diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5db16af08c37d12a717f47eafdad63384abd72ed..832eebea4f618038fc3bf11fbb80df41b37557a7 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@ generators/*.csv
 
 *tmtc*.txt
 log
-!.idea
-!.idea/*
 
-.idea/workspace.xml
\ No newline at end of file
+# https://stackoverflow.com/questions/5533050/gitignore-exclude-folder-but-include-specific-subfolder
+# you can skip this first one if it is not already excluded by prior patterns
+!.idea/
+.idea/*
+!.idea/runConfiguration/
\ No newline at end of file