diff --git a/lsyncd.lua b/lsyncd.lua
index ee1ffe0..effef87 100644
--- a/lsyncd.lua
+++ b/lsyncd.lua
@@ -1011,7 +1011,7 @@ local Excludes = (function()
 		-- this was a ** before 
 		p = string.gsub(p, "%[%^/%]%*%[%^/%]%*", ".*") 
 		p = string.gsub(p, "^/", "^/") 
-		if p.byte(1) ~= 47 then -- does not begin with "/"
+		if p:sub(1,2) ~= "^/" then -- does not begin with "^/"
 			-- all matches should begin with "/".
 			p = "/" .. p;
 		end
diff --git a/tests/exclude.lua b/tests/exclude.lua
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..b4a9c69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/exclude.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+#!/usr/bin/lua
+require("posix")
+dofile("tests/testlib.lua")
+
+cwriteln("****************************************************************")
+cwriteln(" Testing excludes                                               ")
+cwriteln("****************************************************************")
+
+local tdir, srcdir, trgdir = mktemps()
+local logfile = tdir .. "log"
+local cfgfile = tdir .. "config.lua"
+local range = 5
+local log = {"-log", "all"}
+
+writefile(cfgfile, [[
+settings = {
+    .logfile = "]]..logfile..[[",
+    .nodaemon = true,
+	.delay = 3,
+}
+
+rsync {
+    defaults.rsync,
+	source = "]]..srcdir..[[",
+	target = "]]..trgdir..[[",
+	exclude = {
+        "erf,
+		"/eaf",
+		"erd/",
+		"/ead",
+	}
+}]]);
+
+-- writes all files
+local function writefiles() 
+	posix.mkdir(srcdir .. "d");
+	writefile(srcdir .. "erf", "erf");
+	writefile(srcdir .. "eaf", "erf");
+	writefile(srcdir .. "erd", "erd");
+	writefile(srcdir .. "ead", "ead");
+	writefile(srcdir .. "d/erf", "erf");
+	writefile(srcdir .. "d/eaf", "erf");
+	writefile(srcdir .. "d/erd", "erd");
+	writefile(srcdir .. "d/ead", "ead");
+end
+
+-- test if the filename exists, fails if this is different to expect
+local function testfile(filename, expect) 
+	local stat, err = posix.stat(filename)
+	if stat and not expect then
+		cwriteln("failure: " .. filename " .. should be excluded");
+		os.exit(1);
+	end
+	if not stat and expect then
+		cwriteln("failure: " .. filename " .. should not be excluded");
+		os.exit(1);
+	end
+end
+
+-- test all files
+local function testfiles() 
+	testfile(srcdir .. "erf", false);
+	testfile(srcdir .. "eaf", false);
+	testfile(srcdir .. "erd", true);
+	testfile(srcdir .. "ead", true);
+	testfile(srcdir .. "d/erf", false);
+	testfile(srcdir .. "d/eaf", true);
+	testfile(srcdir .. "d/erd", true);
+	testfile(srcdir .. "d/ead", true);
+end
+
+
+cwriteln("testing startup excludes");
+writefiles();
+cwriteln("starting Lsyncd");
+local pid = spawn("./lsyncd");
+cwriteln("waiting for Lsyncd to start");
+posix.sleep(3)
+cwriteln("testing excludes after startup");
+testfiles();
+cwriteln("ok, removing sources");
+if srcdir:sub(1,4) ~= "/tmp" then
+	-- just to make sure before rm -rf
+	cwriteln("exist before drama, srcdir is '", srcdir, "'");
+	os.exit(1);
+end
+os.execute("rm -rf "..srcdir.."/*");
+writeln("waiting for Lsyncd to remove destination");
+if os.execute("diff -urN "..srcdir.." "..trgdir) ~= 0 then
+	os.exit(1);
+end
+
+posix.sleep(5);
+writeln("writing files after startup");
+writefiles();
+writeln("waiting for Lsyncd to transmit changes");
+posix.sleep(5);
+testfiles();
+
+writeln("killing started Lsyncd");
+posix.kill(pid);
+local _, exitmsg, lexitcode = posix.wait(lpid);
+cwriteln("Exitcode of Lsyncd = ", exitmsg, " ", lexitcode);
+posix.sleep(1);
+if lexitcode == 0 then
+	cwriteln("OK");
+end
+os.exit(lexitcode);
+
+-- TODO remove temp
diff --git a/tests/l4rsyncdata.lua b/tests/l4rsyncdata.lua
index 9f9404f..a1c8144 100755
--- a/tests/l4rsyncdata.lua
+++ b/tests/l4rsyncdata.lua
@@ -49,6 +49,12 @@ cwriteln("Exitcode of Lsyncd = ", exitmsg, " ", lexitcode)
 posix.sleep(1)
 
 cwriteln("* differences:")
-os.execute("diff -urN "..srcdir.." "..trgdir)
+exitcode = os.execute("diff -urN "..srcdir.." "..trgdir)
+cwriteln("Exitcode of diff = '", exitcode, "'")
+if exitcode ~= 0 then
+	os.exit(1)
+else
+	os.exit(0)
+end
 
 -- TODO remove temp