diff --git a/cli/args/mod.rs b/cli/args/mod.rs
index 6366ce2603..dd9ae36e3b 100644
--- a/cli/args/mod.rs
+++ b/cli/args/mod.rs
@@ -311,6 +311,23 @@ fn resolve_fmt_options(
   options
 }
 
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default)]
+pub struct CheckOptions {
+  pub exclude: Vec<PathBuf>,
+}
+
+impl CheckOptions {
+  pub fn resolve(
+    maybe_files_config: Option<FilesConfig>,
+  ) -> Result<Self, AnyError> {
+    Ok(Self {
+      exclude: expand_globs(
+        maybe_files_config.map(|c| c.exclude).unwrap_or_default(),
+      )?,
+    })
+  }
+}
+
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct TestOptions {
   pub files: FilesConfig,
@@ -1182,6 +1199,16 @@ impl CliOptions {
     LintOptions::resolve(maybe_lint_config, Some(lint_flags))
   }
 
+  pub fn resolve_check_options(&self) -> Result<CheckOptions, AnyError> {
+    let maybe_files_config = if let Some(config_file) = &self.maybe_config_file
+    {
+      config_file.to_files_config()?
+    } else {
+      None
+    };
+    CheckOptions::resolve(maybe_files_config)
+  }
+
   pub fn resolve_test_options(
     &self,
     test_flags: TestFlags,
diff --git a/cli/module_loader.rs b/cli/module_loader.rs
index 445cf4902d..f795761086 100644
--- a/cli/module_loader.rs
+++ b/cli/module_loader.rs
@@ -224,10 +224,7 @@ impl ModuleLoadPreparer {
   ) -> Result<(), AnyError> {
     let lib = self.options.ts_type_lib_window();
 
-    let specifiers = files
-      .iter()
-      .map(|file| resolve_url_or_path(file, self.options.initial_cwd()))
-      .collect::<Result<Vec<_>, _>>()?;
+    let specifiers = self.collect_specifiers(files);
     self
       .prepare_module_load(
         specifiers,
@@ -237,6 +234,30 @@ impl ModuleLoadPreparer {
       )
       .await
   }
+
+  fn collect_specifiers(&self, files: &[String]) -> Vec<ModuleSpecifier> {
+    let excludes = match self.options.resolve_check_options() {
+      Ok(o) => o.exclude,
+      Err(_) => vec![],
+    };
+    files
+      .iter()
+      .filter_map(|file| {
+        let file_url =
+          resolve_url_or_path(file, self.options.initial_cwd()).ok()?;
+        if file_url.scheme() != "file" {
+          return Some(file_url);
+        }
+        // ignore local files that match any of files listed in `exclude` option
+        let file_path = file_url.to_file_path().ok()?;
+        if excludes.iter().any(|e| file_path.starts_with(e)) {
+          None
+        } else {
+          Some(file_url)
+        }
+      })
+      .collect::<Vec<_>>()
+  }
 }
 
 pub struct ModuleCodeSource {
diff --git a/cli/tests/integration/check_tests.rs b/cli/tests/integration/check_tests.rs
index fb699072e5..36b80149d4 100644
--- a/cli/tests/integration/check_tests.rs
+++ b/cli/tests/integration/check_tests.rs
@@ -133,6 +133,34 @@ itest!(check_deno_unstable_from_config {
   output_str: Some(""),
 });
 
+itest!(check_with_exclude_option_by_dir {
+  args:
+    "check --quiet --config check/exclude_option/deno.exclude_dir.json check/exclude_option/ignored/index.ts",
+  output_str: Some(""),
+  exit_code: 0,
+});
+
+itest!(check_with_exclude_option_by_glob {
+  args:
+    "check --quiet --config check/exclude_option/deno.exclude_glob.json check/exclude_option/ignored/index.ts",
+  output_str: Some(""),
+  exit_code: 0,
+});
+
+itest!(check_without_exclude_option {
+  args:
+    "check --quiet --config check/exclude_option/deno.json check/exclude_option/ignored/index.ts",
+  output: "check/exclude_option/exclude_option.ts.error.out",
+  exit_code: 1,
+});
+
+itest!(check_imported_files_listed_in_exclude_option {
+  args:
+    "check --quiet --config check/exclude_option/deno.exclude_dir.json check/exclude_option/index.ts",
+  output: "check/exclude_option/exclude_option.ts.error.out",
+  exit_code: 1,
+});
+
 #[test]
 fn cache_switching_config_then_no_config() {
   let context = TestContext::default();
diff --git a/cli/tests/testdata/check/exclude_option/deno.exclude_dir.json b/cli/tests/testdata/check/exclude_option/deno.exclude_dir.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2019f8953d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/tests/testdata/check/exclude_option/deno.exclude_dir.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+  "exclude": [
+    "ignored"
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/cli/tests/testdata/check/exclude_option/deno.exclude_glob.json b/cli/tests/testdata/check/exclude_option/deno.exclude_glob.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1d203ba089
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/tests/testdata/check/exclude_option/deno.exclude_glob.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+  "exclude": [
+    "ignored/**/*"
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/cli/tests/testdata/check/exclude_option/deno.json b/cli/tests/testdata/check/exclude_option/deno.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a9eca74ca4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/tests/testdata/check/exclude_option/deno.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+  "exclude": []
+}
diff --git a/cli/tests/testdata/check/exclude_option/exclude_option.ts.error.out b/cli/tests/testdata/check/exclude_option/exclude_option.ts.error.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..abd1c12586
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/tests/testdata/check/exclude_option/exclude_option.ts.error.out
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+error: TS2304 [ERROR]: Cannot find name 'nothing'.
+export { nothing };
+         ~~~~~~~
+    at [WILDCARD]
diff --git a/cli/tests/testdata/check/exclude_option/ignored/index.ts b/cli/tests/testdata/check/exclude_option/ignored/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0419cf073c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/tests/testdata/check/exclude_option/ignored/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export { nothing };
diff --git a/cli/tests/testdata/check/exclude_option/index.ts b/cli/tests/testdata/check/exclude_option/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8335ca3a2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/tests/testdata/check/exclude_option/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import { nothing } from "./ignored/index.ts";
+
+const foo = 1;
+
+export { foo, nothing };