diff --git a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/api/Project.kt b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/api/Project.kt
index 0e1f3e8c..48f6e871 100644
--- a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/api/Project.kt
+++ b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/api/Project.kt
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ open class Project(
 
     @Directive
     fun dependencies(init: Dependencies.() -> Unit) : Dependencies {
-        dependencies = Dependencies(this, compileDependencies, compileProvidedDependencies, compileRuntimeDependencies)
+        dependencies = Dependencies(this, compileDependencies, compileProvidedDependencies, compileRuntimeDependencies,
+                excludedDependencies)
         dependencies!!.init()
         return dependencies!!
     }
@@ -85,10 +86,12 @@ open class Project(
     val compileDependencies : ArrayList<IClasspathDependency> = arrayListOf()
     val compileProvidedDependencies : ArrayList<IClasspathDependency> = arrayListOf()
     val compileRuntimeDependencies : ArrayList<IClasspathDependency> = arrayListOf()
+    val excludedDependencies : ArrayList<IClasspathDependency> = arrayListOf()
 
     @Directive
     fun dependenciesTest(init: Dependencies.() -> Unit) : Dependencies {
-        dependencies = Dependencies(this, testDependencies, testProvidedDependencies, compileRuntimeDependencies)
+        dependencies = Dependencies(this, testDependencies, testProvidedDependencies, compileRuntimeDependencies,
+                excludedDependencies)
         dependencies!!.init()
         return dependencies!!
     }
@@ -130,7 +133,8 @@ class Sources(val project: Project, val sources: HashSet<String>) {
 
 class Dependencies(val project: Project, val dependencies: ArrayList<IClasspathDependency>,
         val providedDependencies: ArrayList<IClasspathDependency>,
-        val runtimeDependencies: ArrayList<IClasspathDependency>) {
+        val runtimeDependencies: ArrayList<IClasspathDependency>,
+        val excludedDependencies: ArrayList<IClasspathDependency>) {
     @Directive
     fun compile(vararg dep: String) {
         dep.forEach { dependencies.add(MavenDependency.create(it)) }
@@ -145,6 +149,11 @@ class Dependencies(val project: Project, val dependencies: ArrayList<IClasspathD
     fun runtime(vararg dep: String) {
         dep.forEach { runtimeDependencies.add(MavenDependency.create(it))}
     }
+
+    @Directive
+    fun exclude(vararg dep: String) {
+        dep.forEach { excludedDependencies.add(MavenDependency.create(it))}
+    }
 }
 
 class Scm(val connection: String, val developerConnection: String, val url: String)
diff --git a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/internal/JvmCompilerPlugin.kt b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/internal/JvmCompilerPlugin.kt
index 73c79687..6c3b3d8d 100644
--- a/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/internal/JvmCompilerPlugin.kt
+++ b/modules/kobalt-plugin-api/src/main/kotlin/com/beust/kobalt/internal/JvmCompilerPlugin.kt
@@ -212,6 +212,14 @@ abstract class JvmCompilerPlugin @Inject constructor(
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Naïve implementation: just exclude all dependencies that start with one of the excluded dependencies.
+     * Should probably make exclusion more generic (full on string) or allow exclusion to be specified
+     * formally by groupId or artifactId.
+     */
+    private fun isDependencyExcluded(id: IClasspathDependency, excluded: List<IClasspathDependency>)
+            = excluded.any { id.id.startsWith(it.id) }
+
     /**
      * Create a CompilerActionInfo (all the information that a compiler needs to know) for the given parameters.
      * Runs all the contributors and interceptors relevant to that task.
@@ -220,11 +228,16 @@ abstract class JvmCompilerPlugin @Inject constructor(
             CompilerActionInfo {
         copyResources(project, JvmCompilerPlugin.SOURCE_SET_MAIN)
 
-        val classpath = if (isTest)
+        val fullClasspath = if (isTest)
             dependencyManager.testDependencies(project, context, projects)
         else
             dependencyManager.dependencies(project, context, projects)
 
+        // Remove all the excluded dependencies from the classpath
+        val classpath = fullClasspath.filter {
+            ! isDependencyExcluded(it, project.excludedDependencies)
+        }
+
         val projectDirectory = File(project.directory)
         val buildDirectory = if (isTest) KFiles.makeOutputTestDir(project)
         else File(project.classesDir(context))