diff --git a/src/csync/csync_exclude.cpp b/src/csync/csync_exclude.cpp
index 37ec120072..abf63547af 100644
--- a/src/csync/csync_exclude.cpp
+++ b/src/csync/csync_exclude.cpp
@@ -257,6 +257,11 @@ void ExcludedFiles::addManualExclude(const QString &expr, const QString &basePat
 {
     Q_ASSERT(basePath.endsWith(QLatin1Char('/')));
 
+    const auto trimmedExpr = QStringView{expr}.trimmed();
+    if (trimmedExpr == QLatin1String("*")) {
+        return;
+    }
+
     auto key = basePath;
     _manualExcludes[key].append(expr);
     _allExcludes[key].append(expr);
@@ -291,8 +296,12 @@ void ExcludedFiles::loadExcludeFilePatterns(const QString &basePath, QFile &file
         }
         if (line.isEmpty() || line.startsWith('#'))
             continue;
+        QString patternStr = QString::fromUtf8(line);
+        if (QStringView{patternStr}.trimmed() == QLatin1String("*"))
+            continue;
         csync_exclude_expand_escapes(line);
-        patterns.append(QString::fromUtf8(line));
+        patternStr = QString::fromUtf8(line);
+        patterns.append(patternStr);
     }
     _allExcludes[basePath].append(patterns);
 
diff --git a/test/testexcludedfiles.cpp b/test/testexcludedfiles.cpp
index b6c85b466b..988b4f8f54 100644
--- a/test/testexcludedfiles.cpp
+++ b/test/testexcludedfiles.cpp
@@ -121,9 +121,9 @@ private slots:
     {
         setup();
         excludedFiles->addManualExclude("*", "/tmp/check_csync1/");
-        QCOMPARE(check_file_full("/tmp/check_csync1/foo"), CSYNC_FILE_EXCLUDE_LIST);
+        QCOMPARE(check_file_full("/tmp/check_csync1/foo"), CSYNC_NOT_EXCLUDED);
         QCOMPARE(check_file_full("/tmp/check_csync2/foo"), CSYNC_NOT_EXCLUDED);
-        QVERIFY(excludedFiles->_allExcludes[QStringLiteral("/tmp/check_csync1/")].contains("*"));
+        QVERIFY(!excludedFiles->_allExcludes[QStringLiteral("/tmp/check_csync1/")].contains("*"));
 
         excludedFiles->addManualExclude("foo");
         QVERIFY(excludedFiles->_fullRegexFile[QStringLiteral("/")].pattern().contains("foo"));