diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6802b69..84c048a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,14 +1 @@
-/brolang
-
-# examples
-/prototype
-/main_i32
-/cycle_used
-/cycle_unused
-/invalid_transitive_used_global
-/invalid_transitive_unused_global
-/runtime_global
-/missing_main
-/mutable_local
-/overflow
-/deep
+/build/
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f2d4698..25989a7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@
 Prototype error-tolerant Brolang compiler written in Odin.
 
 ```sh
-odin build . -out:brolang
-./brolang examples/programs/prototype -o /tmp/prototype
-/tmp/prototype
+mkdir -p build
+odin build . -out:build/brolang
+./build/brolang examples/programs/prototype -o build/prototype
+./build/prototype
 ```
 
 Bodyless `c func` declarations bind exact external symbols and require concrete
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ Additional native inputs and libraries are passed to the final `zig cc`
 invocation in command-line order:
 
 ```sh
-./brolang examples/interop/manual -o /tmp/manual \
+./build/brolang examples/interop/manual -o build/manual \
   --link examples/interop/manual/native.c
 ```
 
diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index 458e9b5..1343bc4 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -2,10 +2,6 @@
 
 - for global initialization cycles, report also starting and ending lines
 
-# compiler hardening follow-ups
-
-- move ignored example binaries into a dedicated build directory and remove `.review_tmp`
-
 # milestones
 
 1. interop type foundation