diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 1ba756a..24fc799 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ struct Args {
   #[command(subcommand)]
   command: Command,
   /// The ssh names and optionally home directories of the servers to perform the action on
-  #[arg(num_args = 1.., value_parser = ServerReference::from_str)]
+  #[arg(num_args = 0.., value_parser = ServerReference::from_str)]
   servers: Vec<ServerReference>,
   /// How verbose logging output should be
   #[arg(long, default_value = "info", conflicts_with_all = ["quiet", "info"])]
@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ enum Command {
     /// Only upload files which are not present yet on the target server
     #[arg(short, long, default_value = "false")]
     pure: bool,
+    /// The prefixes of the names of files not to upload
+    #[arg(short, long, num_args = 0..)]
+    exclude: Vec<String>,
   },
   /// Execute a command on the servers
   #[command(visible_short_flag_alias = 'c')]
@@ -190,6 +193,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), String> {
       no_confirm,
       file_name,
       pure,
+      exclude,
     } => {
       require_non_empty_servers(&servers)?;
       require_non_empty(&files, "files to upload")?;
@@ -241,7 +245,6 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), String> {
               .into_iter()
               .flatten()
               .collect();
-            log!(logger, debug, "canonical files: {files:?}");
           }
           ServerAddress::Localhost => files
             .iter()
@@ -252,13 +255,25 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), String> {
       }
 
       let file_details = files
-        .iter()
+        .into_iter()
         .map(|file| {
           FileNameInfo::try_from(file.clone())
-            .map(|info| (PathBuf::from(file), info))
+            .map(|info| (PathBuf::from(&file), info))
             .map_err(|e| format!("Bad file '{}': {e}", file.to_string_lossy()))
         })
-        .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()?;
+        .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()?
+        .into_iter()
+        .filter(|(_, info)| {
+          !exclude
+            .iter()
+            .any(|exclude| info.to_full_file_name().starts_with(exclude))
+        })
+        .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+
+      log!(logger, debug, "Files to upload: ");
+      for (file, _) in &file_details {
+        log!(logger, debug, "- {}", file.to_string_lossy());
+      }
 
       //create overview of what has to be done on each server
       let actions = servers
@@ -310,7 +325,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), String> {
                   let mut ls_lines = ls_output.lines();
 
                   if pure && ls_lines.clone().any(|file| file == file_name) {
-                    log!(logger, debug, "file is already present: {}", file_name);
+                    log!(logger, debug, "file is already present on {}: {}", server.get_name(), file_name);
                     return vec![]; //ignore that file, since it is already present
                   }
 
@@ -362,10 +377,10 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), String> {
         .into_iter()
         .filter(|server_actions| !server_actions.actions.is_empty())
         .collect::<Vec<_>>();
-      
-      if actions.is_empty() { 
+
+      if actions.is_empty() {
         log!(logger, "Nothing to be done, everything is up to date");
-        return Ok(())
+        return Ok(());
       }
 
       log!(logger, "The following actions will be performed: ");