diff --git a/recipes-containers/docker-compose/docker-compose_git.bb b/recipes-containers/docker-compose/docker-compose_git.bb
index e48ee9af..91ceb011 100644
--- a/recipes-containers/docker-compose/docker-compose_git.bb
+++ b/recipes-containers/docker-compose/docker-compose_git.bb
@@ -78,3 +78,7 @@ FILES:${PN} += " ${nonarch_libdir}/docker/cli-plugins/"
 
 INHIBIT_PACKAGE_STRIP = "1"
 INSANE_SKIP:${PN} += "ldflags already-stripped"
+
+# the AWS dependency is 8GB, try and control the
+# size of the clones
+BB_GIT_SHALLOW = "1"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/recipes-containers/docker-compose/relocation.inc b/recipes-containers/docker-compose/relocation.inc
index 469361ac..bb3aa599 100644
--- a/recipes-containers/docker-compose/relocation.inc
+++ b/recipes-containers/docker-compose/relocation.inc
@@ -197,13 +197,39 @@ do_compile:prepend() {
         site_dest=$(echo $s | cut -d: -f1)
         site_source=$(echo $s | cut -d: -f2)
         force_flag=$(echo $s | cut -d: -f3)
+
         mkdir -p vendor.copy/$site_dest
+
+        # create a temporary exclude file
+        exclude_file=$(mktemp)
+
+        find vendor.fetch/$site_source -type d -print0 | \
+        xargs -0 du -sBM 2>/dev/null | \
+        awk '{if ($1+0 > 500) print substr($0, index($0,$2))}' | \
+        sed 's|^vendor.fetch/||' > "$exclude_file"
+
         if [ -n "$force_flag" ]; then
             echo "[INFO] $site_dest: force copying .go files"
             rm -rf vendor.copy/$site_dest
-            rsync -a --exclude='vendor/' --exclude='.git/' vendor.fetch/$site_source/ vendor.copy/$site_dest
+            rsync -a \
+                --exclude='vendor/' \
+                --exclude='.git/' \
+                --exclude-from="$exclude_file" \
+                vendor.fetch/$site_source/ vendor.copy/$site_dest
         else
-            [ -n "$(ls -A vendor.copy/$site_dest/*.go 2> /dev/null)" ] && { echo "[INFO] vendor.fetch/$site_source -> $site_dest: go copy skipped (files present)" ; true ; } || { echo "[INFO] $site_dest: copying .go files" ; rsync -a --exclude='vendor/' --exclude='.git/' vendor.fetch/$site_source/ vendor.copy/$site_dest ; }
+            if [ -n "$(ls -A vendor.copy/$site_dest/*.go 2> /dev/null)" ]; then
+                echo "[INFO] vendor.fetch/$site_source -> $site_dest: go copy skipped (files present)"
+                true
+            else
+                echo "[INFO] $site_dest: copying .go files"
+                rsync -a \
+                    --exclude='vendor/' \
+                    --exclude='.git/' \
+                    --exclude-from="$exclude_file" \
+                    vendor.fetch/$site_source/ vendor.copy/$site_dest
+            fi
         fi
+
+        rm -f "$exclude_file"
     done
 }