diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 1ef5881c..0071cfe8 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 since 0.8:
+- fix 'status' to work with project directories as arguments
 - 'rebuildpac' now accepts additional repo and arch argument. Note:
   the syntax has changed.
 - add 'prjresults' command to display aggregated build status over
diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index dd1d15b7..3cd58acc 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -68,8 +68,6 @@ Transmitting file data ..
 15:50 < DuDE> kesselborn: hm, das sollte ich aendern
 
 
-17:30 < DuDE> jbl_: at the moment there is only exclude_stuff = [store, '.svn', 'CVS'], it should be extended to use globs
-
 
 
 
diff --git a/osc/commandline.py b/osc/commandline.py
index 71dcd7ff..849087fa 100755
--- a/osc/commandline.py
+++ b/osc/commandline.py
@@ -349,6 +349,8 @@ usage: osc st
             pacpaths += [arg + '/' + n for n in prj.pacs_have]
         elif is_package_dir(arg):
             pacpaths.append(arg)
+        elif os.path.isfile(arg):
+            pacpaths.append(arg)
         else:
             sys.exit('osc: error: %s is neither a project or a package directory' % arg)
         
@@ -362,6 +364,8 @@ usage: osc st
             p.todo = p.filenamelist + p.filenamelist_unvers
 
         for filename in p.todo:
+            if filename in p.excluded:
+                continue
             s = p.status(filename)
             if s == 'F':
                 print statfrmt('!', pathjoin(p.dir, filename))
@@ -390,7 +394,7 @@ usage: osc add file1 file2 ...
 
     for pac in pacs:
         for filename in pac.todo:
-            if filename in exclude_stuff:
+            if filename in pac.excluded:
                 continue
             if filename in pac.filenamelist:
                 print 'osc: warning: \'%s\' is already under version control' % filename
@@ -413,8 +417,6 @@ usage: osc addremove
         p.todo = p.filenamelist + p.filenamelist_unvers
 
         for filename in p.todo:
-            if filename in exclude_stuff:
-                continue
             if os.path.isdir(filename):
                 continue
             state = p.status(filename)
diff --git a/osc/core.py b/osc/core.py
index c4df36aa..d7e5dfea 100755
--- a/osc/core.py
+++ b/osc/core.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ scheme = 'http'
 
 BUFSIZE = 1024*1024
 store = '.osc'
-exclude_stuff = [store, '.svn', 'CVS', '.git']
+exclude_stuff = [store, '.svn', 'CVS', '.git', '.gitignore', '.pc', '*~']
 
 
 new_project_templ = """\
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@ class Project:
 class Package:
     """represent a package (its directory) and read/keep/write its metadata"""
     def __init__(self, workingdir):
+        import fnmatch
         self.dir = workingdir
         self.absdir = os.path.abspath(self.dir)
         self.storedir = os.path.join(self.dir, store)
@@ -194,9 +195,12 @@ class Package:
         self.todo_send = []
         self.todo_delete = []
 
-        # gather unversioned files (the ones not listed in _meta)
+        # gather unversioned files, but ignore some stuff
+        self.excluded = [ i for i in os.listdir(self.dir) 
+                          for j in exclude_stuff 
+                          if fnmatch.fnmatch(i, j) ]
         self.filenamelist_unvers = [ i for i in os.listdir(self.dir)
-                                     if i not in exclude_stuff
+                                     if i not in self.excluded
                                      if i not in self.filenamelist ]
 
     def addfile(self, n):
@@ -507,9 +511,6 @@ def is_package_dir(d):
 def findpacs(files):
     pacs = []
     for f in files:
-        if f in exclude_stuff:
-            break
-
         p = filedir_to_pac(f)
         known = None
         for i in pacs:
diff --git a/tests.py b/tests.py
index 6527f2e3..df476ebd 100755
--- a/tests.py
+++ b/tests.py
@@ -187,11 +187,16 @@ Transmitting file data
         self.assertEqual(self.err, '')
         self.assertEqual(self.out, 'A    %s/foo2\n?    %s/onlyinwc\n' % (os.getcwd(), os.getcwd()))
 
-        # status with a relative directory as argument
-        reldir = os.path.basename(os.getcwd())
-        self.out, self.err = runosc('st ../%s' % reldir)
+        # status with an absolute directory as argument
+        self.out, self.err = runosc('st %s' % os.getcwd())
         self.assertEqual(self.err, '')
-        self.assertEqual(self.out, 'A    ../%s/foo2\n?    ../%s/onlyinwc\n' % (reldir, reldir))
+        self.assertEqual(self.out, 'A    %s/foo2\n?    %s/onlyinwc\n' % (os.getcwd(), os.getcwd()))
+
+        # status with a single file as argument
+        reldir = os.path.basename(os.getcwd())
+        self.out, self.err = runosc('st foo2')
+        self.assertEqual(self.err, '')
+        self.assertEqual(self.out, 'A    foo2\n')
 
         # check in a single argument
         self.out, self.err = runosc('ci foo2')