diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3316c3aa..23f379f5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -117,7 +117,9 @@ This image is configurable using different flags
 | server.tls.cert-file                |                | The certificate file for the web server                                                                                |
 | server.tls.key-file                 |                | The key file for the web server                                                                                        |
 | topic.filter                 | .*             | Regex that determines which topics to collect                                                                                          |
+| topic.exclude                | ^$             | Regex that determines which topics to exclude                                                                                          |
 | group.filter                 | .*             | Regex that determines which consumer groups to collect                                                                                 |
+| group.exclude                | ^$             | Regex that determines which consumer groups to exclude                                                                                 |
 | web.listen-address           | :9308          | Address to listen on for web interface and telemetry                                                                                   |
 | web.telemetry-path           | /metrics       | Path under which to expose metrics                                                                                                     |
 | log.enable-sarama            | false          | Turn on Sarama logging                                                                                                                 |
diff --git a/kafka_exporter.go b/kafka_exporter.go
index 36a51956..f67ca90a 100644
--- a/kafka_exporter.go
+++ b/kafka_exporter.go
@@ -63,7 +63,9 @@ var (
 type Exporter struct {
 	client                  sarama.Client
 	topicFilter             *regexp.Regexp
+	topicExclude            *regexp.Regexp
 	groupFilter             *regexp.Regexp
+	groupExclude            *regexp.Regexp
 	mu                      sync.Mutex
 	useZooKeeperLag         bool
 	zookeeperClient         *kazoo.Kazoo
@@ -149,7 +151,7 @@ func canReadFile(path string) bool {
 }
 
 // NewExporter returns an initialized Exporter.
-func NewExporter(opts kafkaOpts, topicFilter string, groupFilter string) (*Exporter, error) {
+func NewExporter(opts kafkaOpts, topicFilter string, topicExclude string, groupFilter string, groupExclude string) (*Exporter, error) {
 	var zookeeperClient *kazoo.Kazoo
 	config := sarama.NewConfig()
 	config.ClientID = clientID
@@ -264,7 +266,9 @@ func NewExporter(opts kafkaOpts, topicFilter string, groupFilter string) (*Expor
 	return &Exporter{
 		client:                  client,
 		topicFilter:             regexp.MustCompile(topicFilter),
+		topicExclude:            regexp.MustCompile(topicExclude),
 		groupFilter:             regexp.MustCompile(groupFilter),
+		groupExclude:            regexp.MustCompile(groupExclude),
 		useZooKeeperLag:         opts.useZooKeeperLag,
 		zookeeperClient:         zookeeperClient,
 		nextMetadataRefresh:     time.Now(),
@@ -396,7 +400,7 @@ func (e *Exporter) collect(ch chan<- prometheus.Metric) {
 	getTopicMetrics := func(topic string) {
 		defer wg.Done()
 
-		if !e.topicFilter.MatchString(topic) {
+		if !e.topicFilter.MatchString(topic) || e.topicExclude.MatchString(topic) {
 			return
 		}
 
@@ -530,7 +534,7 @@ func (e *Exporter) collect(ch chan<- prometheus.Metric) {
 	}
 
 	for _, topic := range topics {
-		if e.topicFilter.MatchString(topic) {
+		if e.topicFilter.MatchString(topic) && !e.topicExclude.MatchString(topic) {
 			wg.Add(1)
 			topicChannel <- topic
 		}
@@ -554,7 +558,7 @@ func (e *Exporter) collect(ch chan<- prometheus.Metric) {
 		}
 		groupIds := make([]string, 0)
 		for groupId := range groups.Groups {
-			if e.groupFilter.MatchString(groupId) {
+			if e.groupFilter.MatchString(groupId) && !e.groupExclude.MatchString(groupId) {
 				groupIds = append(groupIds, groupId)
 			}
 		}
@@ -709,7 +713,9 @@ func main() {
 		listenAddress = toFlagString("web.listen-address", "Address to listen on for web interface and telemetry.", ":9308")
 		metricsPath   = toFlagString("web.telemetry-path", "Path under which to expose metrics.", "/metrics")
 		topicFilter   = toFlagString("topic.filter", "Regex that determines which topics to collect.", ".*")
+		topicExclude  = toFlagString("topic.exclude", "Regex that determines which topics to exclude.", "^$")
 		groupFilter   = toFlagString("group.filter", "Regex that determines which consumer groups to collect.", ".*")
+		groupExclude  = toFlagString("group.exclude", "Regex that determines which consumer groups to exclude.", "^$")
 		logSarama     = toFlagBool("log.enable-sarama", "Turn on Sarama logging, default is false.", false, "false")
 
 		opts = kafkaOpts{}
@@ -767,14 +773,16 @@ func main() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	setup(*listenAddress, *metricsPath, *topicFilter, *groupFilter, *logSarama, opts, labels)
+	setup(*listenAddress, *metricsPath, *topicFilter, *topicExclude, *groupFilter, *groupExclude, *logSarama, opts, labels)
 }
 
 func setup(
 	listenAddress string,
 	metricsPath string,
 	topicFilter string,
+	topicExclude string,
 	groupFilter string,
+	groupExclude string,
 	logSarama bool,
 	opts kafkaOpts,
 	labels map[string]string,
@@ -888,7 +896,7 @@ func setup(
 		sarama.Logger = log.New(os.Stdout, "[sarama] ", log.LstdFlags)
 	}
 
-	exporter, err := NewExporter(opts, topicFilter, groupFilter)
+	exporter, err := NewExporter(opts, topicFilter, topicExclude, groupFilter, groupExclude)
 	if err != nil {
 		klog.Fatalln(err)
 	}