diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 156016aab9ca7cd1aabb380eb0ecd78ba2cda2c0..4952c1cd5d72c677b1f99145999ad0cb8ea7728b 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -69,3 +69,4 @@ ost_*_tests_log.xml
 rules.ninja
 build.ninja
 modules/gui/src/dngr.qrc.depends
+/compile_commands.json
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index e18d6f44154b85a783aad3a5d7d267ef3a3d07aa..a13110cab564821b05adb310e1ae04aa44962d2e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.6.4 FATAL_ERROR)
 project(OpenStructure CXX C)
+set (CMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS 1)
 set (OST_VERSION_MAJOR 1)
 set (OST_VERSION_MINOR 3)
 set (OST_VERSION_PATCH 3)