diff --git a/apps/bookmark.c b/apps/bookmark.c
index f76edd256e..6ff7e4e52c 100644
--- a/apps/bookmark.c
+++ b/apps/bookmark.c
@@ -50,6 +50,14 @@
 #define MAX_BOOKMARKS 10
 #define MAX_BOOKMARK_SIZE  350
 #define RECENT_BOOKMARK_FILE ROCKBOX_DIR "/most-recent.bmark"
+#define BOOKMARK_IGNORE "/bookmark.ignore"
+#define BOOKMARK_UNIGNORE "/bookmark.unignore"
+
+/* flags for write_bookmark() */
+#define BMARK_WRITE        0x0
+#define BMARK_ASK_USER     0x1
+#define BMARK_CREATE_FILE  0x2
+#define BMARK_CHECK_IGNORE 0x4
 
 /* Used to buffer bookmarks while displaying the bookmark list. */
 struct bookmark_list
@@ -539,6 +547,41 @@ static void get_track_resume_info(struct resume_info *resume_info)
 #endif
 }
 
+/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+/* This function checks for bookmark ignore and unignore files to allow    */
+/* directories to be ignored or included in bookmarks */
+/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------- */
+static bool bookmark_has_ignore(struct resume_info *resume_info)
+{
+    if (!resume_info->id3)
+        return false;
+
+    char *buf = global_temp_buffer;
+    size_t bufsz = sizeof(global_temp_buffer);
+
+    strmemccpy(buf, resume_info->id3->path, bufsz);
+
+    char *slash;
+    while ((slash = strrchr(buf, '/')))
+    {
+        size_t rem = bufsz - (slash - buf);
+        if (strmemccpy(slash, BOOKMARK_UNIGNORE, rem) != NULL && file_exists(buf))
+        {
+            /* unignore exists we want bookmarks */
+            logf("unignore bookmark found %s\n", buf);
+            return false;
+        }
+        if (strmemccpy(slash, BOOKMARK_IGNORE, rem) != NULL && file_exists(buf))
+        {
+            /* ignore exists we do not want bookmarks */
+            logf("ignore bookmark found %s\n", buf);
+            return true;
+        }
+        *slash = '\0';
+    }
+    return false;
+}
+
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 /* This function takes the current current resume information and writes   */
 /* that to the beginning of the bookmark file.                             */
@@ -550,12 +593,17 @@ static void get_track_resume_info(struct resume_info *resume_info)
 /* possible that a bookmark is successfully added to the most recent       */
 /* bookmark list but fails to be added to the bookmark file or vice versa. */
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
-static bool write_bookmark(bool create_bookmark_file)
+static bool write_bookmark(unsigned int flags)
 {
-    logf("%s", __func__);
+    logf("%s flags: %d", __func__, flags);
     char bm_filename[MAX_PATH];
     bool ret=true;
 
+    bool create_bookmark_file = flags & BMARK_CREATE_FILE;
+    bool check_ignore = flags & BMARK_CHECK_IGNORE;
+    bool ask_user = flags & BMARK_ASK_USER;
+    bool usemrb = global_settings.usemrb;
+
     char *name = NULL;
     size_t namelen = 0;
     char* bm;
@@ -564,8 +612,27 @@ static bool write_bookmark(bool create_bookmark_file)
     if (bookmark_is_bookmarkable_state())
     {
         get_track_resume_info(&resume_info);
+
+        if (check_ignore
+            && (create_bookmark_file || ask_user || usemrb))
+        {
+            if (bookmark_has_ignore(&resume_info))
+                return false;
+        }
+
+        if (ask_user)
+        {
+            if (yesno_pop(ID2P(LANG_AUTO_BOOKMARK_QUERY)))
+            {
+                if (global_settings.autocreatebookmark != BOOKMARK_RECENT_ONLY_ASK)
+                    create_bookmark_file = true;
+            }
+            else
+                return false;
+        }
+
         /* writing the most recent bookmark */
-        if (global_settings.usemrb)
+        if (usemrb)
         {
             /* since we use the same buffer bookmark needs created each time */
             bm = create_bookmark(&name, &namelen, &resume_info);
@@ -1103,7 +1170,7 @@ bool bookmark_create_menu(void)
     if (!bookmark_is_bookmarkable_state())
         save_playlist_screen(NULL);
 
-    return write_bookmark(true);
+    return write_bookmark(BMARK_CREATE_FILE);
 }
 /* ----------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 /* This function acts as the load interface from the context menu.         */
@@ -1175,29 +1242,23 @@ bool bookmark_autobookmark(bool prompt_ok)
     update = (global_settings.autoupdatebookmark && bookmark_exists());
 
     if (update)
-        return write_bookmark(true);
+        return write_bookmark(BMARK_CREATE_FILE | BMARK_CHECK_IGNORE);
 
     switch (global_settings.autocreatebookmark)
     {
         case BOOKMARK_YES:
-            return write_bookmark(true);
+            return write_bookmark(BMARK_CREATE_FILE | BMARK_CHECK_IGNORE);
 
         case BOOKMARK_NO:
             return false;
 
         case BOOKMARK_RECENT_ONLY_YES:
-            return write_bookmark(false);
+            return write_bookmark(BMARK_CHECK_IGNORE);
     }
-    const char *lines[]={ID2P(LANG_AUTO_BOOKMARK_QUERY)};
-    const struct text_message message={lines, 1};
 
-    if(prompt_ok && gui_syncyesno_run(&message, NULL, NULL)==YESNO_YES)
-    {
-        if (global_settings.autocreatebookmark == BOOKMARK_RECENT_ONLY_ASK)
-            return write_bookmark(false);
-        else
-            return write_bookmark(true);
-    }
+    if(prompt_ok)
+        return write_bookmark(BMARK_ASK_USER | BMARK_CHECK_IGNORE);
+
     return false;
 }
 
diff --git a/manual/configure_rockbox/bookmarking.tex b/manual/configure_rockbox/bookmarking.tex
index a0a047e190..398257e552 100644
--- a/manual/configure_rockbox/bookmarking.tex
+++ b/manual/configure_rockbox/bookmarking.tex
@@ -14,6 +14,20 @@
   the bookmark to load. There are other ways to load a bookmarks mentioned
   below.
 
+  You can also configure what directories will save bookmarks by creating a file
+  named 'bookmark.ignore' in a directory if you would like to never create a bookmark
+  when files are played from it.
+
+  \note{You can still manually create a bookmark but ignored directories will
+         not update existing bookmarks nor auto create them for files located
+         in ignored directories. }
+
+  The file 'bookmark.unignore' provides the opposite functionality.
+  For instance in the root of the drive you could create '/bookmark.ignore'
+  and no files played from this drive would get bookmarks.
+  If you then created '/podcasts/bookmark.unignore' tracks played from the podcast
+  directory would get bookmarks.
+
   \note{If the current playlist has been modified or is unsaved, such as when
         playing tracks from the \setting{Database}, Rockbox will automatically
         offer to save the playlist to a file when you attempt to create a bookmark. 
diff --git a/tools/buildzip.pl b/tools/buildzip.pl
index 12ca9de1d9..5a4f0d0d80 100755
--- a/tools/buildzip.pl
+++ b/tools/buildzip.pl
@@ -395,6 +395,9 @@ sub buildzip {
     # create the file so the talkclip generation skips this folder
     open(IGNORE, ">$temp_dir/talkclips.ignore")  || die "can't open talkclips.ignore";
     close(IGNORE);
+    # create the file so bookmark generation skips this folder
+    open(IGNORE, ">$temp_dir/bookmark.ignore")  || die "can't open bookmark.ignore";
+    close(IGNORE);
 
     # the samsung ypr0 has a loader script that's needed in the zip
     if ($modelname =~ /samsungypr[01]/) {