diff --git a/src/Fable.Cli/Entry.fs b/src/Fable.Cli/Entry.fs
index cdd7c8e792..74921cbfb8 100644
--- a/src/Fable.Cli/Entry.fs
+++ b/src/Fable.Cli/Entry.fs
@@ -88,6 +88,11 @@ let knownCliArgs () =
         [ "--yes" ], [ "Automatically reply 'yes' (e.g. with `clean` command)" ]
         [ "--noRestore" ], [ "Skip `dotnet restore`" ]
         [ "--noCache" ], [ "Recompile all files, including sources from packages" ]
+        [ "--noGitignore" ],
+        [
+            "Don't generate a `.gitignore` file in the `fable_modules` folder"
+            "(Useful when publishing the compiled output, e.g. to npm)"
+        ]
         [ "--exclude" ],
         [
             "Don't merge sources of referenced projects with specified pattern"
@@ -366,6 +371,7 @@ type Runner =
                     SourceMapsRoot = args.Value "--sourceMapsRoot"
                     NoRestore = args.FlagEnabled "--noRestore"
                     NoCache = args.FlagEnabled "--noCache"
+                    NoGitignore = args.FlagEnabled "--noGitignore"
                     // TODO: If we select optimize we cannot have F#/Fable parallelization
                     NoParallelTypeCheck = args.FlagEnabled "--noParallelTypeCheck"
                     Exclude = args.Values "--exclude"
diff --git a/src/Fable.Compiler/ProjectCracker.fs b/src/Fable.Compiler/ProjectCracker.fs
index e91104e4d8..ffdb1a9419 100644
--- a/src/Fable.Compiler/ProjectCracker.fs
+++ b/src/Fable.Compiler/ProjectCracker.fs
@@ -80,7 +80,10 @@ type CacheInfo =
 let getFableModulesFromDir (baseDir: string) : string =
     IO.Path.Combine(baseDir, Naming.fableModules) |> Path.normalizePath
 
-let getFableModulesFromProject (projDir: string, outDir: string option, noCache: bool, evaluateOnly: bool) : string =
+let getFableModulesFromProject
+    (projDir: string, outDir: string option, noCache: bool, noGitignore: bool, evaluateOnly: bool)
+    : string
+    =
     let fableModulesDir =
         outDir |> Option.defaultWith (fun () -> projDir) |> getFableModulesFromDir
 
@@ -95,7 +98,8 @@ let getFableModulesFromProject (projDir: string, outDir: string option, noCache:
     if File.isDirectoryEmpty fableModulesDir then
         IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(fableModulesDir) |> ignore
 
-        IO.File.WriteAllText(IO.Path.Combine(fableModulesDir, ".gitignore"), "**/*")
+        if not noGitignore then
+            IO.File.WriteAllText(IO.Path.Combine(fableModulesDir, ".gitignore"), "**/*")
 
     fableModulesDir
 
@@ -103,7 +107,7 @@ type CrackerOptions(cliArgs: CliArgs, evaluateOnly: bool) =
     let projDir = IO.Path.GetDirectoryName cliArgs.ProjectFile
 
     let fableModulesDir =
-        getFableModulesFromProject (projDir, cliArgs.OutDir, cliArgs.NoCache, evaluateOnly)
+        getFableModulesFromProject (projDir, cliArgs.OutDir, cliArgs.NoCache, cliArgs.NoGitignore, evaluateOnly)
 
     let builtDlls = HashSet()
 
@@ -157,7 +161,8 @@ type CrackerOptions(cliArgs: CliArgs, evaluateOnly: bool) =
 
         IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(fableModulesDir) |> ignore
 
-        IO.File.WriteAllText(IO.Path.Combine(fableModulesDir, ".gitignore"), "**/*")
+        if not cliArgs.NoGitignore then
+            IO.File.WriteAllText(IO.Path.Combine(fableModulesDir, ".gitignore"), "**/*")
 
 type CrackerResponse =
     {
diff --git a/src/Fable.Compiler/Util.fs b/src/Fable.Compiler/Util.fs
index fb2de98baa..386215f0d5 100644
--- a/src/Fable.Compiler/Util.fs
+++ b/src/Fable.Compiler/Util.fs
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ type CliArgs =
         Configuration: string
         NoRestore: bool
         NoCache: bool
+        NoGitignore: bool
         NoParallelTypeCheck: bool
         SourceMaps: bool
         SourceMapsRoot: string option
diff --git a/src/Fable.Compiler/Util.fsi b/src/Fable.Compiler/Util.fsi
index 35fdbddf88..b96eabb8bb 100644
--- a/src/Fable.Compiler/Util.fsi
+++ b/src/Fable.Compiler/Util.fsi
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ type CliArgs =
         Configuration: string
         NoRestore: bool
         NoCache: bool
+        NoGitignore: bool
         NoParallelTypeCheck: bool
         SourceMaps: bool
         SourceMapsRoot: string option
diff --git a/tests/Integration/Compiler/Util/Compiler.fs b/tests/Integration/Compiler/Util/Compiler.fs
index 7d73591e71..4a6b62ffa7 100644
--- a/tests/Integration/Compiler/Util/Compiler.fs
+++ b/tests/Integration/Compiler/Util/Compiler.fs
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ module Compiler =
           SourceMapsRoot = None
           NoRestore = false
           NoCache = false
+          NoGitignore = false
           NoParallelTypeCheck = false
           Exclude = ["Fable.Core"]
           Replace = Map.empty