diff --git a/packages/@n8n/node-cli/src/template/core.test.ts b/packages/@n8n/node-cli/src/template/core.test.ts
index d1620f8381e..cd82ef1c2af 100644
--- a/packages/@n8n/node-cli/src/template/core.test.ts
+++ b/packages/@n8n/node-cli/src/template/core.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import handlebars from 'handlebars';
 import * as fs from 'node:fs/promises';
 
 import {
+	copyDefaultTemplateFilesToDestination,
 	copyTemplateFilesToDestination,
 	templateStaticFiles,
 	createTemplate,
@@ -53,6 +54,29 @@ describe('Templates > core', () => {
 		});
 	});
 
+	describe('copyDefaultTemplateFilesToDestination', () => {
+		beforeEach(() => {
+			vi.clearAllMocks();
+		});
+
+		it('copies the shared default template and restores renamed dotfiles', async () => {
+			mockCopyFolder.mockResolvedValue();
+			mockFs.rename.mockResolvedValue();
+
+			await copyDefaultTemplateFilesToDestination(baseData);
+
+			expect(mockCopyFolder).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+				expect.objectContaining({
+					destination: '/dest',
+					ignore: ['dist', 'node_modules'],
+				}),
+			);
+			// npm strips `.gitignore` from published packages, so it's shipped as `gitignore`
+			// and renamed back at scaffold time.
+			expect(mockFs.rename).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/dest/gitignore', '/dest/.gitignore');
+		});
+	});
+
 	describe('templateStaticFiles', () => {
 		beforeEach(() => {
 			vi.clearAllMocks();
@@ -96,6 +120,7 @@ describe('Templates > core', () => {
 			mockFs.readFile.mockResolvedValue('');
 			mockHandlebars.compile.mockReturnValue(() => '');
 			mockFs.writeFile.mockResolvedValue();
+			mockFs.rename.mockResolvedValue();
 
 			const wrapped = createTemplate(template);
 			await wrapped.run(baseData);
diff --git a/packages/@n8n/node-cli/src/template/core.ts b/packages/@n8n/node-cli/src/template/core.ts
index 4d1617106ed..6fc18a48651 100644
--- a/packages/@n8n/node-cli/src/template/core.ts
+++ b/packages/@n8n/node-cli/src/template/core.ts
@@ -41,12 +41,25 @@ export async function copyTemplateFilesToDestination<Config extends object>(
 	});
 }
 
+// npm strips certain dotfiles (e.g. `.gitignore`) from published packages, so the
+// template ships them under alternative names and we restore the originals after
+// copying to the destination. Add more entries here as needed.
+const RENAMED_DEFAULT_TEMPLATE_FILES: Record<string, string> = {
+	gitignore: '.gitignore',
+};
+
 export async function copyDefaultTemplateFilesToDestination(data: TemplateData) {
 	await copyFolder({
 		source: path.resolve(__dirname, 'templates/shared/default'),
 		destination: data.destinationPath,
 		ignore: ['dist', 'node_modules'],
 	});
+	await Promise.all(
+		Object.entries(RENAMED_DEFAULT_TEMPLATE_FILES).map(
+			async ([from, to]) =>
+				await fs.rename(path.join(data.destinationPath, from), path.join(data.destinationPath, to)),
+		),
+	);
 }
 
 export async function templateStaticFiles(data: TemplateData) {
diff --git a/packages/@n8n/node-cli/src/template/templates/shared/default/.gitignore b/packages/@n8n/node-cli/src/template/templates/shared/default/gitignore
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/@n8n/node-cli/src/template/templates/shared/default/.gitignore
rename to packages/@n8n/node-cli/src/template/templates/shared/default/gitignore