diff --git a/lib/trestle/admin/builder.rb b/lib/trestle/admin/builder.rb
index ce23f3ab..63009d81 100644
--- a/lib/trestle/admin/builder.rb
+++ b/lib/trestle/admin/builder.rb
@@ -49,7 +49,12 @@ def menu(*args, &block)
 
       def table(name_or_options={}, options={}, &block)
         name, options = normalize_table_options(name_or_options, options)
-        admin.tables[name] = Table::Builder.build(options, &block)
+
+        if block_given?
+          admin.tables[name] = Table::Builder.build(options, &block)
+        else
+          admin.tables[name] = Table::Automatic.new(admin, options)
+        end
       end
 
       def form(options={}, &block)
diff --git a/lib/trestle/form/automatic.rb b/lib/trestle/form/automatic.rb
index 2b00db3e..fe9e5a06 100644
--- a/lib/trestle/form/automatic.rb
+++ b/lib/trestle/form/automatic.rb
@@ -2,8 +2,11 @@ module Trestle
   class Form
     class Automatic < Form
       def initialize(admin, options={})
+        @admin = admin
+        form = self
+
         super(options) do |instance|
-          admin.default_form_attributes.each do |attribute|
+          form.attributes.each do |attribute|
             if attribute.array?
               if [:string, :text].include?(attribute.type)
                 select attribute.name, nil, {}, { multiple: true, data: { tags: true, select_on_close: true }}
@@ -46,6 +49,17 @@ def initialize(admin, options={})
           end
         end
       end
+
+      def attributes
+        @admin.default_form_attributes.reject { |attribute|
+          exclude?(attribute.name)
+        }
+      end
+
+    private
+      def exclude?(field)
+        Array(options[:exclude]).include?(field)
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/trestle/table/automatic.rb b/lib/trestle/table/automatic.rb
index 9dabed0a..14d29f67 100644
--- a/lib/trestle/table/automatic.rb
+++ b/lib/trestle/table/automatic.rb
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 module Trestle
   class Table
     class Automatic < Table
-      def initialize(admin)
-        super(sortable: true, admin: admin)
+      def initialize(admin, options={})
+        super(options.merge(sortable: true, admin: admin))
       end
 
       def columns
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ def columns
       end
 
       def content_columns
-        admin.default_table_attributes.map.with_index do |attribute, index|
+        attributes.map.with_index do |attribute, index|
           case attribute.type
           when :association
             Column.new(attribute.association_name, sort: false)
@@ -30,6 +30,17 @@ def content_columns
       def actions_column
         ActionsColumn.new
       end
+
+    private
+      def attributes
+        admin.default_table_attributes.reject { |attribute|
+          exclude?(attribute.name)
+        }
+      end
+
+      def exclude?(field)
+        Array(options[:exclude]).include?(field)
+      end
     end
   end
 end