diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index 84ccc05..3e82874 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -1180,11 +1180,28 @@
 	const char *name_for_errormsg;
 };
 
+static int ref_excluded(struct rev_info *revs, const char *path)
+{
+	struct string_list_item *item;
+
+	if (!revs->ref_excludes)
+		return 0;
+	for_each_string_list_item(item, revs->ref_excludes) {
+		if (!fnmatch(item->string, path, 0))
+			return 1;
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int handle_one_ref(const char *path, const unsigned char *sha1, int flag, void *cb_data)
 {
 	struct all_refs_cb *cb = cb_data;
-	struct object *object = get_reference(cb->all_revs, path, sha1,
-					      cb->all_flags);
+	struct object *object;
+
+	if (ref_excluded(cb->all_revs, path))
+	    return 0;
+
+	object = get_reference(cb->all_revs, path, sha1, cb->all_flags);
 	add_rev_cmdline(cb->all_revs, object, path, REV_CMD_REF, cb->all_flags);
 	add_pending_sha1(cb->all_revs, path, sha1, cb->all_flags);
 	return 0;
@@ -1197,6 +1214,24 @@
 	cb->all_flags = flags;
 }
 
+static void clear_ref_exclusion(struct rev_info *revs)
+{
+	if (revs->ref_excludes) {
+		string_list_clear(revs->ref_excludes, 0);
+		free(revs->ref_excludes);
+	}
+	revs->ref_excludes = NULL;
+}
+
+static void add_ref_exclusion(struct rev_info *revs, const char *exclude)
+{
+	if (!revs->ref_excludes) {
+		revs->ref_excludes = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*revs->ref_excludes));
+		revs->ref_excludes->strdup_strings = 1;
+	}
+	string_list_append(revs->ref_excludes, exclude);
+}
+
 static void handle_refs(const char *submodule, struct rev_info *revs, unsigned flags,
 		int (*for_each)(const char *, each_ref_fn, void *))
 {
@@ -1953,33 +1988,44 @@
 	if (!strcmp(arg, "--all")) {
 		handle_refs(submodule, revs, *flags, for_each_ref_submodule);
 		handle_refs(submodule, revs, *flags, head_ref_submodule);
+		clear_ref_exclusion(revs);
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--branches")) {
 		handle_refs(submodule, revs, *flags, for_each_branch_ref_submodule);
+		clear_ref_exclusion(revs);
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--bisect")) {
 		handle_refs(submodule, revs, *flags, for_each_bad_bisect_ref);
 		handle_refs(submodule, revs, *flags ^ (UNINTERESTING | BOTTOM), for_each_good_bisect_ref);
 		revs->bisect = 1;
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--tags")) {
 		handle_refs(submodule, revs, *flags, for_each_tag_ref_submodule);
+		clear_ref_exclusion(revs);
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--remotes")) {
 		handle_refs(submodule, revs, *flags, for_each_remote_ref_submodule);
+		clear_ref_exclusion(revs);
 	} else if ((argcount = parse_long_opt("glob", argv, &optarg))) {
 		struct all_refs_cb cb;
 		init_all_refs_cb(&cb, revs, *flags);
 		for_each_glob_ref(handle_one_ref, optarg, &cb);
+		clear_ref_exclusion(revs);
+		return argcount;
+	} else if ((argcount = parse_long_opt("exclude", argv, &optarg))) {
+		add_ref_exclusion(revs, optarg);
 		return argcount;
 	} else if (!prefixcmp(arg, "--branches=")) {
 		struct all_refs_cb cb;
 		init_all_refs_cb(&cb, revs, *flags);
 		for_each_glob_ref_in(handle_one_ref, arg + 11, "refs/heads/", &cb);
+		clear_ref_exclusion(revs);
 	} else if (!prefixcmp(arg, "--tags=")) {
 		struct all_refs_cb cb;
 		init_all_refs_cb(&cb, revs, *flags);
 		for_each_glob_ref_in(handle_one_ref, arg + 7, "refs/tags/", &cb);
+		clear_ref_exclusion(revs);
 	} else if (!prefixcmp(arg, "--remotes=")) {
 		struct all_refs_cb cb;
 		init_all_refs_cb(&cb, revs, *flags);
 		for_each_glob_ref_in(handle_one_ref, arg + 10, "refs/remotes/", &cb);
+		clear_ref_exclusion(revs);
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--reflog")) {
 		handle_reflog(revs, *flags);
 	} else if (!strcmp(arg, "--not")) {