diff --git a/bootstrap.py b/bootstrap.py
index 52458b6..f081ffd 100644
--- a/bootstrap.py
+++ b/bootstrap.py
@@ -173,16 +173,31 @@ OS_ONLY: dict[str, list[str]] = {
     "arch":  [".config/wezterm/"],
 }
 
+def _load_dotignore() -> list[str]:
+    """
+    Read ~/.dotignore and return patterns to exclude from syncing.
+    Each non-blank, non-comment line becomes an rsync --exclude pattern.
+    """
+    p = Path.home() / ".dotignore"
+    if not p.exists():
+        return []
+    return [
+        ln.strip() for ln in p.read_text().splitlines()
+        if ln.strip() and not ln.startswith("#")
+    ]
+
 def home_excludes() -> list[str]:
     """
-    Build rsync --exclude flags for paths that don't belong on this OS.
-    For each entry in OS_ONLY, if we're NOT on that OS, exclude those paths.
+    Build rsync --exclude flags for paths that don't belong on this OS
+    and paths listed in ~/.dotignore on this machine.
     """
     flags: list[str] = []
     for owner_os, paths in OS_ONLY.items():
         if OS != owner_os:
             for p in paths:
                 flags += ["--exclude", p]
+    for p in _load_dotignore():
+        flags += ["--exclude", p]
     return flags
 
 # ── rsync helpers ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/bootstrap.sh b/bootstrap.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 39b3389..0000000
--- a/bootstrap.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,275 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-set -euo pipefail
-
-DOTFILES_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
-BACKUP_DIR="$HOME/dotfiles.bak"
-USER="$(whoami)"
-
-# --- Detect OS early (needed by sync functions) ---
-OS="unknown"
-if [[ "$(uname)" == "Darwin" ]]; then
-    OS="macos"
-elif [[ -f /etc/arch-release ]]; then
-    OS="arch"
-elif [[ -f /etc/os-release ]]; then
-    OS="linux"
-fi
-
-# Files/dirs in the home overlay that are macOS-only
-MACOS_ONLY=(Library/)
-HOME_EXCLUDES=()
-if [[ "$OS" != "macos" ]]; then
-    for item in "${MACOS_ONLY[@]}"; do
-        HOME_EXCLUDES+=(--exclude "$item")
-    done
-fi
-
-usage() {
-    echo "Usage: ./bootstrap.sh [--pull | --copy]"
-    echo ""
-    echo "  (no args)   Install packages, sync repo -> system"
-    echo "  --pull      Sync system -> repo (pull changes back)"
-    echo "  --copy      Sync repo -> home only (skip packages and shell tooling)"
-    exit 0
-}
-
-# --- rsync wrapper: prompts for confirmation if existing files would be overwritten ---
-# Usage: rsync_confirm [--sudo] <rsync args...>
-rsync_confirm() {
-    local rsync_cmd=(rsync)
-    if [[ "${1:-}" == "--sudo" ]]; then
-        rsync_cmd=(sudo rsync)
-        shift
-    fi
-
-    local overwrites
-    overwrites=$("${rsync_cmd[@]}" --dry-run --itemize-changes "$@" 2>/dev/null \
-        | awk '/^>f/ && !/\+{9}/ { print $2 }')
-
-    if [ -n "$overwrites" ]; then
-        echo "The following existing files would be overwritten:"
-        echo "$overwrites" | sed 's/^/  /'
-        echo ""
-        read -p "Proceed with overwrite? [y/N] " -n 1 -r
-        echo ""
-        if [[ ! $REPLY =~ ^[Yy]$ ]]; then
-            echo "  Aborted."
-            return 1
-        fi
-    fi
-
-    "${rsync_cmd[@]}" "$@"
-}
-
-# --- Pull mode: copy live files back into the repo ---
-pull_back() {
-    OVERLAY_HOME="$DOTFILES_DIR/home/$USER"
-    if [ ! -d "$OVERLAY_HOME" ]; then
-        OVERLAY_HOME="$DOTFILES_DIR/home/benk"
-    fi
-
-    echo "==> Pulling home files back into repo..."
-    rsync_confirm -av --itemize-changes --existing --update \
-        "${HOME_EXCLUDES[@]}" "$HOME/" "$OVERLAY_HOME/"
-    echo ""
-
-    if [ -d "$DOTFILES_DIR/etc" ]; then
-        echo "==> Pulling /etc files back into repo..."
-        rsync_confirm --sudo -av --itemize-changes --existing --update \
-            /etc/ "$DOTFILES_DIR/etc/"
-        echo ""
-    fi
-
-    echo "Done. Review changes with 'git diff' then commit."
-    exit 0
-}
-
-# --- Copy mode: sync repo -> $HOME only, no packages or tooling ---
-copy_home() {
-    OVERLAY_HOME="$DOTFILES_DIR/home/$USER"
-    if [ ! -d "$OVERLAY_HOME" ]; then
-        echo "WARNING: No home overlay for user '$USER', falling back to home/benk/"
-        OVERLAY_HOME="$DOTFILES_DIR/home/benk"
-    fi
-
-    echo "==> Creating directory structure..."
-    mkdir -p \
-        "$HOME/.config" \
-        "$HOME/.local/bin" \
-        "$HOME/.local/share" \
-        "$HOME/.local/state" \
-        "$HOME/.ssh"
-    chmod 700 "$HOME/.ssh"
-
-    echo "==> Syncing $OVERLAY_HOME -> $HOME"
-    mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR/home"
-    rsync_confirm -av --itemize-changes --backup --backup-dir="$BACKUP_DIR/home" \
-        "${HOME_EXCLUDES[@]}" "$OVERLAY_HOME/" "$HOME/"
-    echo ""
-    echo "Done. Backups at ~/dotfiles.bak/"
-    exit 0
-}
-
-if [[ "${1:-}" == "--pull" ]]; then
-    pull_back
-elif [[ "${1:-}" == "--copy" ]]; then
-    copy_home
-elif [[ "${1:-}" == "--help" || "${1:-}" == "-h" ]]; then
-    usage
-fi
-
-echo "Ben's dotfiles"
-echo "=============="
-echo "Repo:     $DOTFILES_DIR"
-echo "User:     $USER"
-echo ""
-
-echo "Detected OS: $OS"
-echo ""
-
-# --- Package installation ---
-install_with_prompt() {
-    local cmd="$1"
-    local pkg="$2"
-    if ! $cmd "$pkg" 2>&1; then
-        echo ""
-        echo "  [!] Failed to install: $pkg"
-        read -p "  Continue anyway? [y/N] " -n 1 -r
-        echo ""
-        if [[ ! $REPLY =~ ^[Yy]$ ]]; then
-            echo "  Aborting."
-            exit 1
-        fi
-    fi
-}
-
-install_packages() {
-    case "$OS" in
-        macos)
-            if ! command -v brew &>/dev/null; then
-                echo "==> Installing Homebrew..."
-                /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
-                eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"
-            fi
-            echo "==> Installing packages via brew..."
-            set +e
-            while IFS= read -r pkg || [[ -n "$pkg" ]]; do
-                [[ -z "$pkg" || "$pkg" == \#* ]] && continue
-                echo "  brew install $pkg"
-                install_with_prompt "brew install" "$pkg"
-            done < "$DOTFILES_DIR/packages/brew.txt"
-            set -e
-            ;;
-        arch)
-            if ! command -v yay &>/dev/null; then
-                echo "==> Installing yay..."
-                sudo pacman -S --needed --noconfirm git base-devel
-                tmpdir=$(mktemp -d)
-                git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git "$tmpdir/yay"
-                (cd "$tmpdir/yay" && makepkg -si --noconfirm)
-                rm -rf "$tmpdir"
-            fi
-            echo "==> Installing packages via yay..."
-            set +e
-            while IFS= read -r pkg || [[ -n "$pkg" ]]; do
-                [[ -z "$pkg" || "$pkg" == \#* ]] && continue
-                echo "  yay -S $pkg"
-                install_with_prompt "yay -S --needed --noconfirm" "$pkg"
-            done < "$DOTFILES_DIR/packages/arch.txt"
-            set -e
-            ;;
-        *)
-            echo "  Unknown OS, skipping package install."
-            echo "  Install packages manually from packages/*.txt"
-            ;;
-    esac
-}
-
-read -p "Install packages? [y/N] " -n 1 -r
-echo ""
-if [[ $REPLY =~ ^[Yy]$ ]]; then
-    install_packages
-fi
-echo ""
-
-# --- Shell tooling ---
-echo "==> Setting up shell tooling..."
-
-# tmux plugin manager
-if [ ! -d "$HOME/.tmux/plugins/tpm" ]; then
-    echo "  Installing tmux plugin manager..."
-    git clone https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tpm ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm
-    echo "  Done. Run <C-b>I in tmux to install plugins."
-else
-    echo "  ok  tmux plugin manager"
-fi
-
-# oh-my-fish
-if command -v fish &>/dev/null; then
-    if [ ! -d "$HOME/.local/share/omf" ]; then
-        echo "  Installing oh-my-fish..."
-        curl -L https://get.oh-my.fish | fish
-    else
-        echo "  ok  oh-my-fish"
-    fi
-
-    # fisher
-    if ! fish -c "type -q fisher" 2>/dev/null; then
-        echo "  Installing fisher (fish plugin manager)..."
-        fish -c "curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jorgebucaran/fisher/main/functions/fisher.fish | source && fisher install jorgebucaran/fisher"
-    else
-        echo "  ok  fisher"
-    fi
-fi
-
-echo ""
-
-# --- Overlay: home/benk/ -> $HOME ---
-OVERLAY_HOME="$DOTFILES_DIR/home/$USER"
-
-if [ ! -d "$OVERLAY_HOME" ]; then
-    echo "WARNING: No home overlay for user '$USER', falling back to home/benk/"
-    OVERLAY_HOME="$DOTFILES_DIR/home/benk"
-fi
-
-echo "==> Creating directory structure..."
-mkdir -p \
-    "$HOME/.config" \
-    "$HOME/.local/bin" \
-    "$HOME/.local/share" \
-    "$HOME/.local/state" \
-    "$HOME/.ssh"
-chmod 700 "$HOME/.ssh"
-
-echo "==> Syncing $OVERLAY_HOME -> $HOME"
-mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR/home"
-rsync_confirm -av --itemize-changes --backup --backup-dir="$BACKUP_DIR/home" \
-    "${HOME_EXCLUDES[@]}" "$OVERLAY_HOME/" "$HOME/"
-echo ""
-
-# --- Overlay: etc/ -> /etc ---
-if [ -d "$DOTFILES_DIR/etc" ]; then
-    etc_files=$(find "$DOTFILES_DIR/etc" -type f 2>/dev/null)
-    if [ -n "$etc_files" ]; then
-        echo "==> System config files in etc/:"
-        echo "$etc_files" | while read -r src; do
-            echo "  /${src#$DOTFILES_DIR/}"
-        done
-
-        echo ""
-        read -p "Sync to /etc? Requires sudo. [y/N] " -n 1 -r
-        echo ""
-
-        if [[ $REPLY =~ ^[Yy]$ ]]; then
-            mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR/etc"
-            rsync_confirm --sudo -av --itemize-changes --backup --backup-dir="$BACKUP_DIR/etc" \
-                "$DOTFILES_DIR/etc/" /etc/
-            echo "  Originals backed up to ~/dotfiles.bak/etc/"
-        else
-            echo "  Skipped."
-        fi
-    fi
-fi
-
-echo ""
-echo "Done. Backups at ~/dotfiles.bak/"