diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ed062a0f..c81bc806 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -309,6 +309,7 @@ This will display all the pertinent runtime interpretation of the options and co
 Config path                         = /home/alex/.config/onedrive
 Config file found in config path    = false
 Config option 'sync_dir'            = /home/alex/OneDrive
+Config option 'skip_dir'            = 
 Config option 'skip_file'           = ~*
 Config option 'skip_dotfiles'       = false
 Config option 'skip_symlinks'       = false
@@ -466,11 +467,23 @@ Proceed with caution here when changing the default sync dir from ~/OneDrive to
 
 The issue here is around how the client stores the sync_dir path in the database. If the config file is missing, or you don't use the `--syncdir` parameter - what will happen is the client will default back to `~/OneDrive` and 'think' that either all your data has been deleted - thus delete the content on OneDrive, or will start downloading all data from OneDrive into the default location.
 
-### skip_file
-Example: `skip_file = "~*|Desktop|Documents/OneNote*|Documents/IISExpress|Documents/SQL Server Management Studio|Documents/Visual Studio*|Documents/config.xlaunch|Documents/WindowsPowerShell"`
+### skip_dir
+Example: `skip_dir = "Desktop|Documents/IISExpress|Documents/SQL Server Management Studio|Documents/Visual Studio*|Documents/WindowsPowerShell"`
 
 Patterns are case insensitive. `*` and `?` [wildcards characters](https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb490639.aspx) are supported. Use `|` to separate multiple patterns.
 
+**Note:** after changing `skip_dir`, you must perform a full re-synchronization by adding `--resync` to your existing command line - for example: `onedrive --synchronize --resync`
+
+### skip_file
+Example: `skip_file = "~*|Documents/OneNote*|Documents/config.xlaunch|myfile.ext"`
+
+Patterns are case insensitive. `*` and `?` [wildcards characters](https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb490639.aspx) are supported. Use `|` to separate multiple patterns.
+
+Files can be skipped in the following fashion:
+*   Specify a wildcard, eg: '*.txt' (skip all txt files)
+*   Explicitly specify the filename and it's full path relative to your sync_dir, eg: 'path/to/file/filename.ext'
+*   Explicitly specify the filename only and skip every instance of this filename, eg: 'filename.ext'
+
 **Note:** after changing `skip_file`, you must perform a full re-synchronization by adding `--resync` to your existing command line - for example: `onedrive --synchronize --resync`
 
 **Note:** Do not use a skip_file entry of `.*` as this will prevent correct searching of local changes to process.
@@ -515,7 +528,7 @@ Year 2
 
 ### Skipping directories from syncing
 There are several mechanisms available to 'skip' a directory from scanning:
-*   Utilise 'skip_file'
+*   Utilise 'skip_dir'
 *   Utilise 'sync_list'
 
 One further method is to add a '.nosync' empty file to any folder. When this file is present, adding `--check-for-nosync` to your command line will now make the sync process skip any folder where the '.nosync' file is present.
diff --git a/src/config.d b/src/config.d
index 241de24b..5d07a86a 100644
--- a/src/config.d
+++ b/src/config.d
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ final class Config
 	{
 		// Default configuration directory
 		setValue("sync_dir", "~/OneDrive");
+		// Skip Directories - no directories are skipped by default
+		setValue("skip_dir", "");
 		// Configure to skip ONLY temp files (~*.doc etc) by default
 		// Prior configuration was: .*|~*
 		setValue("skip_file", "~*");
diff --git a/src/main.d b/src/main.d
index d6bdf068..80692180 100644
--- a/src/main.d
+++ b/src/main.d
@@ -348,6 +348,7 @@ int main(string[] args)
 		// Config Options
 		writeln("Config option 'check_nosync'        = ", cfg.getValue("check_nosync"));
 		writeln("Config option 'sync_dir'            = ", syncDir);
+		writeln("Config option 'skip_dir'            = ", cfg.getValue("skip_dir"));
 		writeln("Config option 'skip_file'           = ", cfg.getValue("skip_file"));
 		writeln("Config option 'skip_dotfiles'       = ", cfg.getValue("skip_dotfiles"));
 		writeln("Config option 'skip_symlinks'       = ", cfg.getValue("skip_symlinks"));
@@ -451,7 +452,14 @@ int main(string[] args)
 		}
 	}
 	selectiveSync.load(cfg.syncListFilePath);
-	selectiveSync.setMask(cfg.getValue("skip_file"));
+	
+	// Configure skip_dir & skip_file from config entries
+	log.vdebug("Configuring skip_dir ...");
+	log.vdebug("skip_dir: ", cfg.getValue("skip_dir"));
+	selectiveSync.setDirMask(cfg.getValue("skip_dir"));
+	log.vdebug("Configuring skip_file ...");
+	log.vdebug("skip_file: ", cfg.getValue("skip_file"));
+	selectiveSync.setFileMask(cfg.getValue("skip_file"));
 	
 	// Initialize the sync engine
 	log.logAndNotify("Initializing the Synchronization Engine ...");
@@ -464,7 +472,7 @@ int main(string[] args)
 		}
 	} catch (CurlException e) {
 		if (!monitor) {
-			log.log("\nNo internet connection.");
+			log.log("\nNo Internet connection.");
 			oneDrive.http.shutdown();
 			return EXIT_FAILURE;
 		}
diff --git a/src/monitor.d b/src/monitor.d
index 0a520cbe..ed108031 100644
--- a/src/monitor.d
+++ b/src/monitor.d
@@ -77,7 +77,10 @@ final class Monitor
 
 		// skip filtered items
 		if (dirname != ".") {
-			if (selectiveSync.isNameExcluded(baseName(dirname))) {
+			if (selectiveSync.isDirNameExcluded(strip(dirname,"./"))) {
+				return;
+			}
+			if (selectiveSync.isFileNameExcluded(baseName(dirname))) {
 				return;
 			}
 			if (selectiveSync.isPathExcluded(buildNormalizedPath(dirname))) {
@@ -189,7 +192,10 @@ final class Monitor
 
 				// skip filtered items
 				path = getPath(event);
-				if (selectiveSync.isNameExcluded(baseName(path))) {
+				if (selectiveSync.isDirNameExcluded(strip(path,"./"))) {
+					goto skip;
+				}
+				if (selectiveSync.isFileNameExcluded(strip(path,"./"))) {
 					goto skip;
 				}
 				if (selectiveSync.isPathExcluded(path)) {
diff --git a/src/selective.d b/src/selective.d
index 829c3267..08661983 100644
--- a/src/selective.d
+++ b/src/selective.d
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ final class SelectiveSync
 {
 	private string[] paths;
 	private Regex!char mask;
+	private Regex!char dirmask;
 
 	void load(string filepath)
 	{
@@ -22,20 +23,46 @@ final class SelectiveSync
 		}
 	}
 
-	void setMask(const(char)[] mask)
+	void setFileMask(const(char)[] mask)
 	{
 		this.mask = wild2regex(mask);
 	}
 
-	// config file skip_file parameter
-	bool isNameExcluded(string name)
+	void setDirMask(const(char)[] dirmask)
 	{
-		// Does the file match skip_file config entry?
-		// Returns true if the file matches a skip_file config entry
-		// Returns false if no match
-		return !name.matchFirst(mask).empty;
+		this.dirmask = wild2regex(dirmask);
 	}
-
+	
+	// config file skip_dir parameter
+	bool isDirNameExcluded(string name)
+	{
+		// Does the directory name match skip_dir config entry?
+		// Returns true if the name matches a skip_dir config entry
+		// Returns false if no match
+		return !name.matchFirst(dirmask).empty;
+	}
+	
+	// config file skip_file parameter
+	bool isFileNameExcluded(string name)
+	{
+		// Does the file name match skip_file config entry?
+		// Returns true if the name matches a skip_file config entry
+		// Returns false if no match
+	
+		// Try full path match first
+		if (!name.matchFirst(mask).empty) {
+			return true;
+		} else {
+			// check just the file name
+			string filename = baseName(name);
+			if(!filename.matchFirst(mask).empty) {
+				return true;
+			}
+		}
+		// no match
+		return false;
+	}
+	
 	// config sync_list file handling
 	bool isPathExcluded(string path)
 	{
diff --git a/src/sync.d b/src/sync.d
index b3bfe6ab..194f86aa 100644
--- a/src/sync.d
+++ b/src/sync.d
@@ -754,7 +754,7 @@ final class SyncEngine
 		bool unwanted;
 		unwanted |= skippedItems.find(item.parentId).length != 0;
 		if (unwanted) log.vdebug("Flagging as unwanted: find(item.parentId).length != 0");
-		unwanted |= selectiveSync.isNameExcluded(item.name);
+		unwanted |= selectiveSync.isFileNameExcluded(item.name);
 		if (unwanted) log.vdebug("Flagging as unwanted: item name is excluded: ", item.name);
 
 		// check the item type
@@ -1141,7 +1141,8 @@ final class SyncEngine
 		string path;
 		
 		// Is item.name or the path excluded
-		unwanted = selectiveSync.isNameExcluded(item.name);
+		unwanted = selectiveSync.isFileNameExcluded(item.name);
+
 		if (!unwanted) {
 			path = itemdb.computePath(item.driveId, item.id);
 			unwanted = selectiveSync.isPathExcluded(path);
@@ -1483,12 +1484,20 @@ final class SyncEngine
 
 			// filter out user configured items to skip
 			if (path != ".") {
-				if (selectiveSync.isNameExcluded(baseName(path))) {
-					log.vlog("Skipping item - excluded by skip_file config: ", path);
-					return;
+				if (isDir(path)) {
+					if (selectiveSync.isDirNameExcluded(strip(path,"./"))) {
+						log.vlog("Skipping item - excluded by skip_dir config: ", path);
+						return;
+					}
+				}
+				if (isFile(path)) {
+					if (selectiveSync.isFileNameExcluded(strip(path,"./"))) {
+						log.vlog("Skipping item - excluded by skip_file config: ", path);
+						return;
+					}
 				}
 				if (selectiveSync.isPathExcluded(path)) {
-					log.vlog("Skipping item - path excluded: ", path);
+					log.vlog("Skipping item - path excluded by sync_list: ", path);
 					return;
 				}
 			}