diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 56e2d40..c0c220b 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ venv/
 
 # Runtime data, not meant to be versioned
 links.txt
-downloading/
-finished/
+downloading/*
+finished/*
+!downloading/.gitkeep
+!finished/.gitkeep
 .env
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8f53972..433e8f8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ Then run the downloader:
 python3 run.py
 ```
 
-The `downloading/` and `finished/` folders are created automatically. Downloads are saved to `downloading/`, then extracted into `finished/`, and the original archive is deleted once extraction succeeds. Any URL that fails to resolve is kept in `links.txt` so you can retry later.
+Downloads are saved to `downloading/`, then extracted into `finished/`, and the original archive is deleted once extraction succeeds. Any URL that fails to resolve is kept in `links.txt` so you can retry later.
 
 ### Optional: session cookie
 
diff --git a/downloading/.gitkeep b/downloading/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/finished/.gitkeep b/finished/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29