diff --git a/include/download.mk b/include/download.mk
index d9edcb1c3a..ce8a7894b6 100644
--- a/include/download.mk
+++ b/include/download.mk
@@ -215,6 +215,11 @@ define DownloadMethod/github_archive
 endef
 
 # Only intends to be called as a submethod from other DownloadMethod
+#
+# We first clone, checkout and then we generate a tar using the
+# git archive command to apply any rules of .gitattributes
+# To keep consistency with github generated tar archive, we default
+# the short hash to 8 (default is 7). (for git log related usage)
 define DownloadMethod/rawgit
 	echo "Checking out files from the git repository..."; \
 	mkdir -p $(TMP_DIR)/dl && \
@@ -222,11 +227,17 @@ define DownloadMethod/rawgit
 	rm -rf $(SUBDIR) && \
 	[ \! -d $(SUBDIR) ] && \
 	git clone $(OPTS) $(URL) $(SUBDIR) && \
-	(cd $(SUBDIR) && git checkout $(VERSION) && \
-	$(if $(filter skip,$(SUBMODULES)),true,git submodule update --init --recursive -- $(SUBMODULES))) && \
-	echo "Packing checkout..." && \
+	(cd $(SUBDIR) && git checkout $(VERSION)) && \
 	export TAR_TIMESTAMP=`cd $(SUBDIR) && git log -1 --format='@%ct'` && \
-	rm -rf $(SUBDIR)/.git && \
+	echo "Generating formal git archive (apply .gitattributes rules)" && \
+	(cd $(SUBDIR) && git config core.abbrev 8 && \
+	git archive --format=tar HEAD --output=../$(SUBDIR).tar.git) && \
+	$(if $(filter skip,$(SUBMODULES)),true,$(TAR) --ignore-failed-read -C $(SUBDIR) -f $(SUBDIR).tar.git -r .git .gitmodules 2>/dev/null) && \
+	rm -rf $(SUBDIR) && mkdir $(SUBDIR) && \
+	$(TAR) -C $(SUBDIR) -xf $(SUBDIR).tar.git && \
+	(cd $(SUBDIR) && $(if $(filter skip,$(SUBMODULES)),true,git submodule update --init --recursive -- $(SUBMODULES) && \
+	rm -rf .git .gitmodules)) && \
+	echo "Packing checkout..." && \
 	$(call dl_tar_pack,$(TMP_DIR)/dl/$(FILE),$(SUBDIR)) && \
 	mv $(TMP_DIR)/dl/$(FILE) $(DL_DIR)/ && \
 	rm -rf $(SUBDIR);