diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c249cb0c6..7f1919d0f 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -421,6 +421,7 @@ Makefile.in
 /python/guestfs-internal-all.h
 /python/guestfs-internal-frontend-cleanups.h
 /python/guestfs-internal-frontend.h
+/python/ignore-value.h
 /python/MANIFEST
 /python/__pycache__
 /python/setup.py
diff --git a/python/MANIFEST.in b/python/MANIFEST.in
index 3ed834e77..453d59a8f 100644
--- a/python/MANIFEST.in
+++ b/python/MANIFEST.in
@@ -20,3 +20,4 @@ include config.h
 include guestfs-internal-all.h
 include guestfs-internal-frontend-cleanups.h
 include guestfs-internal-frontend.h
+include ignore-value.h
diff --git a/python/Makefile.am b/python/Makefile.am
index 8b2ec7195..f77dd1779 100644
--- a/python/Makefile.am
+++ b/python/Makefile.am
@@ -79,12 +79,16 @@ stamp-extra-files: \
 	  guestfs-internal-all.h \
 	  guestfs-internal-frontend-cleanups.h \
 	  guestfs-internal-frontend.h \
+	  ignore-value.h \
 	  utils.c
 	touch $@
 
 config.h:
 	ln ../config.h $@
 
+ignore-value.h:
+	ln $(top_srcdir)/gnulib/lib/ignore-value.h $@
+
 guestfs-internal-all.h:
 	ln $(top_srcdir)/src/guestfs-internal-all.h $@
 
@@ -119,6 +123,7 @@ CLEANFILES = \
 	guestfs-internal-all.h \
 	guestfs-internal-frontend-cleanups.h \
 	guestfs-internal-frontend.h \
+	ignore-value.h \
 	stamp-extra-files \
 	utils.c