diff --git a/.test-replica/config/config.toml b/.test-replica/config/config.toml
index 7d8dfdd..6a4539f 100644
--- a/.test-replica/config/config.toml
+++ b/.test-replica/config/config.toml
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ files = [
     "file2.txt",
     "big-file.pdf",
 ]
+excludes = []
 dbfile = ".replica/data/files.json"
 compress = false
 encrypt = false
diff --git a/.test-replica/config/plaza-config.toml b/.test-replica/config/plaza-config.toml
index 3a1984c..e35ef4f 100644
--- a/.test-replica/config/plaza-config.toml
+++ b/.test-replica/config/plaza-config.toml
@@ -6,5 +6,6 @@ logging_config = "config/console.yaml"
 source_folders = ["photos", "Music", ".local/bin" ]
 targets = ["/Volumes/plaza/plaza", "dpw@piedmont.local:backup/plaza", "dpw@orinda.local:.backup/plaza"]
 files = [ ".age/decrypt.sh", ".age/encrypt.sh", ".age/key.enc", ".alias", ".config", ".motd", ".profile", ".ssh/authorized_keys", ".ssh/plaza.pub", ".zprofile", ".zshenv", ".zshrc" ]
+excludes = []
 compress = false
 encrypt = false
diff --git a/.test-replica/config/run-config.toml b/.test-replica/config/run-config.toml
index ad64021..821bf3a 100644
--- a/.test-replica/config/run-config.toml
+++ b/.test-replica/config/run-config.toml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ files = [
     "tests/big-file.pdf",
     "tests/changed-file.txt",
 ]
+excludes = []
 dbfile = ".test-replica/data/run2-file.json"
 compress = false
 encrypt = false
diff --git a/.test-replica/config/run1-config.toml b/.test-replica/config/run1-config.toml
index 381f48d..ed66408 100644
--- a/.test-replica/config/run1-config.toml
+++ b/.test-replica/config/run1-config.toml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ files = [
     "tests/big-file.pdf",
     "tests/changed-file.txt",
 ]
+excludes = []
 dbfile = ".test-replica/data/run1-file.json"
 compress = false
 encrypt = false
diff --git a/.test-replica/config/tiburon-config.toml b/.test-replica/config/tiburon-config.toml
index a23c272..cc16ff9 100644
--- a/.test-replica/config/tiburon-config.toml
+++ b/.test-replica/config/tiburon-config.toml
@@ -6,5 +6,6 @@ logging_config = "config/console.yaml"
 source_folders = ["photos", "Music", ".local/bin"]
 targets = ["dpw@plaza.local:/Volumes/plaza/tiburon", "dpw@piedmont.local:backup/tiburon", "dpw@orinda.local:.backup/tiburon"]
 files = [ ".alias", ".config", ".motd", ".profile", ".ssh/authorized_keys", ".ssh/id_rsa.pub", ".wget-hsts", ".zprofile", ".zshenv", ".zshrc" ]
+excludes = []
 compress = false
 encrypt = false
diff --git a/.test-replica/config/walk-config.toml b/.test-replica/config/walk-config.toml
index 9994443..03b1cc2 100644
--- a/.test-replica/config/walk-config.toml
+++ b/.test-replica/config/walk-config.toml
@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@ files = [
     "tests/file2.txt",
     "tests/big-file.pdf",
 ]
+excludes = [
+    ".config/broot",
+    ".config/chromium",
+    ".config/configstore",
+    ".config/dconf",
+]
 dbfile = ".replica/data/files.json"
 compress = false
 encrypt = false
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 7ac305a..52197cf 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub source_folders: Vec<String>,
     pub targets: Vec<String>,
     pub files: Vec<String>,
+    pub excludes: Vec<String>,
     pub dbfile: String,
     pub compress: bool,
     pub encrypt: bool,
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@ impl Config {
             source_folders: self.source_folders.clone(),
             targets: self.targets.clone(),
             files: self.files.clone(),
+            excludes: self.excludes.clone(),
             dbfile: self.dbfile.clone(),
             compress: self.compress,
             encrypt: self.encrypt,
diff --git a/src/file_walker.rs b/src/file_walker.rs
index 7b5846b..720e147 100644
--- a/src/file_walker.rs
+++ b/src/file_walker.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use crate::config::Config;
 use crate::file_model::FileModel;
 use anyhow::Result;
 use log::{debug, error, info};
-use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use walkdir::WalkDir;
 
 pub struct FileWalker {
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ impl FileWalker {
             let fname: PathBuf = [&self.home, folder].iter().collect();
 
             for entry in WalkDir::new(fname).into_iter().filter_map(|e| e.ok()) {
-                if entry.file_name() == ".DS_Store" {
+                if self.exclude(entry.path()) || entry.file_name() == ".DS_Store" {
                     continue;
                 }
 
@@ -92,12 +92,41 @@ impl FileWalker {
 
         Ok(files)
     }
+
+    /// if the file path contains an exclude phrase return true, else false
+    fn exclude(&self, path: &Path) -> bool {
+        let excludes = &self.config.excludes;
+        let name = path.to_str().unwrap().to_string();
+
+        for ex in excludes.iter() {
+            if name.contains(ex.as_str()) {
+                info!("exclude: {} {}", name, ex);
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        false
+    }
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
+    #[test]
+    fn excludes() {
+        // [ ".config/broot", ".config/chromium", ".config/configstore", ".config/dconf" ]
+
+        let config = Config::read_config(".test-replica/config/walk-config.toml").unwrap();
+        let walker = FileWalker::new(config.clone());
+
+        let path = Path::new("/home/dpw/.config/chromium/thing");
+        assert!(walker.exclude(path));
+
+        let path = Path::new(".config/configstore/");
+        assert!(walker.exclude(path));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn walk_files_and_folders() {
         // cd_test_home();