in pristine-tar upstream master; do
+ git checkout "${branch}"
+done