diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8998b60d..d4437491 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 .pio
+.pio_core
 pio
 
 # ignore vscode IDE settings files
diff --git a/debian/ci_pack_sdeb.sh b/debian/ci_pack_sdeb.sh
index 72d3a939..f78738b6 100755
--- a/debian/ci_pack_sdeb.sh
+++ b/debian/ci_pack_sdeb.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 export DEBEMAIL="jbennett@incomsystems.biz"
 export PLATFORMIO_LIBDEPS_DIR=pio/libdeps
 export PLATFORMIO_PACKAGES_DIR=pio/packages
+export PLATFORMIO_CORE_DIR=.pio_core
 
 # Download libraries to `libdeps`
 platformio pkg install -e native
diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index f535ad6e..ccff53eb 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 # https://docs.platformio.org/en/latest/envvars.html
 PIO_ENV:=\
+	PLATFORMIO_CORE_DIR=.pio_core \
 	PLATFORMIO_LIBDEPS_DIR=pio/libdeps \
 	PLATFORMIO_PACKAGES_DIR=pio/packages
 
diff --git a/debian/source/options b/debian/source/options
index 0553b485..94358cb7 100644
--- a/debian/source/options
+++ b/debian/source/options
@@ -1 +1 @@
-extend-diff-ignore = "\.pio"
\ No newline at end of file
+extend-diff-ignore = "\.pio\w*?$"
\ No newline at end of file