diff --git a/Readme.md b/Readme.md
index 93e2957..419fcdf 100644
--- a/Readme.md
+++ b/Readme.md
@@ -85,6 +85,8 @@ setInterval(function(){
 
   The "*" character may be used as a wildcard. Suppose for example your library has debuggers named "connect:bodyParser", "connect:compress", "connect:session", instead of listing all three with `DEBUG=connect:bodyParser,connect.compress,connect:session`, you may simply do `DEBUG=connect:*`, or to run everything using this module simply use `DEBUG=*`.
 
+  You can also exclude specific debuggers by prefixing them with a "-" character.  For example, `DEBUG=* -connect:*` would include all debuggers except those starting with "connect:".
+
 ## Browser support
 
  Debug works in the browser as well, currently persisted by `localStorage`. For example if you have `worker:a` and `worker:b` as shown below, and wish to debug both type `debug.enable('worker:*')` in the console and refresh the page, this will remain until you disable with `debug.disable()`. 
diff --git a/debug.js b/debug.js
index e586b6a..b2f0798 100644
--- a/debug.js
+++ b/debug.js
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ function debug(name) {
  */
 
 debug.names = [];
+debug.skips = [];
 
 /**
  * Enables a debug mode by name. This can include modes
@@ -56,7 +57,12 @@ debug.enable = function(name) {
 
   for (var i = 0; i < len; i++) {
     name = split[i].replace('*', '.*?');
-    debug.names.push(new RegExp('^' + name + '$'));
+    if (name[0] === '-') {
+      debug.skips.push(new RegExp('^' + name.substr(1) + '$'));
+    }
+    else {
+      debug.names.push(new RegExp('^' + name + '$'));
+    }
   }
 };
 
@@ -98,6 +104,11 @@ debug.humanize = function(ms) {
  */
 
 debug.enabled = function(name) {
+  for (var i = 0, len = debug.skips.length; i < len; i++) {
+    if (debug.skips[i].test(name)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
   for (var i = 0, len = debug.names.length; i < len; i++) {
     if (debug.names[i].test(name)) {
       return true;
diff --git a/lib/debug.js b/lib/debug.js
index 740ebb8..1be8b66 100644
--- a/lib/debug.js
+++ b/lib/debug.js
@@ -27,11 +27,19 @@ exports.version = '0.5.0';
  * Enabled debuggers.
  */
 
-var names = (process.env.DEBUG || '')
+var names = [],
+    skips = [];
+
+(process.env.DEBUG || '')
   .split(/[\s,]+/)
-  .map(function(name){
+  .forEach(function(name){
     name = name.replace('*', '.*?');
-    return new RegExp('^' + name + '$');
+    if (name[0] === '-') {
+      skips.push(new RegExp('^' + name.substr(1) + '$'));
+    }
+    else {
+      names.push(new RegExp('^' + name + '$'));
+    }
   });
 
 /**
@@ -97,7 +105,13 @@ function humanize(ms) {
  */
 
 function debug(name) {
-  var match = names.some(function(re){
+  var match = skips.some(function(re){
+    return re.test(name);
+  });
+
+  if (match) return function(){};
+
+  match = names.some(function(re){
     return re.test(name);
   });