diff --git a/src/main/java/me/itzg/helpers/curseforge/CurseForgeInstaller.java b/src/main/java/me/itzg/helpers/curseforge/CurseForgeInstaller.java
index f3285b81..0be70ebc 100644
--- a/src/main/java/me/itzg/helpers/curseforge/CurseForgeInstaller.java
+++ b/src/main/java/me/itzg/helpers/curseforge/CurseForgeInstaller.java
@@ -465,7 +465,27 @@ private ModPackResults processModpack(InstallContext context,
             // ...does the modpack even say it's required?
             .filter(ManifestFileRef::isRequired)
             // ...is this mod file excluded because it is a client mod that didn't declare as such
-            .filter(manifestFileRef -> !excludeIncludeIds.getExcludeIds().contains(manifestFileRef.getProjectID()))
+            .filterWhen(manifestFileRef -> {
+                final int projectID = manifestFileRef.getProjectID();
+                final boolean exclude = excludeIncludeIds.getExcludeIds().contains(projectID);
+                final boolean forceInclude = excludeIncludeIds.getForceIncludeIds().contains(projectID);
+
+                log.debug("Evaluating projectId={} with exclude={} and forceInclude={}",
+                    projectID, exclude, forceInclude
+                    );
+
+                return Mono.just(forceInclude || !exclude)
+                    .flatMap(proceed -> proceed ? Mono.just(true)
+                        : context.cfApi.getModInfo(projectID)
+                            .map(mod -> {
+                                log.info("Excluding mod file '{}' ({}) due to configuration",
+                                    mod.getName(), mod.getSlug()
+                                    );
+                                // and filter away
+                                return false;
+                            })
+                        );
+            })
             // ...download and possibly unzip world file
             .flatMap(fileRef ->
                 downloadFileFromModpack(context, outputPaths,
diff --git a/src/main/java/me/itzg/helpers/curseforge/InstallCurseForgeCommand.java b/src/main/java/me/itzg/helpers/curseforge/InstallCurseForgeCommand.java
index 95541175..c3b97cd8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/me/itzg/helpers/curseforge/InstallCurseForgeCommand.java
+++ b/src/main/java/me/itzg/helpers/curseforge/InstallCurseForgeCommand.java
@@ -1,14 +1,6 @@
 package me.itzg.helpers.curseforge;
 
-import me.itzg.helpers.files.ResultsFileWriter;
-import me.itzg.helpers.http.PathOrUri;
-import me.itzg.helpers.http.PathOrUriConverter;
-import me.itzg.helpers.http.SharedFetchArgs;
-import me.itzg.helpers.json.ObjectMappers;
-import picocli.CommandLine.ArgGroup;
-import picocli.CommandLine.Command;
-import picocli.CommandLine.ExitCode;
-import picocli.CommandLine.Option;
+import static me.itzg.helpers.http.Fetch.fetch;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
@@ -18,8 +10,15 @@
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
-
-import static me.itzg.helpers.http.Fetch.fetch;
+import me.itzg.helpers.files.ResultsFileWriter;
+import me.itzg.helpers.http.PathOrUri;
+import me.itzg.helpers.http.PathOrUriConverter;
+import me.itzg.helpers.http.SharedFetchArgs;
+import me.itzg.helpers.json.ObjectMappers;
+import picocli.CommandLine.ArgGroup;
+import picocli.CommandLine.Command;
+import picocli.CommandLine.ExitCode;
+import picocli.CommandLine.Option;
 
 @Command(name = "install-curseforge", subcommands = {
     SchemasCommand.class
@@ -90,18 +89,19 @@ static class ExcludeIncludeArgs {
                 + "See README for schema.",
             converter = PathOrUriConverter.class
         )
-        PathOrUri exludeIncludeFile;
+        PathOrUri excludeIncludeFile;
 
         static class Listed {
             @Option(names = "--exclude-mods", paramLabel = "PROJECT_ID|SLUG",
-                split = "\\s+|,", splitSynopsisLabel = ",| ",
+                split = "\\s+|,", splitSynopsisLabel = ",|<ws>",
                 description = "For mods that need to be excluded from server deployments, such as those that don't label as client"
             )
             Set<String> excludedMods;
 
             @Option(names = "--force-include-mods", paramLabel = "PROJECT_ID|SLUG",
-                split = "\\s+|,", splitSynopsisLabel = ",| ",
-                description = "Some mods incorrectly declare client-only support, but still need to be included in a server deploy"
+                split = "\\s+|,", splitSynopsisLabel = ",|<ws>",
+                description = "Some mods incorrectly declare client-only support, but still need to be included in a server deploy."
+                    + "%nThis can also be used to selectively override exclusions."
             )
             Set<String> forceIncludeMods;
 
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ public Integer call() throws Exception {
 
     private ExcludeIncludesContent loadExcludeIncludes() throws IOException {
         final ExcludeIncludesContent fromFile =
-            excludeIncludeArgs.exludeIncludeFile != null ? loadExcludeIncludesFile()
+            excludeIncludeArgs.excludeIncludeFile != null ? loadExcludeIncludesFile()
                 : null;
 
         if (excludeIncludeArgs.listed != null) {
@@ -241,14 +241,14 @@ private Set<String> mergeSets(Set<String> s1, Set<String> s2) {
     }
 
     private ExcludeIncludesContent loadExcludeIncludesFile() throws IOException {
-        if (excludeIncludeArgs.exludeIncludeFile.getPath() != null) {
+        if (excludeIncludeArgs.excludeIncludeFile.getPath() != null) {
             return ObjectMappers.defaultMapper()
-                .readValue(excludeIncludeArgs.exludeIncludeFile.getPath().toFile(),
+                .readValue(excludeIncludeArgs.excludeIncludeFile.getPath().toFile(),
                     ExcludeIncludesContent.class
                 );
         }
         else {
-            return fetch(excludeIncludeArgs.exludeIncludeFile.getUri())
+            return fetch(excludeIncludeArgs.excludeIncludeFile.getUri())
                 .toObject(ExcludeIncludesContent.class)
                 .acceptContentTypes(null)
                 .execute();