diff --git a/packages/acceptance-tests/pkg-tests-specs/sources/commands/pack.test.js b/packages/acceptance-tests/pkg-tests-specs/sources/commands/pack.test.js
index 758c75a5c15c..01cea9487c8f 100644
--- a/packages/acceptance-tests/pkg-tests-specs/sources/commands/pack.test.js
+++ b/packages/acceptance-tests/pkg-tests-specs/sources/commands/pack.test.js
@@ -118,6 +118,24 @@ describe(`Commands`, () => {
       }),
     );
 
+    test(
+      `it should ignore root .gitignore files when using the 'files' field`,
+      makeTemporaryEnv({
+        files: [
+          `lib`,
+        ],
+      }, async ({path, run, source}) => {
+        await fsUtils.writeFile(`${path}/.gitignore`, `lib`);
+
+        await run(`install`);
+
+        await fsUtils.writeFile(`${path}/lib/foo.js`);
+
+        const {stdout} = await run(`pack`, `--dry-run`);
+        await expect(stdout).toMatch(/lib\/foo\.js/);
+      }),
+    );
+
     test(
       `it shouldn't add the cache to the package files`,
       makeTemporaryEnv({}, async ({path, run, source}) => {
diff --git a/packages/plugin-pack/package.json b/packages/plugin-pack/package.json
index e7d0f87c0fb9..c33176ce6d78 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-pack/package.json
+++ b/packages/plugin-pack/package.json
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@
     "tar-stream": "^2.0.1"
   },
   "version": "2.0.0-rc.4",
+  "nextVersion": {
+    "semver": "2.0.0-rc.5",
+    "nonce": "3390682135047771"
+  },
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
     "url": "ssh://git@github.com/yarnpkg/berry.git"
diff --git a/packages/plugin-pack/sources/packUtils.ts b/packages/plugin-pack/sources/packUtils.ts
index 1eb99ce5fd7d..7b6e19531a88 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-pack/sources/packUtils.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-pack/sources/packUtils.ts
@@ -205,21 +205,23 @@ export async function genPackList(workspace: Workspace) {
   else if (workspace.manifest.module)
     ignoreList.accept.push(ppath.resolve(PortablePath.root, workspace.manifest.module));
 
-  if (workspace.manifest.files !== null) {
+  const hasExplicitFileList = workspace.manifest.files !== null;
+  if (hasExplicitFileList) {
     ignoreList.reject.push(`/*`);
 
-    for (const pattern of workspace.manifest.files) {
+    for (const pattern of workspace.manifest.files!) {
       addIgnorePattern(ignoreList.accept, pattern, {cwd: PortablePath.root});
     }
   }
 
   return await walk(workspace.cwd, {
+    hasExplicitFileList,
     globalList,
     ignoreList,
   });
 }
 
-async function walk(initialCwd: PortablePath, {globalList, ignoreList}: {globalList: IgnoreList, ignoreList: IgnoreList}) {
+async function walk(initialCwd: PortablePath, {hasExplicitFileList, globalList, ignoreList}: {hasExplicitFileList: boolean, globalList: IgnoreList, ignoreList: IgnoreList}) {
   const list: PortablePath[] = [];
 
   const cwdFs = new JailFS(initialCwd);
@@ -238,9 +240,11 @@ async function walk(initialCwd: PortablePath, {globalList, ignoreList}: {globalL
       let hasGitIgnore = false;
       let hasNpmIgnore = false;
 
-      for (const entry of entries) {
-        hasGitIgnore = hasGitIgnore || entry === `.gitignore`;
-        hasNpmIgnore = hasNpmIgnore || entry === `.npmignore`;
+      if (!hasExplicitFileList || cwd !== PortablePath.root) {
+        for (const entry of entries) {
+          hasGitIgnore = hasGitIgnore || entry === `.gitignore`;
+          hasNpmIgnore = hasNpmIgnore || entry === `.npmignore`;
+        }
       }
 
       const localIgnoreList = hasNpmIgnore
diff --git a/packages/yarnpkg-cli/package.json b/packages/yarnpkg-cli/package.json
index da3b40fdcc69..9c08c8c07d21 100644
--- a/packages/yarnpkg-cli/package.json
+++ b/packages/yarnpkg-cli/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 {
   "name": "@yarnpkg/cli",
   "version": "2.0.0-rc.9",
+  "nextVersion": {
+    "semver": "2.0.0-rc.10",
+    "nonce": "3585046797413477"
+  },
   "main": "./sources/index.ts",
   "dependencies": {
     "@yarnpkg/core": "workspace:2.0.0-rc.9",