diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
index f099faa4..f42d752c 100644
--- a/.gitattributes
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -1,7 +1,14 @@
-*.bash    text eol=lf whitespace=blank-at-eol,space-before-tab,tab-in-indent,trailing-space,tabwidth=4
-*.sh      text eol=lf whitespace=blank-at-eol,space-before-tab,tab-in-indent,trailing-space,tabwidth=4
+# shell scripts should not use tabs to indent!
+*.bash    text eol=lf core.whitespace whitespace=tab-in-indent,trailing-space,tabwidth=2
+*.sh      text eol=lf core.whitespace whitespace=tab-in-indent,trailing-space,tabwidth=2
 
-# files for systemd
-*.path    text eol=lf whitespace=blank-at-eol,space-before-tab,tab-in-indent,trailing-space,tabwidth=4
-*.service text eol=lf whitespace=blank-at-eol,space-before-tab,tab-in-indent,trailing-space,tabwidth=4
-*.timer   text eol=lf whitespace=blank-at-eol,space-before-tab,tab-in-indent,trailing-space,tabwidth=4
+# files for systemd (shell-similar)
+*.path    text eol=lf core.whitespace whitespace=tab-in-indent,trailing-space,tabwidth=2
+*.service text eol=lf core.whitespace whitespace=tab-in-indent,trailing-space,tabwidth=2
+*.timer   text eol=lf core.whitespace whitespace=tab-in-indent,trailing-space,tabwidth=2
+
+# go fmt will enforce this, but in case a user has not called "go fmt" allow GIT to catch this:
+*.go      text eol=lf core.whitespace whitespace=indent-with-non-tab,trailing-space,tabwidth=4
+
+*.yml     text eol=lf core.whitespace whitespace=tab-in-indent,trailing-space,tabwidth=2
+.git*     text eol=auto core.whitespace whitespace=trailing-space