diff --git a/History.txt b/History.txt
index 884b58e9..5d6a03cd 100644
--- a/History.txt
+++ b/History.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+== HEAD
+  * Minor Enhancements
+    * Add ability to explicitly specify included files (#261)
+
 == 0.11.2 / 2011-12-27
   * Bug Fixes
     * Fix gemspec
diff --git a/lib/jekyll.rb b/lib/jekyll.rb
index 859060c5..9998799c 100644
--- a/lib/jekyll.rb
+++ b/lib/jekyll.rb
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@ module Jekyll
     'pygments'     => false,
     'markdown'     => 'maruku',
     'permalink'    => 'date',
-    
+    'include'      => ['.htaccess'],
+
     'markdown_ext' => 'markdown,mkd,mkdn,md',
     'textile_ext'  => 'textile',
 
diff --git a/lib/jekyll/site.rb b/lib/jekyll/site.rb
index 9c24f8e4..a4d21109 100644
--- a/lib/jekyll/site.rb
+++ b/lib/jekyll/site.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ module Jekyll
 
   class Site
     attr_accessor :config, :layouts, :posts, :pages, :static_files,
-                  :categories, :exclude, :source, :dest, :lsi, :pygments,
+                  :categories, :exclude, :include, :source, :dest, :lsi, :pygments,
                   :permalink_style, :tags, :time, :future, :safe, :plugins, :limit_posts
 
     attr_accessor :converters, :generators
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ module Jekyll
       self.pygments        = config['pygments']
       self.permalink_style = config['permalink'].to_sym
       self.exclude         = config['exclude'] || []
+      self.include         = config['include'] || []
       self.future          = config['future']
       self.limit_posts     = config['limit_posts'] || nil
 
@@ -305,7 +306,7 @@ module Jekyll
     # Returns the Array of filtered entries.
     def filter_entries(entries)
       entries = entries.reject do |e|
-        unless ['.htaccess'].include?(e)
+        unless self.include.include?(e)
           ['.', '_', '#'].include?(e[0..0]) ||
           e[-1..-1] == '~' ||
           self.exclude.include?(e) ||
diff --git a/test/test_site.rb b/test/test_site.rb
index c9b991b7..0aa28497 100644
--- a/test/test_site.rb
+++ b/test/test_site.rb
@@ -126,12 +126,20 @@ class TestSite < Test::Unit::TestCase
 
     should "filter entries with exclude" do
       excludes = %w[README TODO]
-      includes = %w[index.html site.css]
+      files = %w[index.html site.css .htaccess]
 
       @site.exclude = excludes
-      assert_equal includes, @site.filter_entries(excludes + includes)
+      assert_equal files, @site.filter_entries(excludes + files)
     end
     
+    should "not filter entries within include" do
+      includes = %w[_index.html .htaccess]
+      files = %w[index.html _index.html .htaccess]
+
+      @site.include = includes
+      assert_equal files, @site.filter_entries(files)
+    end
+
     context 'with orphaned files in destination' do
       setup do
         clear_dest