diff --git a/src/libexpr/primops/fetchTree.cc b/src/libexpr/primops/fetchTree.cc
index eb2df8626..e00c4f190 100644
--- a/src/libexpr/primops/fetchTree.cc
+++ b/src/libexpr/primops/fetchTree.cc
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ void emitTreeAttrs(
         attrs.alloc("submodules").mkBool(
             fetchers::maybeGetBoolAttr(input.attrs, "submodules").value_or(false));
 
+    if (input.getType() == "git")
+        attrs.alloc("exportIgnore").mkBool(
+            fetchers::maybeGetBoolAttr(input.attrs, "exportIgnore").value_or(false));
+
     if (!forceDirty) {
 
         if (auto rev = input.getRev()) {
@@ -112,6 +116,11 @@ static void fetchTree(
 
         attrs.emplace("type", type.value());
 
+        if (params.isFetchGit) {
+            // Default value; user attrs are assigned later.
+            attrs.emplace("exportIgnore", Explicit<bool>{true});
+        }
+
         for (auto & attr : *args[0]->attrs) {
             if (attr.name == state.sType) continue;
             state.forceValue(*attr.value, attr.pos);
@@ -593,6 +602,11 @@ static RegisterPrimOp primop_fetchGit({
 
         A Boolean parameter that specifies whether submodules should be checked out.
 
+      - `exportIgnore` (default: `true`)
+
+        A Boolean parameter that specifies whether `export-ignore` from `.gitattributes` should be applied.
+        This approximates part of the `git archive` behavior.
+
       - `shallow` (default: `false`)
 
         A Boolean parameter that specifies whether fetching from a shallow remote repository is allowed.
diff --git a/src/libfetchers/git-utils.cc b/src/libfetchers/git-utils.cc
index 65f7b45ef..4dc749504 100644
--- a/src/libfetchers/git-utils.cc
+++ b/src/libfetchers/git-utils.cc
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 #include <boost/core/span.hpp>
 
+#include <git2/attr.h>
 #include <git2/blob.h>
 #include <git2/commit.h>
 #include <git2/config.h>
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@
 #include <git2/submodule.h>
 #include <git2/tree.h>
 
+#include <iostream>
 #include <unordered_set>
 #include <queue>
 #include <regex>
@@ -307,7 +309,7 @@ struct GitRepoImpl : GitRepo, std::enable_shared_from_this<GitRepoImpl>
         return std::nullopt;
     }
 
-    std::vector<std::tuple<Submodule, Hash>> getSubmodules(const Hash & rev) override;
+    std::vector<std::tuple<Submodule, Hash>> getSubmodules(const Hash & rev, bool exportIgnore) override;
 
     std::string resolveSubmoduleUrl(
         const std::string & url,
@@ -340,7 +342,7 @@ struct GitRepoImpl : GitRepo, std::enable_shared_from_this<GitRepoImpl>
         return true;
     }
 
-    ref<InputAccessor> getAccessor(const Hash & rev) override;
+    ref<InputAccessor> getAccessor(const Hash & rev, bool exportIgnore) override;
 
     static int sidebandProgressCallback(const char * str, int len, void * payload)
     {
@@ -460,10 +462,12 @@ struct GitInputAccessor : InputAccessor
 {
     ref<GitRepoImpl> repo;
     Tree root;
+    bool exportIgnore;
 
-    GitInputAccessor(ref<GitRepoImpl> repo_, const Hash & rev)
+    GitInputAccessor(ref<GitRepoImpl> repo_, const Hash & rev, bool exportIgnore)
         : repo(repo_)
         , root(peelObject<Tree>(*repo, lookupObject(*repo, hashToOID(rev)).get(), GIT_OBJECT_TREE))
+        , exportIgnore(exportIgnore)
     {
     }
 
@@ -492,7 +496,7 @@ struct GitInputAccessor : InputAccessor
             return Stat { .type = tDirectory };
 
         auto entry = lookup(path);
-        if (!entry)
+        if (!entry || isExportIgnored(path))
             return std::nullopt;
 
         auto mode = git_tree_entry_filemode(entry);
@@ -527,6 +531,12 @@ struct GitInputAccessor : InputAccessor
 
                 for (size_t n = 0; n < count; ++n) {
                     auto entry = git_tree_entry_byindex(tree.get(), n);
+                    if (exportIgnore) {
+                        if (isExportIgnored(path + git_tree_entry_name(entry))) {
+                            continue;
+                        }
+                    }
+
                     // FIXME: add to cache
                     res.emplace(std::string(git_tree_entry_name(entry)), DirEntry{});
                 }
@@ -556,6 +566,33 @@ struct GitInputAccessor : InputAccessor
 
     std::unordered_map<CanonPath, TreeEntry> lookupCache;
 
+    bool isExportIgnored(const CanonPath & path) {
+        if (!exportIgnore)
+            return false;
+
+        const char *exportIgnoreEntry = nullptr;
+
+        // GIT_ATTR_CHECK_INDEX_ONLY:
+        // > It will use index only for creating archives or for a bare repo
+        // > (if an index has been specified for the bare repo).
+        // -- https://github.com/libgit2/libgit2/blob/HEAD/include/git2/attr.h#L113C62-L115C48
+        if (git_attr_get(&exportIgnoreEntry,
+                *repo,
+                GIT_ATTR_CHECK_INDEX_ONLY,
+                std::string(path.rel()).c_str(),
+                "export-ignore")) {
+            if (git_error_last()->klass == GIT_ENOTFOUND)
+                return false;
+            else
+                throw Error("looking up '%s': %s", showPath(path), git_error_last()->message);
+        }
+        else {
+            // Official git will silently reject export-ignore lines that have
+            // values. We do the same.
+            return GIT_ATTR_IS_TRUE(exportIgnoreEntry);
+        }
+    }
+
     /* Recursively look up 'path' relative to the root. */
     git_tree_entry * lookup(const CanonPath & path)
     {
@@ -569,6 +606,10 @@ struct GitInputAccessor : InputAccessor
                     throw Error("looking up '%s': %s", showPath(path), git_error_last()->message);
             }
 
+            if (entry && isExportIgnored(path)) {
+                entry.reset();
+            }
+
             i = lookupCache.emplace(path, std::move(entry)).first;
         }
 
@@ -644,17 +685,17 @@ struct GitInputAccessor : InputAccessor
     }
 };
 
-ref<InputAccessor> GitRepoImpl::getAccessor(const Hash & rev)
+ref<InputAccessor> GitRepoImpl::getAccessor(const Hash & rev, bool exportIgnore)
 {
-    return make_ref<GitInputAccessor>(ref<GitRepoImpl>(shared_from_this()), rev);
+    return make_ref<GitInputAccessor>(ref<GitRepoImpl>(shared_from_this()), rev, exportIgnore);
 }
 
-std::vector<std::tuple<GitRepoImpl::Submodule, Hash>> GitRepoImpl::getSubmodules(const Hash & rev)
+std::vector<std::tuple<GitRepoImpl::Submodule, Hash>> GitRepoImpl::getSubmodules(const Hash & rev, bool exportIgnore)
 {
     /* Read the .gitmodules files from this revision. */
     CanonPath modulesFile(".gitmodules");
 
-    auto accessor = getAccessor(rev);
+    auto accessor = getAccessor(rev, exportIgnore);
     if (!accessor->pathExists(modulesFile)) return {};
 
     /* Parse it and get the revision of each submodule. */
diff --git a/src/libfetchers/git-utils.hh b/src/libfetchers/git-utils.hh
index 1def82071..f1cb48065 100644
--- a/src/libfetchers/git-utils.hh
+++ b/src/libfetchers/git-utils.hh
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ struct GitRepo
      * Return the submodules of this repo at the indicated revision,
      * along with the revision of each submodule.
      */
-    virtual std::vector<std::tuple<Submodule, Hash>> getSubmodules(const Hash & rev) = 0;
+    virtual std::vector<std::tuple<Submodule, Hash>> getSubmodules(const Hash & rev, bool exportIgnore) = 0;
 
     virtual std::string resolveSubmoduleUrl(
         const std::string & url,
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ struct GitRepo
 
     virtual bool hasObject(const Hash & oid) = 0;
 
-    virtual ref<InputAccessor> getAccessor(const Hash & rev) = 0;
+    virtual ref<InputAccessor> getAccessor(const Hash & rev, bool exportIgnore) = 0;
 
     virtual void fetch(
         const std::string & url,
diff --git a/src/libfetchers/git.cc b/src/libfetchers/git.cc
index 79270c317..fb8bf5bf4 100644
--- a/src/libfetchers/git.cc
+++ b/src/libfetchers/git.cc
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ struct GitInputScheme : InputScheme
         for (auto & [name, value] : url.query) {
             if (name == "rev" || name == "ref" || name == "keytype" || name == "publicKey" || name == "publicKeys")
                 attrs.emplace(name, value);
-            else if (name == "shallow" || name == "submodules" || name == "allRefs" || name == "verifyCommit")
+            else if (name == "shallow" || name == "submodules" || name == "exportIgnore" || name == "allRefs" || name == "verifyCommit")
                 attrs.emplace(name, Explicit<bool> { value == "1" });
             else
                 url2.query.emplace(name, value);
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ struct GitInputScheme : InputScheme
             "rev",
             "shallow",
             "submodules",
+            "exportIgnore",
             "lastModified",
             "revCount",
             "narHash",
@@ -250,6 +251,8 @@ struct GitInputScheme : InputScheme
             url.query.insert_or_assign("shallow", "1");
         if (getSubmodulesAttr(input))
             url.query.insert_or_assign("submodules", "1");
+        if (maybeGetBoolAttr(input.attrs, "exportIgnore").value_or(false))
+            url.query.insert_or_assign("exportIgnore", "1");
         if (maybeGetBoolAttr(input.attrs, "verifyCommit").value_or(false))
             url.query.insert_or_assign("verifyCommit", "1");
         auto publicKeys = getPublicKeys(input.attrs);
@@ -372,6 +375,11 @@ struct GitInputScheme : InputScheme
         return maybeGetBoolAttr(input.attrs, "submodules").value_or(false);
     }
 
+    bool getExportIgnoreAttr(const Input & input) const
+    {
+        return maybeGetBoolAttr(input.attrs, "exportIgnore").value_or(false);
+    }
+
     bool getAllRefsAttr(const Input & input) const
     {
         return maybeGetBoolAttr(input.attrs, "allRefs").value_or(false);
@@ -600,7 +608,8 @@ struct GitInputScheme : InputScheme
 
         verifyCommit(input, repo);
 
-        auto accessor = repo->getAccessor(rev);
+        bool exportIgnore = getExportIgnoreAttr(input);
+        auto accessor = repo->getAccessor(rev, exportIgnore);
 
         accessor->setPathDisplay("«" + input.to_string() + "»");
 
@@ -610,7 +619,7 @@ struct GitInputScheme : InputScheme
         if (getSubmodulesAttr(input)) {
             std::map<CanonPath, nix::ref<InputAccessor>> mounts;
 
-            for (auto & [submodule, submoduleRev] : repo->getSubmodules(rev)) {
+            for (auto & [submodule, submoduleRev] : repo->getSubmodules(rev, exportIgnore)) {
                 auto resolved = repo->resolveSubmoduleUrl(submodule.url, repoInfo.url);
                 debug("Git submodule %s: %s %s %s -> %s",
                     submodule.path, submodule.url, submodule.branch, submoduleRev.gitRev(), resolved);
diff --git a/tests/functional/fetchGit.sh b/tests/functional/fetchGit.sh
index f0438f548..46532c025 100644
--- a/tests/functional/fetchGit.sh
+++ b/tests/functional/fetchGit.sh
@@ -231,12 +231,15 @@ unset _NIX_FORCE_HTTP
 
 # Ensure .gitattributes is respected
 touch $repo/not-exported-file
+touch $repo/exported-wonky
 echo "/not-exported-file export-ignore" >> $repo/.gitattributes
-git -C $repo add not-exported-file .gitattributes
+echo "/exported-wonky export-ignore=wonk" >> $repo/.gitattributes
+git -C $repo add not-exported-file exported-wonky .gitattributes
 git -C $repo commit -m 'Bla6'
 rev5=$(git -C $repo rev-parse HEAD)
 path12=$(nix eval --impure --raw --expr "(builtins.fetchGit { url = file://$repo; rev = \"$rev5\"; }).outPath")
 [[ ! -e $path12/not-exported-file ]]
+[[ -e $path12/exported-wonky ]]
 
 # should fail if there is no repo
 rm -rf $repo/.git