diff --git a/README.txt b/README.txt
index 2578b06..f691daf 100644
--- a/README.txt
+++ b/README.txt
@@ -80,3 +80,30 @@ Options
 
 - Alexander Artemenko <svetlyak.40wt@gmail.com>
 
+* ``git-svn-clone-externals``
+  * -i git-ignore-file : For some reason, I need to add some ignore to
+    the root repository and to each svn:externals project. the git-ignore-file
+    format is just like a .gitignore file format. Its content will be added to
+    .git/info/exclude for each repository.
+  * -l : use symlinks in .git_externals/ for each svn:externals repository.
+    The default is off, which means it does not create symlinks, but direct
+    folder in the main repository. Everything should just work the same with
+    modified scripts from this 'freebsd' branch.
+  * Recursive svn:externals clone: 
+    RootRepo/
+     + ExtRepo1/ (svn:externals in RootRepo/)
+     | + ExtRepo11/ (svn:externals in ExtRepo1/)
+     ...
+
+* ``git-svn-excludes-update``
+  * -i git-ignore-file : this options is required for this script. For each
+    exclude pattern option in the file, the script will check if it exists in
+    .git/info/exclude. The script check each svn:externals recursively.
+    git-ignore-file sample :
+     $ cat git-ignore-file
+     *.o
+     *.a
+     *~
+     # end-of-file
+
+- Guillaume Bibaut <github@iaelu.net>
diff --git a/git-svn-check-unpushed b/git-svn-check-unpushed
index 8d6ddb8..e794090 100755
--- a/git-svn-check-unpushed
+++ b/git-svn-check-unpushed
@@ -22,10 +22,11 @@ def list_references():
     HEAD_ref = None
     refs = {}
     for item in references.split('\n'):
-        sha1, name = item.split()
-        if name == 'HEAD':
-            HEAD_ref = sha1
-        refs[sha1] = name
+        if len(item) != 0:
+            sha1, name = item.split()
+            if name == 'HEAD':
+                HEAD_ref = sha1
+            refs[sha1] = name
     return HEAD_ref, refs
 
 
diff --git a/git-svn-clone-externals b/git-svn-clone-externals
index d6896f8..7265981 100755
--- a/git-svn-clone-externals
+++ b/git-svn-clone-externals
@@ -5,88 +5,98 @@ set -e
 toplevel_directory="$(git rev-parse --show-cdup)"
 [ -n "$toplevel_directory" ] && { echo "please run from the toplevel directory"; exit 1; }
 
+gitignore_file=""
+use_symlinks=0
 
 function call()
 {
-	cmd="$@"
-	echo "$cmd"
-	eval "$cmd"
-	return "$?"
+    cmd="$@"
+    echo "$cmd"
+    eval "$cmd"
+    return "$?"
 }
 
 function do_clone()
 {
-	test -d .git_externals || return 1
-	module=`echo $remote_url|sed 's,\(.*\)\(/trunk\|/branch.*\|/tag.*\),\1,'`
-	branch=`echo $remote_url|sed 's,\(.*\)\(/trunk\|/branch.*\|/tag.*\),\2,'|sed 's,^/,,'`
-	if [[ $branch = $remote_url ]]; then
-		branch=""
-	fi
- 	(
-		cd .git_externals
-		if [ -d "$local_directory" ]; then
-			(
-				cd "$local_directory"
-				call git svn fetch --all
-			)
-		else
-			tags="tags"
-			brch="branches"
-			branchpath=$(echo $branch|cut -f1 -d/)
-			echo $tags|grep $branchpath >/dev/null 2>&1 && tags=$branchpath
-			echo $brch|grep $branchpath >/dev/null 2>&1 && brch=$branchpath
-
-			if [ "$module" = "$remote_url" ]; then
-				# URL does not contains any trunk, branches or tags part, so we dont need
-				# additional options for git-svn
-				call git svn clone "$revision" "$module" "$local_directory"
-			else
-				call git svn clone "$revision" "$module" -T trunk -b $brch -t $tags "$local_directory"
-			fi
-
-		fi
-		(
-			branch="$(echo ${branch}|sed 's,/$,,')"
-			if [ -n "$branch" ]; then
-				cd "$local_directory"
-				call git reset --hard $branch
-			fi
-		)
-	)
+    if [ $use_symlinks -ne 0 ]; then
+        test -d .git_externals || return 1
+    fi
+    revision="$1"
+    remote_url="$2"
+    local_directory="$3"
+    module=`echo $remote_url | sed 's,\(.*\)\(/trunk\|/branch.*\|/tag.*\),\1,'`
+    branch=`echo $remote_url | sed 's,\(.*\)\(/trunk\|/branch.*\|/tag.*\),\2,' | sed 's,^/,,'`
+    if [[ $branch = $remote_url ]]; then
+        branch=""
+    fi
+    (
+    if [ $use_symlinks -ne 0 ]; then
+        cd .git_externals
+    fi
+    if [ -d "$local_directory" ]; then
+        (
+        cd "$local_directory"
+        call git svn fetch --all
+        )
+    else
+        tags="tags"
+        brch="branches"
+        branchpath=$(echo $branch | cut -f1 -d/)
+        echo $tags | grep $branchpath >/dev/null 2>&1 && tags=$branchpath
+        echo $brch | grep $branchpath >/dev/null 2>&1 && brch=$branchpath
+
+        if [ "$module" = "$remote_url" ]; then
+            # URL does not contains any trunk, branches or tags part, so we dont need
+            # additional options for git-svn
+            call git svn clone "$revision" "$module" "$local_directory"
+        else
+            call git svn clone "$revision" "$module" -T trunk -b $brch -t $tags "$local_directory"
+        fi
+
+    fi
+    (
+    branch="$(echo ${branch} | sed 's,/$,,')"
+    if [ -n "$branch" ]; then
+        cd "$local_directory"
+        call git reset --hard $branch
+    fi
+    )
+    )
 }
 
 function do_link()
 {
-	dir="$1"
-	base="$(dirname $dir)"
-	(
-		mkdir -p "$base"
-		cd $base
-		rel=$(git rev-parse --show-cdup)
-		ln -sf ${rel}.git_externals/"$dir"
-	)
+    dir="$1"
+    base="$(dirname $dir)"
+    (
+    mkdir -p "$base"
+    cd $base
+    rel=$(git rev-parse --show-cdup)
+    ln -sf ${rel}.git_externals/"$dir"
+    )
 }
 
 function do_excludes()
 {
-	dir="$1"
-	git_excludes_path=.git/info/exclude
-	if ! grep -q '^.git_externals$' "$git_excludes_path"
-	then
-		echo .git_externals >> "$git_excludes_path"
-	fi
-
-	if ! grep -q '^'"$dir"'$' "$git_excludes_path"
-	then
-		echo "$dir" >> "$git_excludes_path"
-	fi
+    dir="$1"
+    git_excludes_path=.git/info/exclude
+    if [ $use_symlinks -ne 0 ]; then
+        if ! grep -q '^.git_externals$' "$git_excludes_path"
+        then
+            echo .git_externals >> "$git_excludes_path"
+        fi
+    fi
+    if ! grep -q '^'"$dir"'$' "$git_excludes_path"
+    then
+        echo "$dir" >> "$git_excludes_path"
+    fi
 }
 
 function is_excluded()
 {
     local result=0
     if [ -f .git_externals_exclude ] ; then
-        matches=`grep -v "^#" .git_externals_exclude|grep "^/$1$"|wc -l`
+        matches=`grep -v "^#" .git_externals_exclude | grep "^/$1$"|wc -l`
         if [ $matches -gt 0 ] ; then
             local result=1
         fi
@@ -96,42 +106,100 @@ function is_excluded()
 }
 
 
-git svn show-externals|grep -vE '#|^$'| \
-	sed 's/\(-r\)[ ]*\([0-9]\{1,\}\)/\1\2/'|while read -a words
-do
-	[ -z "${words[*]}" ] && continue
-
-	local_directory="$(echo ${words[0]}|sed 's,^/,,')"
-	revision=""
-	remote_url="${words[1]}"
-
-    check_excluded=$(is_excluded $local_directory)
-
-    if [ $check_excluded -eq 0 ] ; then
-        if [ -n "${words[2]}" ]; then
-            revision="${words[1]}"
-            remote_url="${words[2]}"
-        fi
-
-        if [ -n "$USE_SSH" ]; then
-            echo "Rewriting url to use SVN+SSH."
-            shopt -s extglob
-            remote_url="${remote_url/+(http|https)/svn+ssh}"
-        fi
-
-        [ -z "${remote_url}" ] && continue
-
-        export local_directory revision remote_url
+function do_clone_externals()
+{
+    git svn show-externals | grep -vE '#|^$' | \
+        sed 's/\(-r\)[ ]*\([0-9]\{1,\}\)/\1\2/' | \
+        while read -a words
+        do
+            [ -z "${words[*]}" ] && continue
+
+            local_directory="$(echo ${words[0]} | sed 's,^/,,')"
+            revision=""
+            remote_url="${words[1]}"
+
+            check_excluded=$(is_excluded $local_directory)
+
+            if [ $check_excluded -eq 0 ] ; then
+                if [ -n "${words[2]}" ]; then
+                    revision="${words[1]}"
+                    remote_url="${words[2]}"
+                fi
+
+                if [ -n "$USE_SSH" ]; then
+                    echo "Rewriting url to use SVN+SSH."
+                    shopt -s extglob
+                    remote_url="${remote_url/#(http|https)/svn+ssh}"
+                fi
+
+                [ -z "${remote_url}" ] && continue
+
+                echo "$local_directory -> $remote_url"
+
+                dir=`dirname $local_directory`
+                if [ $use_symlinks -ne 0 ]; then
+                    [ -d ".git_externals/$dir" ] || mkdir -p ".git_externals/$dir"
+                fi
+
+                do_clone "$revision" "$remote_url" "$local_directory" || exit
+                if [ $use_symlinks -ne 0 ]; then
+                    do_link "$local_directory"
+                fi
+                do_excludes "$local_directory"
+
+                #recurse svn:externals
+                pushd $local_directory 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null
+                do_clone_externals
+                popd 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null
+            fi
+
+        done
+
+    if [ -n "$gitignore_file" ]; then
+        cat $gitignore_file |  while read excopt; do
+            if ! grep -q "^${excopt}" .git/info/exclude; then
+                echo " adding \"${excopt}\" exclude pattern"
+                cat >> .git/info/exclude << EOF
+${excopt}
+EOF
+            fi
+        done
+    fi
+}
 
-        echo "$local_directory -> $remote_url"
+function usage()
+{
+    echo "Usage: `basename $0` [-i git-ignore-file] [-l]"
+    echo "  -i git-ignore-file : git-ignore-file must exist. $0 will add its content to exclude informations"
+    echo "  -l : use symlinks to svn:externals repositories (default: off)"
+    exit 2
+}
 
-        dir=`dirname $local_directory`
-        [ -d ".git_externals/$dir" ] || mkdir -p ".git_externals/$dir"
+# Main
+
+while getopts "li:" _a; do
+    case $_a in
+        i)
+            _ignorefile="$OPTARG"
+            ;;
+        l)
+            use_symlinks=1
+            ;;
+        \?)
+            usage
+            ;;
+    esac
+done
 
-        do_clone "$revision" "$remote_url" "$local_directory" || exit
-        do_link "$local_directory"
-        do_excludes "$local_directory"
+if [ -n "$_ignorefile" -a ! -f "$_ignorefile" ]; then
+    usage
+fi
+if [ -n "$_ignorefile" ]; then
+    _ignorefile=`realpath -q $_ignorefile`
+    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+        usage
     fi
+fi
+gitignore_file="$_ignorefile"
 
-done
-
+do_clone_externals
diff --git a/git-svn-excludes-update b/git-svn-excludes-update
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..4ed0893
--- /dev/null
+++ b/git-svn-excludes-update
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -e
+
+toplevel_directory="$(git rev-parse --show-cdup)"
+[ -n "$toplevel_directory" ] && { echo "please run from the toplevel directory"; exit 1; }
+
+gitignore_file=""
+
+function is_excluded()
+{
+    local result=0
+    if [ -f .git_externals_exclude ] ; then
+        matches=`grep -v "^#" .git_externals_exclude | grep "^/$1$"|wc -l`
+        if [ $matches -gt 0 ] ; then
+            local result=1
+        fi
+    fi
+    echo $result 
+    return
+}
+
+
+function do_excludes_update()
+{
+    _root="$1"
+    git svn show-externals | grep -vE '#|^$' | \
+        sed 's/\(-r\)[ ]*\([0-9]\{1,\}\)/\1\2/' | \
+        while read -a words;  do
+            [ -z "${words[*]}" ] && continue
+
+            local_directory="$(echo ${words[0]} | sed 's,^/,,')"
+            [ -z "$local_directory" ] && continue
+
+            check_excluded=$(is_excluded $local_directory)
+            if [ $check_excluded -eq 0 ] ; then
+                #recurse svn:externals
+                pushd $local_directory 2>&1 >/dev/null
+                do_excludes_update $_root
+                popd 2>&1 >/dev/null
+            fi
+
+        done
+
+        _pwd=`pwd`
+        _pwd="${_pwd/${_root}/}"
+        echo ".${_pwd}"
+        cat $gitignore_file |  while read excopt; do
+            if ! grep -q "^${excopt}" .git/info/exclude; then
+                echo " adding \"${excopt}\" exclude pattern"
+                cat >> .git/info/exclude << EOF
+${excopt}
+EOF
+            fi
+        done
+}
+
+function usage()
+{
+    echo "Usage: `basename $0` -i git-ignore-file"
+    echo "  -i git-ignore-file : git-ignore-file must exist. $0 will add its content to exclude informations"
+    exit 2
+}
+
+# Main
+
+while getopts "i:" _a; do
+    case $_a in
+        i)
+            _ignorefile="$OPTARG"
+            ;;
+        \?)
+            usage
+            ;;
+    esac
+done
+
+if [ -z "$_ignorefile" -o ! -f "$_ignorefile" ]; then
+    usage
+fi
+_ignorefile=`realpath -q $_ignorefile`
+if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+    usage
+fi
+gitignore_file="$_ignorefile"
+
+_root=`pwd`
+do_excludes_update $_root
diff --git a/git-svn-externals-check b/git-svn-externals-check
index fddc313..014a322 100755
--- a/git-svn-externals-check
+++ b/git-svn-externals-check
@@ -1,19 +1,28 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-for dir in *; do
+
+toplevel_directory="$(git rev-parse --show-cdup)"
+[ -n "$toplevel_directory" ] && { echo "please run from the toplevel directory"; exit 1; }
+
+find . -type d -name .git -mindepth 2 | while read gitdir; do
+    dir=$(dirname "$gitdir")
     if [ -d $dir ]; then
-       cd $dir
-       STATUS=$(git status)
-       UNPUSHED=$(git-svn-check-unpushed)
-       if [ $(echo $STATUS|grep -c "clean") -lt 1 -o \
-	    $(echo $UNPUSHED|grep -c "No unpushed") -lt 1 ]; then
-	   echo '>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>' $dir '<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<'
-	   git status
-	   git-svn-check-unpushed
-	   echo '----------------------------------------'
-       else
-	   echo $dir 'is clean'
-       fi
-       cd ..
-   fi
+        pushd $dir 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null
+        STATUS=$(git status)
+        UNPUSHED=$(git-svn-check-unpushed)
+        if [ $(echo $STATUS|grep -c "clean") -lt 1 -o \
+            $(echo $UNPUSHED|grep -c "No unpushed") -lt 1 ]; then
+            echo '>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>' $dir '<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<'
+            cat >&1 << EOF
+$STATUS
+EOF
+            cat >&1 << EOF
+$UNPUSHED
+EOF
+            echo '----------------------------------------'
+        else
+            echo $dir 'is clean'
+        fi
+        popd 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null
+    fi
 done
diff --git a/git-svn-externals-update b/git-svn-externals-update
index 4313b29..571ff00 100755
--- a/git-svn-externals-update
+++ b/git-svn-externals-update
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@
 toplevel_directory="$(git rev-parse --show-cdup)"
 [ -n "$toplevel_directory" ] && { echo "please run from the toplevel directory"; exit 1; }
 
-find .git_externals -type d -name .git | while read gitdir; do
-	dir=$(dirname "$gitdir")
+find . -type d -name .git -mindepth 2 | while read gitdir; do
+    dir=$(dirname "$gitdir")
     if [ -d $dir ]; then
-	pushd $dir
-	echo $dir
-	git svn fetch
-	git svn rebase
-	popd
+        pushd $dir 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null
+        echo $dir
+        git svn fetch
+        git svn rebase
+        popd 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null
     fi
 done