diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 89d6873..08be18a 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -93,6 +93,9 @@ check_docker Usage
                           One or more RegEx that match the names of the
                           container(s) to check. If omitted all containers are
                           checked. (default: ['all'])
+    --exclude-containers EXCLUDECONTAINERS [EXCLUDECONTAINERS ...]
+                          One or more containers to exclude.
+
     --present             Modifies --containers so that each RegEx must match at
                           least one container.
     --threads THREADS     This + 1 is the maximum number of concurent
diff --git a/check_docker/check_docker.py b/check_docker/check_docker.py
index 7e5069e..b6f0878 100755
--- a/check_docker/check_docker.py
+++ b/check_docker/check_docker.py
@@ -332,11 +332,14 @@ def get_ps_name(name_list):
         raise NameError("Error when trying to identify 'ps' name in {}".format(name_list))
 
 
-def get_containers(names, require_present):
+def get_containers(names, require_present, exclude_containers=[]):
     containers_list, _ = get_url(daemon + '/containers/json?all=1')
 
     all_container_names = set(get_ps_name(x['Names']) for x in containers_list)
 
+    if exclude_containers:
+        all_container_names = all_container_names.difference(exclude_containers)
+
     if 'all' in names:
         return all_container_names
 
@@ -785,7 +788,16 @@ def process_args(args):
                         default=['all'],
                         help='One or more RegEx that match the names of the container(s) to check. If omitted all containers are checked. (default: %(default)s)')
 
-    # Container name
+    # Exclude container name
+    parser.add_argument('--exclude-containers',
+                        dest='excludecontainers',
+                        action='store',
+                        nargs='+',
+                        type=str,
+                        default=[],
+                        help='One or more containers to exclude.')
+
+    # Presence
     parser.add_argument('--present',
                         dest='present',
                         default=False,
@@ -983,7 +995,7 @@ def perform_checks(raw_args):
         return
 
     # Here is where all the work happens
-    containers = get_containers(args.containers, args.present)
+    containers = get_containers(args.containers, args.present, args.excludecontainers)
 
     if len(containers) == 0 and not args.present:
         unknown("No containers names found matching criteria")
diff --git a/tests/test_check_docker.py b/tests/test_check_docker.py
index 1225bde..7d98334 100644
--- a/tests/test_check_docker.py
+++ b/tests/test_check_docker.py
@@ -593,6 +593,11 @@ def test_get_containers_2(check_docker, sample_containers_json, mock_get_contain
             container_list = check_docker.get_containers(['name.*'], False)
             assert container_list == {'name1', 'name2'}
 
+def test_get_containers_2_withexclude(check_docker, sample_containers_json, mock_get_container_info):
+    with patch('check_docker.check_docker.get_url', return_value=(sample_containers_json, 200)):
+        with patch('check_docker.check_docker.get_container_info', side_effect=mock_get_container_info):
+            container_list = check_docker.get_containers(['name.*'], False, ['name2'])
+            assert container_list == {'name1'}
 
 def test_get_containers_3(check_docker, sample_containers_json, mock_get_container_info):
     check_docker.rc = -1
@@ -613,7 +618,6 @@ def test_get_containers_4(check_docker, sample_containers_json, mock_get_contain
             assert container_list == set()
             assert patched.call_count == 1
 
-
 def test_socketfile_failure_false(check_docker, fs):
     fs.create_file('/tmp/socket', contents='', st_mode=(stat.S_IFSOCK | 0o666))
     args = ('--status', 'running', '--connection', '/tmp/socket')