diff --git a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/clirr/AbstractClirrMojo.java b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/clirr/AbstractClirrMojo.java
index 5d287f4..08291c0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/clirr/AbstractClirrMojo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/clirr/AbstractClirrMojo.java
@@ -185,6 +185,15 @@ public abstract class AbstractClirrMojo
      */
     protected String[] excludes;
 
+    /**
+     * A list of annotations marking special classes and interfaces to be excluded from comparison.
+     * Classes annotated with these annotations are excluded from the list of classes that are included.
+     * Values are specified in class name notation, e.g. <code>java.lang.Deprecated</code>.
+     *
+     * @parameter
+     */
+    protected String[] excludeAnnotated;
+
     /**
      * A list of differences reported by Clirr that should be ignored when producing the final report.
      * Values specified here will be joined with the ones specified using the "ignoredDifferencesFile"
@@ -258,7 +267,7 @@ protected ClirrDiffListener executeClirr( Severity minSeverity )
     {
         ClirrDiffListener listener = new ClirrDiffListener();
 
-        ClassFilter classFilter = new ClirrClassFilter( includes, excludes );
+        ClassFilter classFilter = new ClirrClassFilter( includes, excludes, excludeAnnotated );
 
         JavaType[] origClasses = resolvePreviousReleaseClasses( classFilter );
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/clirr/ClirrArbitraryCheckMojo.java b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/clirr/ClirrArbitraryCheckMojo.java
index 90eb98f..71be590 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/clirr/ClirrArbitraryCheckMojo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/clirr/ClirrArbitraryCheckMojo.java
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ protected ClirrDiffListener executeClirr( Severity minSeverity )
     {
         ClirrDiffListener listener = new ClirrDiffListener();
 
-        ClassFilter classFilter = new ClirrClassFilter( includes, excludes );
+        ClassFilter classFilter = new ClirrClassFilter( includes, excludes, excludeAnnotated );
 
         JavaType[] origClasses = resolveClasses( oldComparisonArtifacts, classFilter );
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/clirr/ClirrClassFilter.java b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/clirr/ClirrClassFilter.java
index 9ff8587..c5bd5c9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/clirr/ClirrClassFilter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/mojo/clirr/ClirrClassFilter.java
@@ -16,10 +16,12 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import net.sf.clirr.core.ClassFilter;
+import org.apache.bcel.classfile.AnnotationEntry;
 import org.apache.bcel.classfile.JavaClass;
 import org.codehaus.plexus.util.SelectorUtils;
 
+import net.sf.clirr.core.ClassFilter;
+
 /**
  * Filter classes by pattern sets.
  *
@@ -32,9 +34,16 @@ public class ClirrClassFilter
 
     private final String[] includes;
 
+    private final String[] excludeAnnotated;
+
     private boolean alwaysTrue;
 
     public ClirrClassFilter( String[] includes, String[] excludes )
+    {
+        this( includes, excludes, null );
+    }
+
+    public ClirrClassFilter( String[] includes, String[] excludes, String[] excludeAnnotated )
     {
         if ( excludes == null || excludes.length == 0 )
         {
@@ -58,6 +67,18 @@ public ClirrClassFilter( String[] includes, String[] excludes )
         {
             this.includes = (String[]) includes.clone();
         }
+
+        if ( excludeAnnotated == null || excludeAnnotated.length == 0 )
+        {
+            this.excludeAnnotated = null;
+        }
+        else {
+            this.excludeAnnotated = new String[excludeAnnotated.length];
+            for (int i = 0; i < excludeAnnotated.length; i++)
+            {
+                this.excludeAnnotated[i] = "L" + excludeAnnotated[i].replace( '.', '/' ) + ";";
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     public boolean isSelected( JavaClass javaClass )
@@ -82,6 +103,26 @@ public boolean isSelected( JavaClass javaClass )
                     result = !SelectorUtils.matchPath( excludes[i], path );
                 }
             }
+
+            if (excludeAnnotated != null)
+            {
+                final AnnotationEntry[] annotationEntries = javaClass.getAnnotationEntries();
+                if (annotationEntries != null)
+                {
+                    for (AnnotationEntry annotationEntry : annotationEntries)
+                    {
+                        final String annotationType = annotationEntry.getAnnotationType();
+                        for ( String annotated: excludeAnnotated )
+                        {
+                            if ( annotationType.equals(annotated) )
+                            {
+                                return false;
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
         }
 
         return result;