diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 314c5676..37828b5f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -157,6 +157,8 @@ After pressing <kbd>V</kbd> to enter range selection mode:
 | --json-stream           | Output results in streaming JSON format (one JSON object per line as results are found). Useful for real-time processing.                                                     |
 | -v, --version           | Show npkill version                                                                                                                                                           |
 
+When an exclusion matches a target name, such as `node_modules`, it excludes only that target directly under the starting directory. Use an absolute path to exclude a specific nested target.
+
 <a name="examples"></a>
 
 ## Examples
diff --git a/src/core/services/files/files.worker.ts b/src/core/services/files/files.worker.ts
index e1ca1975..40ab0779 100644
--- a/src/core/services/files/files.worker.ts
+++ b/src/core/services/files/files.worker.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { Dir, Dirent } from 'fs';
 import { lstat, opendir, readdir } from 'fs/promises';
 import EventEmitter from 'events';
 import { WorkerMessage, WorkerScanOptions } from './files.worker.service.js';
-import { join } from 'path';
+import { basename, isAbsolute, join, normalize } from 'path';
 import { MessagePort, parentPort } from 'node:worker_threads';
 import { EVENTS, MAX_PROCS } from '../../../constants/workers.constants.js';
 import { GLOBAL_IGNORE } from '../../constants/global-ignored.constants.js';
@@ -105,6 +105,8 @@ class FileWalker {
     targets: [''],
     exclude: [],
   };
+  private readonly excludedTargets = new Set<string>();
+  private substringExclusions: string[] = [];
 
   private readonly taskQueue: Task[] = [];
   private completedTasks = 0;
@@ -113,6 +115,22 @@ class FileWalker {
 
   setSearchConfig(params: WorkerScanOptions): void {
     this.searchConfig = params;
+    this.excludedTargets.clear();
+    this.substringExclusions = [];
+
+    for (const ex of params.exclude ?? []) {
+      const normalizedExclude = normalize(ex).replace(/[\\/]+$/, '');
+      if (params.targets.includes(normalizedExclude)) {
+        this.excludedTargets.add(join(params.rootPath, normalizedExclude));
+      } else if (
+        isAbsolute(normalizedExclude) &&
+        params.targets.includes(basename(normalizedExclude))
+      ) {
+        this.excludedTargets.add(normalizedExclude);
+      } else {
+        this.substringExclusions.push(ex);
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   stop(): void {
@@ -294,10 +312,10 @@ class FileWalker {
   }
 
   private isExcluded(path: string): boolean {
-    if (this.searchConfig.exclude == null) {
-      return false;
-    }
-    return this.searchConfig.exclude.some((ex) => path.includes(ex));
+    return (
+      this.excludedTargets.has(path) ||
+      this.substringExclusions.some((ex) => path.includes(ex))
+    );
   }
 
   private isTargetFolder(path: string): boolean {
diff --git a/tests/core/services/files/files.worker.test.ts b/tests/core/services/files/files.worker.test.ts
index e9d78df4..8bc3f520 100644
--- a/tests/core/services/files/files.worker.test.ts
+++ b/tests/core/services/files/files.worker.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { jest } from '@jest/globals';
 import EventEmitter from 'node:events';
 import { Dir } from 'node:fs';
-import { join, normalize } from 'node:path';
+import { join, normalize, resolve } from 'node:path';
 import { MessageChannel, MessagePort } from 'node:worker_threads';
 
 import { GLOBAL_IGNORE } from '../../../../src/core/constants/global-ignored.constants.js';
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ describe('FileWorker', () => {
   const setExploreConfig = (params: ScanOptions) => {
     tunnelEmitter.postMessage({
       type: EVENTS.exploreConfig,
-      value: params,
+      value: { ...params, rootPath: basePath },
     });
   };
 
@@ -230,6 +230,79 @@ describe('FileWorker', () => {
   });
 
   describe('should exclude dir', () => {
+    it('does not exclude a similarly named sibling for an absolute target path', (done) => {
+      const rootPath = resolve('scan-root');
+      tunnelEmitter.postMessage({
+        type: EVENTS.exploreConfig,
+        value: {
+          rootPath,
+          targets: [target],
+          exclude: [join(rootPath, target)],
+        },
+      });
+      dirEntriesMock = ['node_modules', 'node_modules-backup'].map((name) => ({
+        name,
+        isDirectory: () => true,
+        isSymbolicLink: () => false,
+      }));
+
+      tunnelEmitter.on('message', (message) => {
+        if (message.type === EVENTS.scanResult) {
+          expect(message.value.results).toEqual([
+            { path: join(rootPath, 'node_modules-backup'), isTarget: false },
+          ]);
+          done();
+        }
+      });
+      tunnelEmitter.postMessage({
+        type: EVENTS.explore,
+        value: { path: rootPath },
+      });
+    });
+
+    ['node_modules', './node_modules'].forEach((excluded) => {
+      it(`excludes only the root target for ${excluded}`, (done) => {
+        setExploreConfig({ targets: [target], exclude: [excluded] });
+        const directory = (name: string) => ({
+          name,
+          isDirectory: () => true,
+          isSymbolicLink: () => false,
+        });
+        dirEntriesMock = [directory('node_modules'), directory('project')];
+
+        let scans = 0;
+        tunnelEmitter.on('message', (message) => {
+          if (message.type !== EVENTS.scanResult) {
+            return;
+          }
+
+          if (scans++ === 0) {
+            expect(message.value.results).toEqual([
+              { path: join(basePath, 'project'), isTarget: false },
+            ]);
+            dirEntriesMock = [directory('node_modules')];
+            tunnelEmitter.postMessage({
+              type: EVENTS.explore,
+              value: { path: join(basePath, 'project') },
+            });
+          } else {
+            expect(message.value.results).toEqual([
+              {
+                path: join(basePath, 'project', 'node_modules'),
+                isTarget: true,
+              },
+            ]);
+            done();
+          }
+        });
+
+        tunnelEmitter.postMessage({
+          type: EVENTS.explore,
+          value: { path: basePath },
+        });
+      });
+    });
+
     it('when a simple patterns is gived', (done) => {
       const excluded = ['ignorethis', 'andignorethis'];
       setExploreConfig({