diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e8d6b2913d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# Instructing GitHub to exclude all files from auto-generated release tar/zip-balls.
+# These auto-generated release files are incomplete - lacking git submodule contents.
+# It is not possible to disable these auto-generated release files, hence at least
+# forcing them to be empty to avoid disseminating incomplete tarballs. Archives with 
+# git submodule contents included are available (alongside the empty tar/zip-balls) at:
+# https://github.com/wrf-model/WRF/releases
+
+* export-ignore