diff --git a/apps/templates/zig/.gitignore b/apps/templates/zig/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5a6443
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/templates/zig/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# ignore executables
+*
+!*.*
+!*/
+
+**/*.so
+**/*.dll
+**/*.exe
+**/*.trace
+**/*.js
+**/*.wasm
+**/*.wasm.map
+**/*.data
+**/*.html
+
+data/scripts/twnapi.lua
+build/
+.zig-cache/
+zig-out/
diff --git a/apps/templates/zig/CMakeLists.txt b/apps/templates/zig/CMakeLists.txt
index 4b2a38e..bdd25a6 100644
--- a/apps/templates/zig/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/apps/templates/zig/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -10,12 +10,14 @@ add_subdirectory($ENV{TWNROOT} ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/twn)
 cmake_path(GET CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR STEM LAST_ONLY GAME_PROJECT_NAME)
 put_townengine(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
 
+file(GLOB_RECURSE zig-sources ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/*.zig)
+
 # TODO: support static build
 # TODO: propagate release switches
 add_custom_command(
     OUTPUT ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/libgame.so
     COMMAND env zig build
-    DEPENDS ${TWN_TARGET}
+    DEPENDS ${TWN_TARGET} ${zig-sources}
 )
 
 add_custom_target(