diff --git a/pelican/tools/pelican_quickstart.py b/pelican/tools/pelican_quickstart.py
index 77657162..0eb031a5 100755
--- a/pelican/tools/pelican_quickstart.py
+++ b/pelican/tools/pelican_quickstart.py
@@ -391,8 +391,31 @@ needed by Pelican.
     render_jinja_template("publishconf.py.jinja2", CONF, "publishconf.py")
 
     if automation:
-        render_jinja_template("tasks.py.jinja2", CONF, "tasks.py")
-        render_jinja_template("Makefile.jinja2", CONF, "Makefile")
+        try:
+            with open(os.path.join(CONF['basedir'], 'tasks.py'),
+                      'w', 'utf-8') as fd:
+                _template = _jinja_env.get_template('tasks.py.jinja2')
+                fd.write(_template.render(**CONF))
+                fd.close()
+        except OSError as e:
+            print('Error: {0}'.format(e))
+        try:
+            with open(os.path.join(CONF['basedir'], 'Makefile'),
+                      'w', 'utf-8') as fd:
+                py_v = 'python3'
+                _template = _jinja_env.get_template('Makefile.jinja2')
+                fd.write(_template.render(py_v=py_v, **CONF))
+                fd.close()
+        except OSError as e:
+            print('Error: {0}'.format(e))
+        try:
+            with open(os.path.join(CONF['basedir'], 'excludes.txt'),
+                      'w', 'utf-8') as fd:
+                _template = _jinja_env.get_template('excludes.txt.jinja2')
+                fd.write(_template.render(**CONF))
+                fd.close()
+        except OSError as e:
+            print('Error: {0}'.format(e))
 
     print("Done. Your new project is available at {}".format(CONF["basedir"]))
 
diff --git a/pelican/tools/templates/Makefile.jinja2 b/pelican/tools/templates/Makefile.jinja2
index 67571b47..b7d7812d 100644
--- a/pelican/tools/templates/Makefile.jinja2
+++ b/pelican/tools/templates/Makefile.jinja2
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ sftp_upload: publish
 
 {% set upload = upload + ["rsync_upload"] %}
 rsync_upload: publish
-	rsync -e "ssh -p $(SSH_PORT)" -P -rvzc --include tags --cvs-exclude --delete "$(OUTPUTDIR)"/ "$(SSH_USER)@$(SSH_HOST):$(SSH_TARGET_DIR)"
+	rsync -e "ssh -p $(SSH_PORT)" -P -rvzc --include tags --cvs-exclude --exclude-from=excludes.txt --delete $(OUTPUTDIR)/ $(SSH_USER)@$(SSH_HOST):$(SSH_TARGET_DIR)
 
 {% endif %}
 {% if dropbox %}
diff --git a/pelican/tools/templates/excludes.txt.jinja2 b/pelican/tools/templates/excludes.txt.jinja2
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fbf831ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pelican/tools/templates/excludes.txt.jinja2
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# Files to exclude with rsync(1) during publishing.
+# See the INCLUDE/EXCLUDE PATTERN RULES section of the rsync man page.
+
+.DS_Store
diff --git a/pelican/tools/templates/tasks.py.jinja2 b/pelican/tools/templates/tasks.py.jinja2
index 26af6f0d..a20f93e3 100644
--- a/pelican/tools/templates/tasks.py.jinja2
+++ b/pelican/tools/templates/tasks.py.jinja2
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ def publish(c):
     """Publish to production via rsync"""
     pelican_run("-s {settings_publish}".format(**CONFIG))
     c.run(
-        'rsync --delete --exclude ".DS_Store" -pthrvz -c '
+        'rsync --delete --exclude-from=excludes.txt -pthrvz -c '
         '-e "ssh -p {ssh_port}" '
         "{} {ssh_user}@{ssh_host}:{ssh_path}".format(
             CONFIG["deploy_path"].rstrip("/") + "/", **CONFIG