diff --git a/build/common.sh b/build/common.sh
index a2b5d21659a..80c6fc7d8a3 100755
--- a/build/common.sh
+++ b/build/common.sh
@@ -682,10 +682,13 @@ function kube::build::sync_to_container() {
   # they will not be re-generated by 'make'.
   kube::build::rsync \
     --delete \
+    --filter='- /.git/' \
     --filter='- /.make/' \
     --filter='- /_tmp/' \
     --filter='- /_output/' \
     --filter='- /' \
+    --filter='- zz_generated.*' \
+    --filter='- generated.proto' \
     "${KUBE_ROOT}/" "rsync://k8s@${KUBE_RSYNC_ADDR}/k8s/"
 
   kube::build::stop_rsyncd_container
diff --git a/hack/update-staging-godeps-dockerized.sh b/hack/update-staging-godeps-dockerized.sh
index f1b48e5f611..458cbb211f2 100755
--- a/hack/update-staging-godeps-dockerized.sh
+++ b/hack/update-staging-godeps-dockerized.sh
@@ -87,6 +87,15 @@ function diffGodepManifest() {
   fi
 }
 
+# Create a fake git repo for staging to prevent godeps from complaining
+pushd "${KUBE_ROOT}" >/dev/null
+  git init >/dev/null
+  git config --local user.email "nobody@k8s.io"
+  git config --local user.name "$0"
+  git add . >/dev/null
+  git commit -q -m "Snapshot" >/dev/null
+popd >/dev/null
+
 # move into staging and save the dependencies for everything in order
 mkdir -p "${TMP_GOPATH}/src/k8s.io"
 for repo in $(ls ${KUBE_ROOT}/staging/src/k8s.io); do