diff --git a/crates/diskern-cli/README.md b/crates/diskern-cli/README.md
index d356cd7..a2b6334 100644
--- a/crates/diskern-cli/README.md
+++ b/crates/diskern-cli/README.md
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ diskern scan ~/Downloads --verdict safe
 # Every finding, not just the first few per category
 diskern scan ~ --top 0
 
+# Skip large directories while scanning their parent
+diskern scan ~ --exclude ~/Videos --exclude ~/VMs
+
 # Full JSON report (for scripting / piping into jq)
 diskern scan ~/Downloads --json
 ```
@@ -51,6 +54,7 @@ nothing will offer to move it.
 | Flag        | Default | Effect                                                  |
 | ----------- | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
 | `--top N`   | `5`     | Findings shown per category; `0` shows every one.       |
+| `--exclude <dir>` | platform defaults | Skip a directory while scanning; repeat the flag to skip more. User excludes are added to the built-in protected excludes. |
 | `--verdict` | all     | `safe`, `review`, `risky` or `protected`. Duplicate sets have no verdict, so they are omitted when this is set. |
 | `--json`    | off     | Full report as JSON; the flags above don't apply.        |
 | `--rules <file>` | embedded | Load and validate an external rules database; embedded protected rules remain authoritative. |
diff --git a/crates/diskern-cli/src/main.rs b/crates/diskern-cli/src/main.rs
index 96d5d6f..4fb9281 100644
--- a/crates/diskern-cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/diskern-cli/src/main.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ enum Command {
         /// Directories to scan
         #[arg(required = true)]
         roots: Vec<PathBuf>,
+        /// Directories to skip while scanning; may be repeated
+        #[arg(long, value_name = "DIR")]
+        exclude: Vec<PathBuf>,
         /// Emit full JSON report instead of a summary
         #[arg(long)]
         json: bool,
@@ -198,11 +201,31 @@ fn load_rules(path: Option<&std::path::Path>) -> Result<RulesDb> {
     Ok(rules.with_embedded_protected_rules())
 }
 
+fn scan_options(roots: Vec<PathBuf>, excludes: Vec<PathBuf>) -> Result<scanner::ScanOptions> {
+    let mut opts = scanner::ScanOptions {
+        roots,
+        ..Default::default()
+    };
+
+    for exclude in excludes {
+        let absolute = std::path::absolute(&exclude).with_context(|| {
+            format!(
+                "could not normalize exclude path '{}'; check that the path is valid",
+                exclude.display()
+            )
+        })?;
+        opts.excludes.push(absolute.to_string_lossy().into_owned());
+    }
+
+    Ok(opts)
+}
+
 fn main() -> Result<()> {
     let cli = Cli::parse();
     match cli.command {
         Command::Scan {
             roots,
+            exclude,
             json,
             top,
             verdict,
@@ -210,10 +233,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
         } => {
             let external_rules = rules.as_deref();
             let rules_db = load_rules(external_rules)?;
-            let opts = scanner::ScanOptions {
-                roots,
-                ..Default::default()
-            };
+            let opts = scan_options(roots, exclude)?;
             let progress = Arc::new(scanner::ScanProgress::default());
             let entries = scanner::scan(&opts, progress)?;
             let report = report::build(entries, &rules_db);
@@ -286,8 +306,9 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
-    use super::{human_bytes, plural, Cli};
+    use super::{human_bytes, plural, scan_options, Cli};
     use clap::{error::ErrorKind, Parser};
+    use std::path::PathBuf;
 
     #[test]
     fn scan_requires_at_least_one_root() {
@@ -299,6 +320,16 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(error.kind(), ErrorKind::MissingRequiredArgument);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn scan_options_append_cli_excludes_to_defaults() {
+        let before = diskern_core::scanner::ScanOptions::default().excludes.len();
+        let opts = scan_options(vec![PathBuf::from(".")], vec![PathBuf::from("target")]).unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(opts.roots, vec![PathBuf::from(".")]);
+        assert_eq!(opts.excludes.len(), before + 1);
+        assert!(opts.excludes.last().unwrap().ends_with("target"));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn plural_returns_empty_only_for_singular() {
         assert_eq!(plural(0), "s");
diff --git a/crates/diskern-cli/tests/scan_roots.rs b/crates/diskern-cli/tests/scan_roots.rs
index 5f775c9..3b4cdd3 100644
--- a/crates/diskern-cli/tests/scan_roots.rs
+++ b/crates/diskern-cli/tests/scan_roots.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,18 @@ fn run_scan_roots<'a>(
     command.output().expect("diskern should start")
 }
 
+fn run_scan_with_excludes<'a>(
+    root: &std::path::Path,
+    excludes: impl IntoIterator<Item = &'a std::path::Path>,
+) -> std::process::Output {
+    let mut command = Command::new(env!("CARGO_BIN_EXE_diskern"));
+    command.arg("scan").arg(root);
+    for exclude in excludes {
+        command.arg("--exclude").arg(exclude);
+    }
+    command.output().expect("diskern should start")
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn missing_scan_root_fails_and_names_the_root() {
     let temp = tempdir().unwrap();
@@ -69,3 +81,25 @@ fn nested_scan_roots_are_counted_once_in_the_summary() {
         "expected nested roots to count two files once, got: {stdout}"
     );
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn scan_excludes_cli_directories() {
+    let temp = tempdir().unwrap();
+    let skipped = temp.path().join("skip-me");
+    std::fs::create_dir(&skipped).unwrap();
+    std::fs::write(temp.path().join("keep.bin"), b"keep").unwrap();
+    std::fs::write(skipped.join("skip.bin"), b"skip").unwrap();
+
+    let output = run_scan_with_excludes(temp.path(), [skipped.as_path()]);
+
+    assert!(
+        output.status.success(),
+        "{}",
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr)
+    );
+    let stdout = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout);
+    assert!(
+        stdout.contains("Scanned 1 files."),
+        "expected excluded directory to be skipped, got: {stdout}"
+    );
+}