diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 9efe87adb..84261fa64 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ mpd_headers = \
 	src/encoder_plugin.h \
 	src/encoder_list.h \
 	src/encoder_api.h \
+	src/exclude.h \
 	src/fifo_buffer.h \
 	src/update.h \
 	src/update_internal.h \
@@ -211,6 +212,7 @@ src_mpd_SOURCES = \
 	src/directory_print.c \
 	src/database.c \
 	src/dirvec.c \
+	src/exclude.c \
 	src/fifo_buffer.c \
 	src/filter_plugin.c \
 	src/filter_registry.c \
diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index b240c7e3e..47a8b9778 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -33,12 +33,14 @@ ver 0.16 (20??/??/??)
   - per-device software/hardware mixer setting
 * commands:
   - added new "status" line with more precise "elapsed time"
+* update:
+  - automatically update the database with Linux inotify
+  - support .mpdignore files in the music directory
 * log unused/unknown block parameters
 * removed the deprecated "error_file" option
 * save state when stopped
 * renamed option "--stdout" to "--stderr"
 * removed options --create-db and --no-create-db
-* automatically update the database with Linux inotify
 * state_file: save only if something has changed
 * obey $(sysconfdir) for default mpd.conf location
 * build with large file support by default
diff --git a/doc/user.xml b/doc/user.xml
index a8540fe1c..ca63eccd9 100644
--- a/doc/user.xml
+++ b/doc/user.xml
@@ -497,6 +497,12 @@ cd mpd-version</programlisting>
         Depending on the size of your music collection and the speed
         of the storage, this can take a while.
       </para>
+
+      <para>
+        To exclude a file from the update, create a file called
+        <filename>.mpdignore</filename> in its parent directory.  Each
+        line of that file may contain a list of shell wildcards.
+      </para>
     </section>
 
     <section>
diff --git a/src/exclude.c b/src/exclude.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4a1fb21f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/exclude.c
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2003-2009 The Music Player Daemon Project
+ * http://www.musicpd.org
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
+ * with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
+ * 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+ */
+
+/*
+ * The .mpdignore backend code.
+ *
+ */
+
+#include "exclude.h"
+#include "path.h"
+
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <errno.h>
+#include <fnmatch.h>
+
+GSList *
+exclude_list_load(const char *path_fs)
+{
+	FILE *file;
+	char line[1024];
+	GSList *list = NULL;
+
+	assert(path_fs != NULL);
+
+	file = fopen(path_fs, "r");
+	if (file == NULL) {
+		if (errno != ENOENT) {
+			char *path_utf8 = fs_charset_to_utf8(path_fs);
+			g_debug("Failed to open %s: %s",
+				path_utf8, g_strerror(errno));
+			g_free(path_utf8);
+		}
+
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	while (fgets(line, sizeof(line), file) != NULL) {
+		char *p = strchr(line, '#');
+		if (p != NULL)
+			*p = 0;
+
+		p = g_strstrip(line);
+		if (*p != 0)
+			list = g_slist_prepend(list, g_strdup(p));
+	}
+
+	fclose(file);
+
+	return list;
+}
+
+void
+exclude_list_free(GSList *list)
+{
+	while (list != NULL) {
+		g_free(list->data);
+		list = g_slist_remove(list, list->data);
+	}
+}
+
+bool
+exclude_list_check(GSList *list, const char *name_fs)
+{
+	assert(name_fs != NULL);
+
+	/* XXX include full path name in check */
+
+	for (; list != NULL; list = list->next) {
+		const char *pattern = list->data;
+
+		if (fnmatch(pattern, name_fs, FNM_PATHNAME|FNM_PERIOD) == 0)
+			return true;
+	}
+
+	return false;
+}
diff --git a/src/exclude.h b/src/exclude.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..637feb846
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/exclude.h
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2003-2009 The Music Player Daemon Project
+ * http://www.musicpd.org
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along
+ * with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
+ * 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
+ */
+
+/*
+ * The .mpdignore backend code.
+ *
+ */
+
+#ifndef MPD_EXCLUDE_H
+#define MPD_EXCLUDE_H
+
+#include <glib.h>
+
+#include <stdbool.h>
+
+/**
+ * Loads and parses a .mpdignore file.
+ */
+GSList *
+exclude_list_load(const char *path_fs);
+
+/**
+ * Frees a list returned by exclude_list_load().
+ */
+void
+exclude_list_free(GSList *list);
+
+/**
+ * Checks whether one of the patterns in the .mpdignore file matches
+ * the specified file name.
+ */
+bool
+exclude_list_check(GSList *list, const char *name_fs);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/update_walk.c b/src/update_walk.c
index b79e95ae0..660640a67 100644
--- a/src/update_walk.c
+++ b/src/update_walk.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 #include "update_internal.h"
 #include "database.h"
+#include "exclude.h"
 #include "directory.h"
 #include "song.h"
 #include "uri.h"
@@ -154,6 +155,48 @@ delete_name_in(struct directory *parent, const char *name)
 	}
 }
 
+/* passed to songvec_for_each */
+static int
+delete_song_if_excluded(struct song *song, void *_data)
+{
+	GSList *exclude_list = _data;
+	char *name_fs;
+
+	assert(song->parent != NULL);
+
+	name_fs = utf8_to_fs_charset(song->uri);
+	if (exclude_list_check(exclude_list, name_fs)) {
+		delete_song(song->parent, song);
+		modified = true;
+	}
+
+	g_free(name_fs);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static void
+remove_excluded_from_directory(struct directory *directory,
+			       GSList *exclude_list)
+{
+	int i;
+	struct dirvec *dv = &directory->children;
+
+	for (i = dv->nr; --i >= 0; ) {
+		struct directory *child = dv->base[i];
+		char *name_fs = utf8_to_fs_charset(directory_get_name(child));
+
+		if (exclude_list_check(exclude_list, name_fs)) {
+			delete_directory(child);
+			modified = true;
+		}
+
+		g_free(name_fs);
+	}
+
+	songvec_for_each(&directory->songs,
+			 delete_song_if_excluded, exclude_list);
+}
+
 /* passed to songvec_for_each */
 static int
 delete_song_if_removed(struct song *song, void *_data)
@@ -613,7 +656,8 @@ updateDirectory(struct directory *directory, const struct stat *st)
 {
 	DIR *dir;
 	struct dirent *ent;
-	char *path_fs;
+	char *path_fs, *exclude_path_fs;
+	GSList *exclude_list;
 
 	assert(S_ISDIR(st->st_mode));
 
@@ -631,15 +675,24 @@ updateDirectory(struct directory *directory, const struct stat *st)
 		return false;
 	}
 
+	exclude_path_fs  = g_strconcat(path_fs, G_DIR_SEPARATOR_S,
+				       ".mpdignore", NULL);
+	exclude_list = exclude_list_load(exclude_path_fs);
+	g_free(exclude_path_fs);
+
 	g_free(path_fs);
 
+	if (exclude_list != NULL)
+		remove_excluded_from_directory(directory, exclude_list);
+
 	removeDeletedFromDirectory(directory);
 
 	while ((ent = readdir(dir))) {
 		char *utf8;
 		struct stat st2;
 
-		if (skip_path(ent->d_name))
+		if (skip_path(ent->d_name) ||
+		    exclude_list_check(exclude_list, ent->d_name))
 			continue;
 
 		utf8 = fs_charset_to_utf8(ent->d_name);
@@ -656,6 +709,8 @@ updateDirectory(struct directory *directory, const struct stat *st)
 		g_free(utf8);
 	}
 
+	exclude_list_free(exclude_list);
+
 	closedir(dir);
 
 	directory->mtime = st->st_mtime;