diff --git a/packages/steps-s3-copy/.gitignore b/packages/steps-s3-copy/.gitignore
index 15377ad..fab2906 100644
--- a/packages/steps-s3-copy/.gitignore
+++ b/packages/steps-s3-copy/.gitignore
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
-**/*.js
-**/*.d.ts
-
+out/**
 dist/**
+
 tsconfig.*
 .jsii
-.npmignore
diff --git a/packages/steps-s3-copy/.npmignore b/packages/steps-s3-copy/.npmignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0aad079
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/steps-s3-copy/.npmignore
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+
+# exclude typescript source and config (only in the src folder - don't exclude lambda TS files)
+src/**
+tsconfig.json
+
+# excludes node_modules that might exist locally in our lambda (these will be rebuilt by the CDK
+# when the packages are used)
+lambda/**/node_modules
+
+# Include javascript files and typescript declarations
+!*.js
+!*.d.ts
+
+# Exclude jsii directory that things are _packed_ into
+dist
+
+# Include .jsii and .jsii.gz
+!.jsii
+!.jsii.gz
diff --git a/packages/steps-s3-copy/lambda/can-write-lambda/.gitignore b/packages/steps-s3-copy/lambda/can-write-lambda/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index dc19133..0000000
--- a/packages/steps-s3-copy/lambda/can-write-lambda/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-
-# this lambda is a straight JS - no typescript so we need to include the JS
-!*.js
diff --git a/packages/steps-s3-copy/lambda/summarise-copy-lambda/.gitignore b/packages/steps-s3-copy/lambda/summarise-copy-lambda/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index dc19133..0000000
--- a/packages/steps-s3-copy/lambda/summarise-copy-lambda/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-
-# this lambda is a straight JS - no typescript so we need to include the JS
-!*.js
diff --git a/packages/steps-s3-copy/lambda/thaw-objects-lambda/.gitignore b/packages/steps-s3-copy/lambda/thaw-objects-lambda/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index dc19133..0000000
--- a/packages/steps-s3-copy/lambda/thaw-objects-lambda/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-
-# this lambda is a straight JS - no typescript so we need to include the JS
-!*.js