diff --git a/docs/contributing/release-process.rst b/RELEASE.rst
similarity index 68%
rename from docs/contributing/release-process.rst
rename to RELEASE.rst
index a530a2402..67963e3b0 100644
--- a/docs/contributing/release-process.rst
+++ b/RELEASE.rst
@@ -2,20 +2,16 @@
 ..
 .. SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 
-
-.. _contributing-release-process:
-
-***************
 Release Process
-***************
+===============
 
-All releases are PGP signed with one of the keys listed in the
-`installation page`_. Before releasing please make sure your PGP key is listed
-there, and preferably signed by one of the other key holders.
+All releases are PGP signed with one of the keys listed in ``docs/about.rst``.
+Before releasing please make sure your PGP key is listed there, and preferably
+signed by one of the other key holders.
 
-If your key is not signed by one of the other key holders, please make sure the
-PR that added your key to the :doc:`../about` page was approved by at least one
-other maintainer.
+If your key is not signed by one of the other key holders, please make sure
+that the PR that added your key to ``docs/about.rst`` was approved by at least
+one other maintainer.
 
 After that is done, you may release the project by following these steps:
 
@@ -44,7 +40,7 @@ After that is done, you may release the project by following these steps:
          $ git push
          $ git push --tags
 
-#. Release to `PyPI <https://pypi.org/project/meson-python/>`_
+#. Release to PyPI:
 
    #. Build the Python artifacts:
 
@@ -60,9 +56,3 @@ After that is done, you may release the project by following these steps:
 
       There is no need to GPG-sign the artifacts: PyPI no longer
       supports uploading GPG signatures.
-
-If you have any questions, please look at previous releases and/or ping the
-other maintainers.
-
-
-.. _installation page: installation
diff --git a/docs/contributing/index.rst b/docs/contributing/index.rst
deleted file mode 100644
index 71ba383e0..000000000
--- a/docs/contributing/index.rst
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-.. SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023 The meson-python developers
-..
-.. SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
-
-
-Development
-===========
-
-.. toctree::
-
-   release-process
diff --git a/docs/explanations/design-old.rst b/docs/explanations/design-old.rst
index d9422dd33..dcbb66465 100644
--- a/docs/explanations/design-old.rst
+++ b/docs/explanations/design-old.rst
@@ -31,21 +31,6 @@ Python tool (pip_, `pypa/build`_, etc.) to build and install the project.
 ``meson-python`` will build a Python sdist (source distribution) or
 wheel (binary distribution) from Meson_ project.
 
-Source distribution (sdist)
----------------------------
-
-The source distribution is based on ``meson dist``, so make sure all your files
-are included there. In git projects, Meson_ will not include files that are not
-checked into git, keep that in mind when developing. By default, all files
-under version control will be included in the sdist. In order to exclude files,
-use ``export-ignore`` or ``export-subst`` attributes in ``.gitattributes`` (see
-the ``git-archive`` documentation for details; ``meson dist`` uses
-``git-archive`` under the hood).
-
-Local (uncommitted) changes to files that are under version control will be
-included. This is often needed when applying patches, e.g. for build issues
-found during packaging, to work around test failures, to amend the license for
-vendored components in wheels, etc.
 
 Binary distribution (wheels)
 ----------------------------
diff --git a/docs/how-to-guides/sdist.rst b/docs/how-to-guides/sdist.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..76e5731df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/how-to-guides/sdist.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+.. SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2024 The meson-python developers
+..
+.. SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+.. _sdist:
+
+******************************
+Creating a source distribution
+******************************
+
+A source distribution for the project can be created executing
+
+.. code-block:: console
+
+   $ python -m build --sdist .
+
+in the project root folder. This will create a ``.tar.gz`` archive in the
+``dist`` folder in the project root folder. This archive contains the full
+contents of the latest commit in revision control with all revision control
+metadata removed. Uncommitted modifications and files unknown to the revision
+control system are not included.
+
+The source distribution archive is created by adding the required metadata
+files to the archive obtained by executing the ``meson dist --no-tests
+--allow-dirty`` command. To generate a source distribution, ``meson-python``
+must successfully configure the Meson project by running the ``meson setup``
+command. Additional arguments can be passed to ``meson dist`` to alter its
+behavior. Refer to the relevant `Meson documentation`__ and to the
+:ref:`how-to-guides-meson-args` guide for details.
+
+The ``meson dist`` command uses the archival tool of the underlying revision
+control system for creating the archive. This implies that a source
+distribution can only be created for a project versioned in a revision control
+system. Meson supports the Git and Mercurial revision control systems.
+
+Files can be excluded from the source distribution via the relevant mechanism
+provided by the revision control system. When using Git as a revision control
+system, it is possible to exclude files from the source distribution setting
+the ``export-ignore`` attribute. For example, adding a ``.gitattributes``
+files containing
+
+.. code-block:: none
+
+   dev/** export-ignore
+
+would result in the ``dev`` folder to be excluded from the source
+distribution. Refer to the ``git archive`` documentation__ for
+details. Another mechanism to alter the content of the source distribution is
+offered by dist scripts. Refer to the relevant `Meson documentation`__ for
+details.
+
+__ https://mesonbuild.com/Creating-releases.html
+__ https://git-scm.com/docs/git-archive#ATTRIBUTES
+__ https://mesonbuild.com/Reference-manual_builtin_meson.html#mesonadd_dist_script
diff --git a/docs/index.rst b/docs/index.rst
index 41c7be251..1835e19e6 100644
--- a/docs/index.rst
+++ b/docs/index.rst
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ the use of ``meson-python`` and Meson for Python packaging.
    :hidden:
 
    tutorials/introduction
+   how-to-guides/sdist
    how-to-guides/editable-installs
    how-to-guides/config-settings
    how-to-guides/meson-args
@@ -100,7 +101,6 @@ the use of ``meson-python`` and Meson for Python packaging.
 
    changelog
    about
-   contributing/index
    Discussions <https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson-python/discussions>
    Source Code <https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson-python>
    Issue Tracker <https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson-python/issues>
diff --git a/mesonpy/__init__.py b/mesonpy/__init__.py
index 0455bfd19..83653c2ce 100644
--- a/mesonpy/__init__.py
+++ b/mesonpy/__init__.py
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 import tarfile
 import tempfile
 import textwrap
-import time
 import typing
 import warnings
 
@@ -865,64 +864,77 @@ def _meson_version(self) -> str:
 
     def sdist(self, directory: Path) -> pathlib.Path:
         """Generates a sdist (source distribution) in the specified directory."""
-        # generate meson dist file
+        # Generate meson dist file.
         self._run(self._meson + ['dist', '--allow-dirty', '--no-tests', '--formats', 'gztar', *self._meson_args['dist']])
 
-        # move meson dist file to output path
         dist_name = f'{self._metadata.distribution_name}-{self._metadata.version}'
         meson_dist_name = f'{self._meson_name}-{self._meson_version}'
         meson_dist_path = pathlib.Path(self._build_dir, 'meson-dist', f'{meson_dist_name}.tar.gz')
-        sdist = pathlib.Path(directory, f'{dist_name}.tar.gz')
+        sdist_path = pathlib.Path(directory, f'{dist_name}.tar.gz')
+        pyproject_toml_mtime = 0
 
-        with tarfile.open(meson_dist_path, 'r:gz') as meson_dist, mesonpy._util.create_targz(sdist) as tar:
+        with tarfile.open(meson_dist_path, 'r:gz') as meson_dist, mesonpy._util.create_targz(sdist_path) as sdist:
             for member in meson_dist.getmembers():
-                # calculate the file path in the source directory
-                assert member.name, member.name
-                member_parts = member.name.split('/')
-                if len(member_parts) <= 1:
-                    continue
-                path = self._source_dir.joinpath(*member_parts[1:])
-
-                if not path.exists() and member.isfile():
-                    # File doesn't exists on the source directory but exists on
-                    # the Meson dist, so it is generated file, which we need to
-                    # include.
-                    # See https://mesonbuild.com/Reference-manual_builtin_meson.html#mesonadd_dist_script
-
-                    # MESON_DIST_ROOT could have a different base name
-                    # than the actual sdist basename, so we need to rename here
+                if member.isfile():
                     file = meson_dist.extractfile(member.name)
-                    member.name = str(pathlib.Path(dist_name, *member_parts[1:]).as_posix())
-                    tar.addfile(member, file)
-                    continue
 
-                if not path.is_file():
-                    continue
+                    # Reset pax extended header.  The tar archive member may be
+                    # using pax headers to store some file metadata.  The pax
+                    # headers are not reset when the metadata is modified and
+                    # they take precedence when the member is deserialized.
+                    # This is relevant because when rewriting the member name,
+                    # the length of the path may shrink from being more than
+                    # 100 characters (requiring the path to be stored in the
+                    # pax headers) to being less than 100 characters. When this
+                    # happens, the tar archive member is serialized with the
+                    # shorter name in the regular header and the longer one in
+                    # the extended pax header.  The archives handled here are
+                    # not expected to use extended pax headers other than for
+                    # the ones required to encode file metadata.  The easiest
+                    # solution is to reset the pax extended headers.
+                    member.pax_headers = {}
+
+                    # Rewrite the path to match the sdist distribution name.
+                    stem = member.name.split('/', 1)[1]
+                    member.name = '/'.join((dist_name, stem))
+
+                    if stem == 'pyproject.toml':
+                        pyproject_toml_mtime = member.mtime
+
+                    # Reset owner and group to root:root.  This mimics what
+                    # 'git archive' does and makes the sdist reproducible upon
+                    # being built by different users.
+                    member.uname = member.gname = 'root'
+                    member.uid = member.gid = 0
+
+                    sdist.addfile(member, file)
+
+            # Add 'PKG-INFO'.
+            member = tarfile.TarInfo(f'{dist_name}/PKG-INFO')
+            member.uid = member.gid = 0
+            member.uname = member.gname = 'root'
+
+            # Set the 'PKG-INFO' modification time to the modification time of
+            # 'pyproject.toml' in the archive generated by 'meson dist'.  In
+            # turn this is the last commit time, unless touched by a dist
+            # script.  This makes the sdist reproducible upon being built at
+            # different times, when dist scripts are not used, which should be
+            # the majority of cases.
+            #
+            # Note that support for dynamic version in project metadata allows
+            # the version to depend on the build time.  Therefore, setting the
+            # 'PKG-INFO' modification time to the 'pyproject.toml'
+            # modification time can be seen as not strictly correct.  However,
+            # the sdist standard does not dictate which modification time to
+            # use for 'PKG-INFO'.  This choice allows to make the sdist
+            # byte-for-byte reproducible in the most common case.
+            member.mtime = pyproject_toml_mtime
 
-                info = tarfile.TarInfo(member.name)
-                file_stat = os.stat(path)
-                info.mtime = member.mtime
-                info.size = file_stat.st_size
-                info.mode = int(oct(file_stat.st_mode)[-3:], 8)
-
-                # rewrite the path if necessary, to match the sdist distribution name
-                if dist_name != meson_dist_name:
-                    info.name = pathlib.Path(
-                        dist_name,
-                        path.relative_to(self._source_dir)
-                    ).as_posix()
-
-                with path.open('rb') as f:
-                    tar.addfile(info, fileobj=f)
-
-            # add PKG-INFO to dist file to make it a sdist
-            pkginfo_info = tarfile.TarInfo(f'{dist_name}/PKG-INFO')
-            pkginfo_info.mtime = time.time()  # type: ignore[assignment]
             metadata = bytes(self._metadata.as_rfc822())
-            pkginfo_info.size = len(metadata)
-            tar.addfile(pkginfo_info, fileobj=io.BytesIO(metadata))
+            member.size = len(metadata)
+            sdist.addfile(member, io.BytesIO(metadata))
 
-        return sdist
+        return sdist_path
 
     def wheel(self, directory: Path) -> pathlib.Path:
         """Generates a wheel in the specified directory."""
diff --git a/mesonpy/_util.py b/mesonpy/_util.py
index cdff811c9..c7872a265 100644
--- a/mesonpy/_util.py
+++ b/mesonpy/_util.py
@@ -37,7 +37,11 @@ def create_targz(path: Path) -> Iterator[tarfile.TarFile]:
     os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(path), exist_ok=True)
     file = typing.cast(IO[bytes], gzip.GzipFile(
         path,
-        mode='wb',
+        mode='w',
+        # Set the stream last modification time to 0.  This mimics
+        # what 'git archive' does and makes the archives byte-for-byte
+        # reproducible.
+        mtime=0,
     ))
     tar = tarfile.TarFile(
         mode='w',
diff --git a/tests/packages/long-path/meson.build b/tests/packages/long-path/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..272d7fe0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/packages/long-path/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2024 The meson-python developers
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+project('very-long-project-name-that-makes-the-paths-within-the-sdist-exceed-100-characters-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx', version: '1.0.0')
diff --git a/tests/packages/long-path/pyproject.toml b/tests/packages/long-path/pyproject.toml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..70791dd42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/packages/long-path/pyproject.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2021 The meson-python developers
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+[build-system]
+build-backend = 'mesonpy'
+requires = ['meson-python']
+
+[project]
+name = 'long-path'
+dynamic = ['version']
diff --git a/tests/test_sdist.py b/tests/test_sdist.py
index fb698b53d..e4dddb8c7 100644
--- a/tests/test_sdist.py
+++ b/tests/test_sdist.py
@@ -3,11 +3,13 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 
 import os
+import pathlib
 import re
 import stat
 import sys
 import tarfile
 import textwrap
+import time
 
 import pytest
 
@@ -122,37 +124,35 @@ def test_contents_subdirs(sdist_subdirs):
 
 
 def test_contents_unstaged(package_pure, tmp_path):
-    new_data = textwrap.dedent('''
-    def bar():
-        return 'foo'
+    new = textwrap.dedent('''
+        def bar():
+            return 'foo'
     ''').strip()
 
-    with open('pure.py', 'r') as f:
-        old_data = f.read()
-
-    try:
-        with in_git_repo_context():
-            with open('pure.py', 'w') as f, open('crap', 'x'):
-                f.write(new_data)
+    old = pathlib.Path('pure.py').read_text()
 
+    with in_git_repo_context():
+        try:
+            pathlib.Path('pure.py').write_text(new)
+            pathlib.Path('other.py').touch()
             sdist_path = mesonpy.build_sdist(os.fspath(tmp_path))
-    finally:
-        with open('pure.py', 'w') as f:
-            f.write(old_data)
-        os.unlink('crap')
+        finally:
+            pathlib.Path('pure.py').write_text(old)
+            pathlib.Path('other.py').unlink()
 
     with tarfile.open(tmp_path / sdist_path, 'r:gz') as sdist:
         names = {member.name for member in sdist.getmembers()}
         mtimes = {member.mtime for member in sdist.getmembers()}
-        read_data = sdist.extractfile('pure-1.0.0/pure.py').read().replace(b'\r\n', b'\n')
+        data = sdist.extractfile('pure-1.0.0/pure.py').read().replace(b'\r\n', b'\n')
 
+    # Verify that uncommitted changes are not included in the sdist.
     assert names == {
         'pure-1.0.0/PKG-INFO',
         'pure-1.0.0/meson.build',
         'pure-1.0.0/pure.py',
         'pure-1.0.0/pyproject.toml',
     }
-    assert read_data == new_data.encode()
+    assert data == old.encode()
 
     # All the archive members have a valid mtime.
     assert 0 not in mtimes
@@ -192,3 +192,29 @@ def test_generated_files(sdist_generated_files):
 
     # All the archive members have a valid mtime.
     assert 0 not in mtimes
+
+
+def test_long_path(sdist_long_path):
+    # See https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson-python/pull/587#pullrequestreview-2020891328
+    # and https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson-python/pull/587#issuecomment-2075973593
+
+    with tarfile.open(sdist_long_path, 'r:gz') as sdist:
+        names = {member.name for member in sdist.getmembers()}
+
+    assert names == {
+        'long_path-1.0.0/PKG-INFO',
+        'long_path-1.0.0/meson.build',
+        'long_path-1.0.0/pyproject.toml'
+    }
+
+
+def test_reproducible(package_pure, tmp_path):
+    t1 = time.time()
+    sdist_path_a = mesonpy.build_sdist(tmp_path / 'a')
+    t2 = time.time()
+    # Ensure that the two sdists are build at least one second apart.
+    time.sleep(max(t1 + 1.0 - t2, 0.0))
+    sdist_path_b = mesonpy.build_sdist(tmp_path / 'b')
+
+    assert sdist_path_a == sdist_path_b
+    assert tmp_path.joinpath('a', sdist_path_a).read_bytes() == tmp_path.joinpath('b', sdist_path_b).read_bytes()