diff --git a/src/reuse/__init__.py b/src/reuse/__init__.py
index 416f7d94..8a9a0e74 100644
--- a/src/reuse/__init__.py
+++ b/src/reuse/__init__.py
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 import gettext
 import logging
 import os
-import re
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from enum import Enum
 from importlib.metadata import PackageNotFoundError, version
@@ -54,43 +53,6 @@
     _LOGGER.debug("no translations found at %s", _LOCALE_DIR)
 
 
-_IGNORE_DIR_PATTERNS = [
-    re.compile(r"^\.git$"),
-    re.compile(r"^\.hg$"),
-    re.compile(r"^\.sl$"),  # Used by Sapling SCM
-    re.compile(r"^LICENSES$"),
-    re.compile(r"^\.reuse$"),
-]
-
-_IGNORE_MESON_PARENT_DIR_PATTERNS = [
-    re.compile(r"^subprojects$"),
-]
-
-_IGNORE_FILE_PATTERNS = [
-    # LICENSE, LICENSE-MIT, LICENSE.txt
-    re.compile(r"^LICEN[CS]E([-\.].*)?$"),
-    re.compile(r"^COPYING([-\.].*)?$"),
-    # ".git" as file happens in submodules
-    re.compile(r"^\.git$"),
-    re.compile(r"^\.hgtags$"),
-    re.compile(r".*\.license$"),
-    re.compile(r"^REUSE\.toml$"),
-    # Workaround for https://github.com/fsfe/reuse-tool/issues/229
-    re.compile(r"^CAL-1.0(-Combined-Work-Exception)?(\..+)?$"),
-    re.compile(r"^SHL-2.1(\..+)?$"),
-]
-
-_IGNORE_SPDX_PATTERNS = [
-    # SPDX files from
-    # https://spdx.github.io/spdx-spec/conformance/#44-standard-data-format-requirements
-    re.compile(r".*\.spdx$"),
-    re.compile(r".*\.spdx.(rdf|json|xml|ya?ml)$"),
-]
-
-# Combine SPDX patterns into file patterns to ease default ignore usage
-_IGNORE_FILE_PATTERNS.extend(_IGNORE_SPDX_PATTERNS)
-
-
 class SourceType(Enum):
     """
     An enumeration representing the types of sources for license information.
diff --git a/src/reuse/cli/spdx.py b/src/reuse/cli/spdx.py
index 11a9933b..1f29e4e0 100644
--- a/src/reuse/cli/spdx.py
+++ b/src/reuse/cli/spdx.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 import click
 
-from .. import _IGNORE_SPDX_PATTERNS
+from ..covered_files import _IGNORE_SPDX_PATTERNS
 from ..i18n import _
 from ..report import ProjectReport
 from .common import ClickObj
diff --git a/src/reuse/covered_files.py b/src/reuse/covered_files.py
index ad4e019b..cbe14355 100644
--- a/src/reuse/covered_files.py
+++ b/src/reuse/covered_files.py
@@ -11,19 +11,51 @@
 import contextlib
 import logging
 import os
+import re
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Collection, Generator, Optional, cast
 
-from . import (
-    _IGNORE_DIR_PATTERNS,
-    _IGNORE_FILE_PATTERNS,
-    _IGNORE_MESON_PARENT_DIR_PATTERNS,
-)
 from .types import StrPath
 from .vcs import VCSStrategy
 
 _LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+_IGNORE_DIR_PATTERNS = [
+    re.compile(r"^\.git$"),
+    re.compile(r"^\.hg$"),
+    re.compile(r"^\.sl$"),  # Used by Sapling SCM
+    re.compile(r"^LICENSES$"),
+    re.compile(r"^\.reuse$"),
+]
+
+_IGNORE_MESON_PARENT_DIR_PATTERNS = [
+    re.compile(r"^subprojects$"),
+]
+
+_IGNORE_FILE_PATTERNS = [
+    # LICENSE, LICENSE-MIT, LICENSE.txt
+    re.compile(r"^LICEN[CS]E([-\.].*)?$"),
+    re.compile(r"^COPYING([-\.].*)?$"),
+    # ".git" as file happens in submodules
+    re.compile(r"^\.git$"),
+    re.compile(r"^\.hgtags$"),
+    re.compile(r".*\.license$"),
+    re.compile(r"^REUSE\.toml$"),
+    # Workaround for https://github.com/fsfe/reuse-tool/issues/229
+    re.compile(r"^CAL-1.0(-Combined-Work-Exception)?(\..+)?$"),
+    re.compile(r"^SHL-2.1(\..+)?$"),
+]
+
+_IGNORE_SPDX_PATTERNS = [
+    # SPDX files from
+    # https://spdx.github.io/spdx-spec/conformance/#44-standard-data-format-requirements
+    re.compile(r".*\.spdx$"),
+    re.compile(r".*\.spdx.(rdf|json|xml|ya?ml)$"),
+]
+
+# Combine SPDX patterns into file patterns to ease default ignore usage
+_IGNORE_FILE_PATTERNS.extend(_IGNORE_SPDX_PATTERNS)
+
 
 def is_path_ignored(
     path: Path,