diff --git a/includes/admin/core/class-admin-metabox.php b/includes/admin/core/class-admin-metabox.php
index de4f52bf..5d53d5b6 100644
--- a/includes/admin/core/class-admin-metabox.php
+++ b/includes/admin/core/class-admin-metabox.php
@@ -1071,6 +1071,7 @@ if ( ! class_exists( 'um\admin\core\Admin_Metabox' ) ) {
 			delete_post_meta( $post_id, '_um_roles_can_search' );
 			delete_post_meta( $post_id, '_um_roles_can_filter' );
 			delete_post_meta( $post_id, '_um_show_these_users' );
+			delete_post_meta( $post_id, '_um_exclude_these_users' );
 
 			delete_post_meta( $post_id, '_um_search_filters' );
 			delete_post_meta( $post_id, '_um_search_filters_gmt' );
@@ -1082,6 +1083,10 @@ if ( ! class_exists( 'um\admin\core\Admin_Metabox' ) ) {
 					$v = preg_split( '/[\r\n]+/', $v, -1, PREG_SPLIT_NO_EMPTY );
 				}
 
+				if ( $k == '_um_exclude_these_users' && trim( $_POST['um_metadata'][ $k ] ) ) {
+					$v = preg_split( '/[\r\n]+/', $v, -1, PREG_SPLIT_NO_EMPTY );
+				}
+
 				if ( strstr( $k, '_um_' ) ) {
 
 					if ( $k === '_um_is_default' ) {
diff --git a/includes/admin/templates/directory/general.php b/includes/admin/templates/directory/general.php
index ab07126f..60a40d7d 100644
--- a/includes/admin/templates/directory/general.php
+++ b/includes/admin/templates/directory/general.php
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ if ( $show_these_users ) {
 	$show_these_users = implode( "\n", str_replace( "\r", "", $show_these_users ) );
 }
 
+$exclude_these_users = get_post_meta( get_the_ID(), '_um_exclude_these_users', true );
+if ( $exclude_these_users ) {
+	$exclude_these_users = implode( "\n", str_replace( "\r", "", $exclude_these_users ) );
+}
+
 $_um_view_types_value = get_post_meta( $post_id, '_um_view_types', true );
 $_um_view_types_value = empty( $_um_view_types_value ) ? array( 'grid', 'list' ) : $_um_view_types_value;
 
@@ -77,6 +82,12 @@ foreach ( $view_types_options as $key => $value ) {
 			'label' => __( 'Only show specific users (Enter one username per line)', 'ultimate-member' ),
 			'value' => $show_these_users,
 		),
+		array(
+			'id'    => '_um_exclude_these_users',
+			'type'  => 'textarea',
+			'label' => __( 'Exclude specific users (Enter one username per line)', 'ultimate-member' ),
+			'value' => $exclude_these_users,
+		),
 	);
 
 	/**
diff --git a/includes/class-config.php b/includes/class-config.php
index c53193d4..28382baa 100644
--- a/includes/class-config.php
+++ b/includes/class-config.php
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ if ( ! class_exists( 'um\Config' ) ) {
 				'_um_has_profile_photo'         => 0,
 				'_um_has_cover_photo'           => 0,
 				'_um_show_these_users'          => '',
+				'_um_exclude_these_users'       => '',
 
 				'_um_sortby'                    => 'user_registered_desc',
 				'_um_sortby_custom'             => '',
diff --git a/includes/core/class-member-directory.php b/includes/core/class-member-directory.php
index b6c50a2a..b6f521a2 100644
--- a/includes/core/class-member-directory.php
+++ b/includes/core/class-member-directory.php
@@ -1093,6 +1093,7 @@ if ( ! class_exists( 'um\core\Member_Directory' ) ) {
 			$this->show_only_with_avatar( $directory_data );
 			$this->show_only_with_cover( $directory_data );
 			$this->show_only_these_users( $directory_data );
+			$this->exclude_these_users( $directory_data );
 
 			do_action( 'um_member_directory_general_options_handle_extend', $directory_data );
 		}
@@ -1177,6 +1178,34 @@ if ( ! class_exists( 'um\core\Member_Directory' ) ) {
 		}
 
 
+		/**
+		 * Handle "Exclude specific users (Enter one username per line)" option
+		 *
+		 * @param array $directory_data
+		 */
+		function exclude_these_users( $directory_data ) {
+			if ( ! empty( $directory_data['exclude_these_users'] ) ) {
+				$exclude_these_users = maybe_unserialize( $directory_data['exclude_these_users'] );
+
+				if ( is_array( $exclude_these_users ) && ! empty( $exclude_these_users ) ) {
+
+					$users_array = array();
+
+					foreach ( $exclude_these_users as $username ) {
+						if ( false !== ( $exists_id = username_exists( $username ) ) ) {
+							$users_array[] = $exists_id;
+						}
+					}
+
+					if ( ! empty( $users_array ) ) {
+						$this->query_args['exclude'] = $users_array;
+					}
+
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+
 		/**
 		 * Handle "Pagination Options" metabox settings
 		 *