diff --git a/src/helper.ts b/src/helper.ts
index 21315220..20ac886b 100644
--- a/src/helper.ts
+++ b/src/helper.ts
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ export function extractFunctionEntries(
  * @param root the root of the dependency tree
  * @param rootDeps array of top level root dependencies to whitelist
  */
-export const flatDep = (root: DependencyMap, rootDepsFilter: string[]): string[] => {
+export const flatDep = (root: DependencyMap, rootDepsFilter: string[], excludes: '*' | string[]): string[] => {
   const flattenedDependencies = new Set<string>();
 
   /**
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ export const flatDep = (root: DependencyMap, rootDepsFilter: string[]): string[]
    * @param deps the current tree
    * @param filter the dependencies to get from this tree
    */
-  const recursiveFind = (deps: DependencyMap | undefined, filter?: string[]) => {
+  const recursiveFind = (deps: DependencyMap | undefined, filter?: string[], excludes?: '*' | string[]) => {
     if (!deps) return;
 
     Object.entries(deps).forEach(([depName, details]) => {
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ export const flatDep = (root: DependencyMap, rootDepsFilter: string[]): string[]
 
       if (details.isRootDep || filter) {
         // We already have this root dep and it's dependencies - skip this iteration
-        if (flattenedDependencies.has(depName)) {
+        if (flattenedDependencies.has(depName) || (excludes && excludes !== '*' && excludes.includes(depName))) {
           return;
         }
 
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ export const flatDep = (root: DependencyMap, rootDepsFilter: string[]): string[]
     });
   };
 
-  recursiveFind(root, rootDepsFilter);
+  recursiveFind(root, rootDepsFilter, excludes);
 
   return Array.from(flattenedDependencies);
 };
diff --git a/src/pack.ts b/src/pack.ts
index 6d9af2c1..4443e142 100644
--- a/src/pack.ts
+++ b/src/pack.ts
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ export async function pack(this: EsbuildServerlessPlugin) {
       const bundleDeps = getDepsFromBundle(path.join(buildDirPath, bundlePath), isESM(buildOptions));
       const bundleExternals = intersection(bundleDeps, externals);
 
-      depWhiteList = flatDep(packagerDependenciesList.dependencies, bundleExternals);
+      depWhiteList = flatDep(packagerDependenciesList.dependencies, bundleExternals, buildOptions.exclude);
     }
 
     const zipName = `${functionAlias}.zip`;