diff --git a/obs-service-tar_scm.changes b/obs-service-tar_scm.changes
index 64925e8..809c5d8 100644
--- a/obs-service-tar_scm.changes
+++ b/obs-service-tar_scm.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Thu Dec 30 12:41:57 UTC 2010 - adrian@suse.de
+
+- add option exclude files/directories when creating the tar ball
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Wed Dec  8 06:29:42 UTC 2010 - wr@rosenauer.org
 
diff --git a/tar_scm b/tar_scm
index d2dfeea..957461c 100644
--- a/tar_scm
+++ b/tar_scm
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ while test $# -gt 0; do
       MYPREFIX="$2"
       shift
     ;;
+    *-exclude)
+      EXCLUDES="$EXCLUDES --exclude=\'${2#/}\'"
+      shift
+    ;;
     *-filename)
       MYFILENAME="${2#/}"
       shift
@@ -216,7 +220,7 @@ fi
 
 mv "$FILE/$SUBDIR" "${FILE}-${VERSION}" || exit 1
 
-tar cf "$MYOUTDIR/${FILE}-${VERSION}.tar" "${FILE}-${VERSION}" || exit 1
+tar cf "$MYOUTDIR/${FILE}-${VERSION}.tar" $EXCLUDES "${FILE}-${VERSION}" || exit 1
 rm -rf "${FILE}-${VERSION}"
 
 exit 0
diff --git a/tar_scm.service b/tar_scm.service
index ed572a7..7cf1344 100644
--- a/tar_scm.service
+++ b/tar_scm.service
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@
   <parameter name="filename">
     <description>base file name to be created</description>
   </parameter>
+  <parameter name="exclude">
+    <description>for sepcifing excludes when creating the tar ball</description>
+  </parameter>
   <parameter name="version">
     <description>version to be used in tar</description>
   </parameter>