diff --git a/spring-boot-actuator/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/SpringApplicationHierarchyTests.java b/spring-boot-actuator/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/SpringApplicationHierarchyTests.java
index 61f6a7b54fc..85c895c552a 100644
--- a/spring-boot-actuator/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/SpringApplicationHierarchyTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-actuator/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/actuate/autoconfigure/SpringApplicationHierarchyTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2014 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2015 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import org.junit.After;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.EnableAutoConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.data.elasticsearch.ElasticsearchRepositoriesAutoConfiguration;
-import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.elasticsearch.ElasticsearchAutoConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.elasticsearch.ElasticsearchDataAutoConfiguration;
 import org.springframework.boot.builder.SpringApplicationBuilder;
 import org.springframework.boot.test.ApplicationContextTestUtils;
@@ -53,17 +52,18 @@ public class SpringApplicationHierarchyTests {
 				"--server.port=0");
 	}
 
-	@EnableAutoConfiguration(exclude = { ElasticsearchAutoConfiguration.class,
+	@EnableAutoConfiguration(exclude = {
 			ElasticsearchDataAutoConfiguration.class,
-			ElasticsearchRepositoriesAutoConfiguration.class })
+			ElasticsearchRepositoriesAutoConfiguration.class},
+			excludeName = {"org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.elasticsearch.ElasticsearchAutoConfiguration"})
 	public static class Child {
 	}
 
-	@EnableAutoConfiguration(exclude = { JolokiaAutoConfiguration.class,
+	@EnableAutoConfiguration(exclude = {JolokiaAutoConfiguration.class,
 			EndpointMBeanExportAutoConfiguration.class,
-			ElasticsearchAutoConfiguration.class,
 			ElasticsearchDataAutoConfiguration.class,
-			ElasticsearchRepositoriesAutoConfiguration.class })
+			ElasticsearchRepositoriesAutoConfiguration.class},
+			excludeName = {"org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.elasticsearch.ElasticsearchAutoConfiguration"})
 	public static class Parent {
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/EnableAutoConfiguration.java b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/EnableAutoConfiguration.java
index b042821a1bc..e1a5b07a6fb 100644
--- a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/EnableAutoConfiguration.java
+++ b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/EnableAutoConfiguration.java
@@ -43,8 +43,9 @@ import org.springframework.core.io.support.SpringFactoriesLoader;
  * <p>
  * Auto-configuration tries to be as intelligent as possible and will back-away as you
  * define more of your own configuration. You can always manually {@link #exclude()} any
- * configuration that you never want to apply. Auto-configuration is always applied after
- * user-defined beans have been registered.
+ * configuration that you never want to apply (use {@link #excludeName()} if you don't
+ * have access to them). Auto-configuration is always applied after user-defined beans
+ * have been registered.
  * <p>
  * The package of the class that is annotated with {@code @EnableAutoConfiguration} has
  * specific significance and is often used as a 'default'. For example, it will be used
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ import org.springframework.core.io.support.SpringFactoriesLoader;
  * {@link ConditionalOnMissingBean @ConditionalOnMissingBean} annotations).
  *
  * @author Phillip Webb
+ * @author Stephane Nicoll
  * @see ConditionalOnBean
  * @see ConditionalOnMissingBean
  * @see ConditionalOnClass
@@ -78,4 +80,11 @@ public @interface EnableAutoConfiguration {
 	 */
 	Class<?>[] exclude() default {};
 
+	/**
+	 * Exclude specific auto-configuration class names such that they will never be
+	 * applied.
+	 * @return the class names to exclude
+	 */
+	String[] excludeName() default {};
+
 }
diff --git a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/EnableAutoConfigurationImportSelector.java b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/EnableAutoConfigurationImportSelector.java
index 7388d0cdc18..633faa27b44 100644
--- a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/EnableAutoConfigurationImportSelector.java
+++ b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/EnableAutoConfigurationImportSelector.java
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import org.springframework.util.Assert;
  *
  * @author Phillip Webb
  * @author Andy Wilkinson
+ * @author Stephane Nicoll
  * @see EnableAutoConfiguration
  */
 @Order(Ordered.LOWEST_PRECEDENCE)
@@ -73,9 +74,8 @@ class EnableAutoConfigurationImportSelector implements DeferredImportSelector,
 							this.beanClassLoader)));
 
 			// Remove those specifically disabled
-			List<String> excluded = Arrays.asList(attributes.getStringArray("exclude"));
-			factories.removeAll(excluded);
-			ConditionEvaluationReport.get(this.beanFactory).recordExclusions(excluded);
+			exclude(Arrays.asList(attributes.getStringArray("exclude")), factories);
+			exclude(Arrays.asList(attributes.getStringArray("excludeName")), factories);
 
 			// Sort
 			factories = new AutoConfigurationSorter(this.resourceLoader)
@@ -88,6 +88,11 @@ class EnableAutoConfigurationImportSelector implements DeferredImportSelector,
 		}
 	}
 
+	private void exclude(List<String> excluded, List<String> factories) {
+		factories.removeAll(excluded);
+		ConditionEvaluationReport.get(this.beanFactory).recordExclusions(excluded);
+	}
+
 	@Override
 	public void setBeanClassLoader(ClassLoader classLoader) {
 		this.beanClassLoader = classLoader;
diff --git a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/SpringBootApplication.java b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/SpringBootApplication.java
index 34f31b435e5..250bb493437 100644
--- a/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/SpringBootApplication.java
+++ b/spring-boot-autoconfigure/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/autoconfigure/SpringBootApplication.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
  * {@code @EnableAutoConfiguration} and {@code @ComponentScan}.
  *
  * @author Phillip Webb
+ * @author Stephane Nicoll
  * @since 1.2.0
  */
 @Target(ElementType.TYPE)
@@ -52,4 +53,11 @@ public @interface SpringBootApplication {
 	 */
 	Class<?>[] exclude() default {};
 
+	/**
+	 * Exclude specific auto-configuration class names such that they will never be
+	 * applied.
+	 * @return the class names to exclude
+	 */
+	String[] excludeName() default {};
+
 }