diff --git a/bin/nwg-drawer b/bin/nwg-drawer
index 27e13dc..aa0bb03 100755
Binary files a/bin/nwg-drawer and b/bin/nwg-drawer differ
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 0914edb..4bf3852 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ var (
 	pinned          []string
 	id2entry        map[string]desktopEntry
 	preferredApps   map[string]interface{}
+	exclusions      []string
 )
 
 var categoryNames = [...]string{
@@ -264,11 +265,21 @@ func main() {
 	paFile := filepath.Join(configDirectory, "preferred-apps.json")
 	preferredApps, err = loadPreferredApps(paFile)
 	if err != nil {
-		log.Errorf("Custom associations file %s not found or invalid", paFile)
+		log.Infof("Custom associations file %s not found or invalid", paFile)
 	} else {
 		log.Infof("Found %v associations in %s", len(preferredApps), paFile)
 	}
 
+	// Load user-defined paths excluded from file search
+	exFile := filepath.Join(configDirectory, "excluded-dirs")
+	exclusions, err = loadTextFile(exFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Infof("Search exclusions file %s not found", exFile)
+	} else {
+		log.Infof("Found %v search exclusions in %s", len(exclusions), exFile)
+		fmt.Println(exclusions)
+	}
+
 	// USER INTERFACE
 	gtk.Init(nil)
 
diff --git a/tools.go b/tools.go
index f9bb790..3a3ca42 100644
--- a/tools.go
+++ b/tools.go
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ func loadTextFile(path string) ([]string, error) {
 	var output []string
 	for _, line := range lines {
 		line = strings.TrimSpace(line)
-		if line != "" {
+		if line != "" && !strings.HasPrefix(line, "#") {
 			output = append(output, line)
 		}
 
diff --git a/uicomponents.go b/uicomponents.go
index 08946d9..9376b78 100644
--- a/uicomponents.go
+++ b/uicomponents.go
@@ -291,16 +291,19 @@ func walk(path string, d fs.DirEntry, e error) error {
 	if e != nil {
 		return e
 	}
-	// don't search leading part of the path, as e.g. '/home/user/Pictures'
-	toSearch := strings.Split(path, ignore)[1]
-	if strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(toSearch), strings.ToLower(phrase)) {
-		// mark directories
-		if d.IsDir() {
-			fileSearchResults = append(fileSearchResults, fmt.Sprintf("#is_dir#%s", path))
-		} else {
-			fileSearchResults = append(fileSearchResults, path)
+	if !isExcluded(path) {
+		// don't search leading part of the path, as e.g. '/home/user/Pictures'
+		toSearch := strings.Split(path, ignore)[1]
+		if strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(toSearch), strings.ToLower(phrase)) {
+			// mark directories
+			if d.IsDir() {
+				fileSearchResults = append(fileSearchResults, fmt.Sprintf("#is_dir#%s", path))
+			} else {
+				fileSearchResults = append(fileSearchResults, path)
+			}
 		}
 	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -388,6 +391,15 @@ func setUpSearchEntry() *gtk.SearchEntry {
 	return searchEntry
 }
 
+func isExcluded(dir string) bool {
+	for _, exclusion := range exclusions {
+		if strings.Contains(dir, exclusion) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 func searchUserDir(dir string) {
 	fileSearchResults = nil
 	ignore = userDirsMap[dir]