diff --git a/whenchanged/whenchanged.py b/whenchanged/whenchanged.py
index 1de6aa0..758f771 100755
--- a/whenchanged/whenchanged.py
+++ b/whenchanged/whenchanged.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
 
 class WhenChanged(FileSystemEventHandler):
     # files to exclude from being watched
-    exclude = re.compile(r'|'.join(r'(.+/)?'+ a for a in [
+    excludes = [
         # Vim swap files
         r'\..*\.sw[px]*$',
         # file creation test file 4913
@@ -53,10 +53,17 @@ class WhenChanged(FileSystemEventHandler):
         r'\.git/?',
         # __pycache__ directories
         r'__pycache__/?',
-        ]))
-
-    def __init__(self, files, command, recursive=False, run_once=False,
-                 run_at_start=False, verbose_mode=0, quiet_mode=False):
+    ]
+
+    def __init__(self,
+                 files,
+                 excludes,
+                 command,
+                 recursive=False,
+                 run_once=False,
+                 run_at_start=False,
+                 verbose_mode=0,
+                 quiet_mode=False):
         self.files = files
         paths = {}
         for f in files:
@@ -70,7 +77,9 @@ def __init__(self, files, command, recursive=False, run_once=False,
         self.verbose_mode = verbose_mode
         self.quiet_mode = quiet_mode
         self.process_env = os.environ.copy()
-
+        self.excludes.extend(excludes)
+        self.exclude = re.compile(r'|'.join(
+            r'(.+/)?' + a for a in self.excludes))
         self.observer = Observer(timeout=0.1)
 
         for p in self.paths:
@@ -82,10 +91,10 @@ def __init__(self, files, command, recursive=False, run_once=False,
                 p = os.path.dirname(p)
                 self.observer.schedule(self, p)
 
-
     def run_command(self, thefile):
         if self.run_once:
-            if os.path.exists(thefile) and os.path.getmtime(thefile) < self.last_run:
+            if os.path.exists(
+                    thefile) and os.path.getmtime(thefile) < self.last_run:
                 return
         new_command = []
         for item in self.command:
@@ -93,16 +102,21 @@ def run_command(self, thefile):
         now = datetime.now()
         print_message = ''
         if self.verbose_mode > 0:
-            print_message = "'" + thefile + "' " + re.sub(r'^[^_]+_', '', self.get_envvar('event'))
+            print_message = "'" + thefile + "' " + re.sub(
+                r'^[^_]+_', '', self.get_envvar('event'))
         if self.verbose_mode > 1:
             print_message += ' at ' + now.strftime('%F %T')
         if self.verbose_mode > 2:
-            print_message += '.' + now.strftime('%f') + ", running '" + ' '.join(self.command) + "'"
+            print_message += '.' + now.strftime(
+                '%f') + ", running '" + ' '.join(self.command) + "'"
         if print_message:
             print('==> ' + print_message + ' <==')
         self.set_envvar('file', thefile)
         stdout = open(os.devnull, 'wb') if self.quiet_mode else None
-        subprocess.call(new_command, shell=(len(new_command) == 1), env=self.process_env, stdout=stdout)
+        subprocess.call(new_command,
+                        shell=(len(new_command) == 1),
+                        env=self.process_env,
+                        stdout=stdout)
         self.last_run = time.time()
 
     def is_interested(self, path):
@@ -185,6 +199,7 @@ def main():
 
     files = []
     command = []
+    excludes = []
     recursive = False
     verbose_mode = 0
     run_once = False
@@ -236,9 +251,10 @@ def main():
     else:
         if verbose_mode:
             print("When '%s' changes, run '%s'" % (files[0], print_command))
-
-    wc = WhenChanged(files, command, recursive, run_once, run_at_start,
-                     verbose_mode, quiet_mode)
+    excludes = [f.lstrip('-') for f in files if f.startswith('-')]
+    files = [f for f in files if not f.startswith('-')]
+    wc = WhenChanged(files, excludes, command, recursive, run_once,
+                     run_at_start, verbose_mode, quiet_mode)
 
     try:
         wc.run()