diff --git a/docker/owlbot/java/bin/write_templates.sh b/docker/owlbot/java/bin/write_templates.sh
index 4fc3631de..7782bbab3 100755
--- a/docker/owlbot/java/bin/write_templates.sh
+++ b/docker/owlbot/java/bin/write_templates.sh
@@ -15,12 +15,6 @@
 
 set -e
 
-# create initial .gitignore if it does not yet exist
-if [ ! -f ".gitignore" ]
-then
-  cp /owlbot/templates/gitignore ./.gitignore
-fi
-
 if [ -f "owlbot.py" ]
 then
   python3 owlbot.py
diff --git a/docker/owlbot/java/templates/gitignore b/docker/owlbot/java/templates/gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index 069d08fc7..000000000
--- a/docker/owlbot/java/templates/gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-# Maven
-target/
-
-# Eclipse
-.classpath
-.project
-.settings
-
-# Intellij
-*.iml
-.idea/
-
-# python utilities
-*.pyc
-__pycache__
-
-.flattened-pom.xml
diff --git a/docker/owlbot/java/tests/fix-poms/golden/.gitignore b/docker/owlbot/java/tests/fix-poms/golden/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index 069d08fc7..000000000
--- a/docker/owlbot/java/tests/fix-poms/golden/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-# Maven
-target/
-
-# Eclipse
-.classpath
-.project
-.settings
-
-# Intellij
-*.iml
-.idea/
-
-# python utilities
-*.pyc
-__pycache__
-
-.flattened-pom.xml
diff --git a/docker/owlbot/java/tests/fix-poms/input/.gitignore b/docker/owlbot/java/tests/fix-poms/input/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index 069d08fc7..000000000
--- a/docker/owlbot/java/tests/fix-poms/input/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-# Maven
-target/
-
-# Eclipse
-.classpath
-.project
-.settings
-
-# Intellij
-*.iml
-.idea/
-
-# python utilities
-*.pyc
-__pycache__
-
-.flattened-pom.xml
diff --git a/docker/owlbot/java/tests/new-client/golden/.gitignore b/docker/owlbot/java/tests/new-client/golden/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index 069d08fc7..000000000
--- a/docker/owlbot/java/tests/new-client/golden/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-# Maven
-target/
-
-# Eclipse
-.classpath
-.project
-.settings
-
-# Intellij
-*.iml
-.idea/
-
-# python utilities
-*.pyc
-__pycache__
-
-.flattened-pom.xml
diff --git a/docker/owlbot/java/tests/new-version/golden/.gitignore b/docker/owlbot/java/tests/new-version/golden/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index 069d08fc7..000000000
--- a/docker/owlbot/java/tests/new-version/golden/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-# Maven
-target/
-
-# Eclipse
-.classpath
-.project
-.settings
-
-# Intellij
-*.iml
-.idea/
-
-# python utilities
-*.pyc
-__pycache__
-
-.flattened-pom.xml
diff --git a/docker/owlbot/java/tests/new-version/input/.gitignore b/docker/owlbot/java/tests/new-version/input/.gitignore
deleted file mode 100644
index 069d08fc7..000000000
--- a/docker/owlbot/java/tests/new-version/input/.gitignore
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-# Maven
-target/
-
-# Eclipse
-.classpath
-.project
-.settings
-
-# Intellij
-*.iml
-.idea/
-
-# python utilities
-*.pyc
-__pycache__
-
-.flattened-pom.xml