diff --git a/src/ansiblelint/runner.py b/src/ansiblelint/runner.py
index b9c54de1ac3..5ce74f97dc2 100644
--- a/src/ansiblelint/runner.py
+++ b/src/ansiblelint/runner.py
@@ -137,6 +137,11 @@ def worker(lintable: Lintable) -> List[MatchError]:
         # update list of checked files
         self.checked_files.update([str(x.path) for x in self.lintables])
 
+        # remove any matches made inside excluded files
+        matches = list(
+            filter(lambda match: not self.is_excluded(match.filename), matches)
+        )
+
         return sorted(set(matches))
 
     def _emit_matches(self, files: List[Lintable]) -> Generator[MatchError, None, None]:
diff --git a/test/TestRunner.py b/test/TestRunner.py
index bfd604c32ec..ee612a775eb 100644
--- a/test/TestRunner.py
+++ b/test/TestRunner.py
@@ -57,6 +57,18 @@ def test_runner(default_rules_collection, playbook, exclude, length) -> None:
     assert len(matches) == length
 
 
+def test_runner_exclude_paths(default_rules_collection) -> None:
+    """Test that exclude paths do work."""
+    runner = Runner(
+        'examples/playbooks/example.yml',
+        rules=default_rules_collection,
+        exclude_paths=['examples/'],
+    )
+
+    matches = runner.run()
+    assert len(matches) == 0
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ('formatter_cls'),
     (