diff --git a/command/configtype_enumer.go b/command/configtype_enumer.go
index 5d02f035855..c7a5cf52a32 100644
--- a/command/configtype_enumer.go
+++ b/command/configtype_enumer.go
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 // Code generated by "enumer -type configType -trimprefix ConfigType -transform snake"; DO NOT EDIT.
 
-//
 package command
 
 import (
diff --git a/packer/fixconfigmode_enumer.go b/packer/fixconfigmode_enumer.go
index 82b09a63399..715fa73f558 100644
--- a/packer/fixconfigmode_enumer.go
+++ b/packer/fixconfigmode_enumer.go
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 // Code generated by "enumer -type FixConfigMode"; DO NOT EDIT.
 
-//
 package packer
 
 import (
diff --git a/provisioner/file/provisioner.go b/provisioner/file/provisioner.go
index 84e9c3744fa..451a71b0052 100644
--- a/provisioner/file/provisioner.go
+++ b/provisioner/file/provisioner.go
@@ -67,6 +67,11 @@ type Config struct {
 	// the Packer run, but realize that there are situations where this may be
 	// unavoidable.
 	Generated bool `mapstructure:"generated" required:"false"`
+	// A list of files or directories to exclude from the upload. This is
+	// useful if you have a directory with many files and you only want to
+	// upload a few of them. This only works if you are uploading a directory
+	// and not a single file.
+	Excludes []string `mapstructure:"excludes" required:"false"`
 
 	ctx interpolate.Context
 }
@@ -227,7 +232,7 @@ func (p *Provisioner) ProvisionUpload(ui packersdk.Ui, comm packersdk.Communicat
 
 		// If we're uploading a directory, short circuit and do that
 		if info.IsDir() {
-			if err = comm.UploadDir(dst, src, nil); err != nil {
+			if err = comm.UploadDir(dst, src, p.config.Excludes); err != nil {
 				ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Upload failed: %s", err))
 				return err
 			}
diff --git a/provisioner/file/provisioner.hcl2spec.go b/provisioner/file/provisioner.hcl2spec.go
index 3a90f0f3fb1..d6946157430 100644
--- a/provisioner/file/provisioner.hcl2spec.go
+++ b/provisioner/file/provisioner.hcl2spec.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ type FlatConfig struct {
 	Destination         *string           `mapstructure:"destination" required:"true" cty:"destination" hcl:"destination"`
 	Direction           *string           `mapstructure:"direction" required:"false" cty:"direction" hcl:"direction"`
 	Generated           *bool             `mapstructure:"generated" required:"false" cty:"generated" hcl:"generated"`
+	Excludes            []string          `mapstructure:"excludes" required:"false" cty:"excludes" hcl:"excludes"`
 }
 
 // FlatMapstructure returns a new FlatConfig.
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ func (*FlatConfig) HCL2Spec() map[string]hcldec.Spec {
 		"destination":                &hcldec.AttrSpec{Name: "destination", Type: cty.String, Required: false},
 		"direction":                  &hcldec.AttrSpec{Name: "direction", Type: cty.String, Required: false},
 		"generated":                  &hcldec.AttrSpec{Name: "generated", Type: cty.Bool, Required: false},
+		"excludes":                   &hcldec.AttrSpec{Name: "excludes", Type: cty.List(cty.String), Required: false},
 	}
 	return s
 }
diff --git a/provisioner/powershell/executionpolicy_enumer.go b/provisioner/powershell/executionpolicy_enumer.go
index b8157b9cfc3..eac957360e8 100644
--- a/provisioner/powershell/executionpolicy_enumer.go
+++ b/provisioner/powershell/executionpolicy_enumer.go
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 // Code generated by "enumer -transform snake -trimprefix ExecutionPolicy -type ExecutionPolicy"; DO NOT EDIT.
 
-//
 package powershell
 
 import (
diff --git a/website/content/partials/provisioner/file/Config-not-required.mdx b/website/content/partials/provisioner/file/Config-not-required.mdx
index 1d30c35582e..5e5f6a51307 100644
--- a/website/content/partials/provisioner/file/Config-not-required.mdx
+++ b/website/content/partials/provisioner/file/Config-not-required.mdx
@@ -18,4 +18,9 @@
   the Packer run, but realize that there are situations where this may be
   unavoidable.
 
+- `excludes` ([]string) - A list of files or directories to exclude from the upload. This is
+  useful if you have a directory with many files and you only want to
+  upload a few of them. This only works if you are uploading a directory
+  and not a single file.
+
 <!-- End of code generated from the comments of the Config struct in provisioner/file/provisioner.go; -->