diff --git a/quail/constants.py b/quail/constants.py
index 56d542c..d02db6b 100644
--- a/quail/constants.py
+++ b/quail/constants.py
@@ -5,4 +5,5 @@ class Constants:
     ARGUMENT_RM = "--quail_rm"
     CHECKSUMS_FILE = ".integrity.json"
     INTEGRITY_IGNORE_FILE = ".integrity_ignore"
+    UPDATE_IGNORE_FILE = ".quailignore"
 
diff --git a/quail/helper/file_ignore.py b/quail/helper/file_ignore.py
index c3af954..5dbed54 100644
--- a/quail/helper/file_ignore.py
+++ b/quail/helper/file_ignore.py
@@ -31,5 +31,5 @@ def __init__(self, file_path):
         except FileNotFoundError:
             self._ignore_list = []
 
-    def accept(self, path):
+    def is_file_ignored(self, path):
         return accept_path(path, self._ignore_list)
diff --git a/quail/solution/solutioner.py b/quail/solution/solutioner.py
index e41a136..d982e3c 100644
--- a/quail/solution/solutioner.py
+++ b/quail/solution/solutioner.py
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 import shutil
 import os
+import glob
+from quail.helper.file_ignore import FileIgnore
+from quail.constants import Constants
 
 
 class Solutioner:
@@ -35,10 +38,24 @@ def install(self):
     def installed(self):
         return os.path.exists(self.dest())
 
+    def __update_solution_files(self):
+        self._solution.open()
+        fi = FileIgnore(os.path.join(self.dest(), Constants.UPDATE_IGNORE_FILE))
+        try:
+            if not os.path.exists(self.dest()):
+                os.makedirs(self.dest(), 0o777, True)
+            for root, dirs, files in self._solution.walk():
+                for d in dirs:
+                    if not os.path.exists(d):
+                        os.makedirs(self.dest(root, d), 0o777, True)
+                for file in files:
+                    if not fi.is_file_ignored(file):
+                        self._retrieve_file(os.path.join(root, file))
+        finally:
+            self._solution.close()
+
     def update(self):
-        # TODO: uninstall will be a waste of time on future solution types
-        self.uninstall()
-        self.install()
+        self.__update_solution_files()
 
     def uninstall(self):
         if self.installed():
diff --git a/tests/test_ignore_file.py b/tests/test_ignore_file.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a93fb73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_ignore_file.py
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import os
+from .base_test_case import BaseTestCase
+from quail.constants import Constants
+import quail
+from quail.solution.solutioner import Solutioner
+
+
+class TestUpdateFileIgnore(BaseTestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        super().setUp()
+        self.solutioner = Solutioner(None, os.path.curdir)
diff --git a/tests/test_solution_local.py b/tests/test_solution_local.py
index 02c86cd..9ff4f6d 100644
--- a/tests/test_solution_local.py
+++ b/tests/test_solution_local.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 import os
 import quail
 from .base_test_solution import BaseTestSolution