diff --git a/local_build.sh b/local_build.sh
index c37cf319..d70d6540 100755
--- a/local_build.sh
+++ b/local_build.sh
@@ -45,9 +45,12 @@ cd "$(dirname "$0")"
 # VERSION follows the fork's own numbering: the highest vX.Y.Z.W tag reachable
 # from HEAD (e.g. v1.17.1.10 from rak4631-full-companion-v1.17.1.10-preview3).
 # Local code changes add an identifier; build settings (untracked files) don't:
-#   -hz.N   N local commits not in the maintainer's fork (upstream/keymindCascade;
-#           origin is the personal Gitea copy, so @{upstream} would hide them)
-#   .dirty  uncommitted edits to tracked files
+#   -hz.N   N of your own commits that change firmware code relative to the
+#           maintainer's fork (upstream/keymindCascade; origin is the personal
+#           Gitea copy, so @{upstream} would hide them)
+#   .dirty  uncommitted edits to tracked firmware code
+# Merge commits and the build-setup files below don't count: they change
+# settings, not code. Edit LOCAL_FW_SETUP_PATHS if you add more setup files.
 # CORE is the upstream MeshCore version from examples/simple_repeater/MyMesh.h.
 LOCAL_FW_NAME=hazelwood
 
@@ -60,11 +63,15 @@ if [ -z "$fork_version" ]; then
 fi
 local_id=""
 LOCAL_FW_UPSTREAM_REF=${LOCAL_FW_UPSTREAM_REF:-upstream/keymindCascade}
-local_commits=$(git rev-list --count "${LOCAL_FW_UPSTREAM_REF}..HEAD" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)
+LOCAL_FW_SETUP_PATHS=":(exclude)local_build.sh :(exclude)local_version.py :(exclude)platformio.local.ini"
+# shellcheck disable=SC2086  # intentional word-splitting of the pathspec list
+local_commits=$(git rev-list --count --no-merges "${LOCAL_FW_UPSTREAM_REF}..HEAD" \
+  -- . $LOCAL_FW_SETUP_PATHS 2>/dev/null || echo 0)
 if [ "$local_commits" -gt 0 ]; then
   local_id="-hz.${local_commits}"
 fi
-if [ -n "$(git status --porcelain --untracked-files=no)" ]; then
+# shellcheck disable=SC2086
+if [ -n "$(git status --porcelain --untracked-files=no -- . $LOCAL_FW_SETUP_PATHS)" ]; then
   local_id="${local_id:--hz}.dirty"
 fi
 LOCAL_FW_VERSION="v${fork_version}${local_id}"