diff --git a/.golangci.reference.yml b/.golangci.reference.yml
index 9cd3507b5389..7a19108cc92b 100644
--- a/.golangci.reference.yml
+++ b/.golangci.reference.yml
@@ -2331,6 +2331,13 @@ issues:
         - dupl
         - gosec
 
+
+    # Run some linter only for test files by excluding its issues
+    # for everything else.
+    - path-except: _test\.go
+      linters:
+        - forbidigo
+
     # Exclude known linters from partially hard-vendored code,
     # which is impossible to exclude via `nolint` comments.
     # `/` will be replaced by current OS file path separator to properly work on Windows.
diff --git a/docs/src/docs/usage/false-positives.mdx b/docs/src/docs/usage/false-positives.mdx
index fe94197a14ef..39fd61141349 100644
--- a/docs/src/docs/usage/false-positives.mdx
+++ b/docs/src/docs/usage/false-positives.mdx
@@ -81,6 +81,18 @@ issues:
         - goconst
 ```
 
+The opposite, excluding reports *except* for specific paths, is also possible.
+In the following example, only test files get checked:
+
+```yml
+issues:
+  exclude-rules:
+    - path-except: '(.+)_test\.go'
+      linters:
+        - funlen
+        - goconst
+```
+
 In the following example, all the reports related to the files (`skip-files`) are excluded:
 
 ```yml
diff --git a/pkg/config/issues.go b/pkg/config/issues.go
index b2437ec97471..54793625944f 100644
--- a/pkg/config/issues.go
+++ b/pkg/config/issues.go
@@ -125,21 +125,25 @@ type ExcludeRule struct {
 	BaseRule `mapstructure:",squash"`
 }
 
-func (e ExcludeRule) Validate() error {
+func (e *ExcludeRule) Validate() error {
 	return e.BaseRule.Validate(excludeRuleMinConditionsCount)
 }
 
 type BaseRule struct {
 	Linters []string
 	Path    string
+	PathExcept string `mapstructure:"path-except"`
 	Text    string
 	Source  string
 }
 
-func (b BaseRule) Validate(minConditionsCount int) error {
+func (b *BaseRule) Validate(minConditionsCount int) error {
 	if err := validateOptionalRegex(b.Path); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("invalid path regex: %v", err)
 	}
+	if err := validateOptionalRegex(b.PathExcept); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid path-except regex: %v", err)
+	}
 	if err := validateOptionalRegex(b.Text); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("invalid text regex: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -150,7 +154,11 @@ func (b BaseRule) Validate(minConditionsCount int) error {
 	if len(b.Linters) > 0 {
 		nonBlank++
 	}
-	if b.Path != "" {
+	// Filtering by path counts as one condition, regardless how it is done
+	// (one or both). Otherwise a rule with Path and PathExcept set would
+	// pass validation whereas before the introduction of path-except that
+	// would't have been precise enough.
+	if b.Path != "" || b.PathExcept != "" {
 		nonBlank++
 	}
 	if b.Text != "" {
@@ -160,7 +168,7 @@ func (b BaseRule) Validate(minConditionsCount int) error {
 		nonBlank++
 	}
 	if nonBlank < minConditionsCount {
-		return fmt.Errorf("at least %d of (text, source, path, linters) should be set", minConditionsCount)
+		return fmt.Errorf("at least %d of (text, source, [not-]path,  linters) should be set", minConditionsCount)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/lint/runner.go b/pkg/lint/runner.go
index b11804388e04..8aec00861e88 100644
--- a/pkg/lint/runner.go
+++ b/pkg/lint/runner.go
@@ -279,6 +279,7 @@ func getExcludeRulesProcessor(cfg *config.Issues, log logutils.Log, files *fsuti
 				Text:    r.Text,
 				Source:  r.Source,
 				Path:    r.Path,
+				PathExcept: r.PathExcept,
 				Linters: r.Linters,
 			},
 		})
@@ -322,6 +323,7 @@ func getSeverityRulesProcessor(cfg *config.Severity, log logutils.Log, files *fs
 				Text:    r.Text,
 				Source:  r.Source,
 				Path:    r.Path,
+				PathExcept: r.PathExcept,
 				Linters: r.Linters,
 			},
 		})
diff --git a/pkg/result/processors/base_rule.go b/pkg/result/processors/base_rule.go
index eaed829a77da..e6c0b426adfb 100644
--- a/pkg/result/processors/base_rule.go
+++ b/pkg/result/processors/base_rule.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ type BaseRule struct {
 	Text    string
 	Source  string
 	Path    string
+	PathExcept string
 	Linters []string
 }
 
@@ -19,11 +20,12 @@ type baseRule struct {
 	text    *regexp.Regexp
 	source  *regexp.Regexp
 	path    *regexp.Regexp
+	pathExcept *regexp.Regexp
 	linters []string
 }
 
 func (r *baseRule) isEmpty() bool {
-	return r.text == nil && r.source == nil && r.path == nil && len(r.linters) == 0
+	return r.text == nil && r.source == nil && r.path == nil && r.pathExcept == nil && len(r.linters) == 0
 }
 
 func (r *baseRule) match(issue *result.Issue, files *fsutils.Files, log logutils.Log) bool {
@@ -36,6 +38,9 @@ func (r *baseRule) match(issue *result.Issue, files *fsutils.Files, log logutils
 	if r.path != nil && !r.path.MatchString(files.WithPathPrefix(issue.FilePath())) {
 		return false
 	}
+	if r.pathExcept != nil && r.pathExcept.MatchString(issue.FilePath()) {
+		return false
+	}
 	if len(r.linters) != 0 && !r.matchLinter(issue) {
 		return false
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/result/processors/exclude_rules.go b/pkg/result/processors/exclude_rules.go
index 42a24f64e1ab..2f7e30b430f2 100644
--- a/pkg/result/processors/exclude_rules.go
+++ b/pkg/result/processors/exclude_rules.go
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ func createRules(rules []ExcludeRule, prefix string) []excludeRule {
 			path := fsutils.NormalizePathInRegex(rule.Path)
 			parsedRule.path = regexp.MustCompile(path)
 		}
+		if rule.PathExcept != "" {
+			pathExcept := fsutils.NormalizePathInRegex(rule.PathExcept)
+			parsedRule.pathExcept = regexp.MustCompile(pathExcept)
+		}
 		parsedRules = append(parsedRules, parsedRule)
 	}
 	return parsedRules
diff --git a/pkg/result/processors/exclude_rules_test.go b/pkg/result/processors/exclude_rules_test.go
index d668f09345e9..a2ef203aa56f 100644
--- a/pkg/result/processors/exclude_rules_test.go
+++ b/pkg/result/processors/exclude_rules_test.go
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@ func TestExcludeRulesMultiple(t *testing.T) {
 				Path: `_test\.go`,
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			BaseRule: BaseRule{
+				Text:    "^nontestonly$",
+				PathExcept: `_test\.go`,
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			BaseRule: BaseRule{
 				Source:  "^//go:generate ",
@@ -42,6 +48,7 @@ func TestExcludeRulesMultiple(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}, files, nil)
 
+	//nolint:dupl
 	cases := []issueTestCase{
 		{Path: "e.go", Text: "exclude", Linter: "linter"},
 		{Path: "e.go", Text: "some", Linter: "linter"},
@@ -49,6 +56,8 @@ func TestExcludeRulesMultiple(t *testing.T) {
 		{Path: "e_Test.go", Text: "normal", Linter: "testlinter"},
 		{Path: "e_test.go", Text: "another", Linter: "linter"},
 		{Path: "e_test.go", Text: "testonly", Linter: "linter"},
+		{Path: "e.go", Text: "nontestonly", Linter: "linter"},
+		{Path: "e_test.go", Text: "nontestonly", Linter: "linter"},
 		{Path: filepath.Join("testdata", "exclude_rules.go"), Line: 3, Linter: "lll"},
 	}
 	var issues []result.Issue
@@ -69,6 +78,7 @@ func TestExcludeRulesMultiple(t *testing.T) {
 		{Path: "e.go", Text: "some", Linter: "linter"},
 		{Path: "e_Test.go", Text: "normal", Linter: "testlinter"},
 		{Path: "e_test.go", Text: "another", Linter: "linter"},
+		{Path: "e_test.go", Text: "nontestonly", Linter: "linter"},
 	}
 	assert.Equal(t, expectedCases, resultingCases)
 }
@@ -172,6 +182,7 @@ func TestExcludeRulesCaseSensitiveMultiple(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}, files, nil)
 
+	//nolint:dupl
 	cases := []issueTestCase{
 		{Path: "e.go", Text: "exclude", Linter: "linter"},
 		{Path: "e.go", Text: "excLude", Linter: "linter"},
diff --git a/pkg/result/processors/severity_rules.go b/pkg/result/processors/severity_rules.go
index 8174ae8c23c2..0a4a643b7120 100644
--- a/pkg/result/processors/severity_rules.go
+++ b/pkg/result/processors/severity_rules.go
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@ func createSeverityRules(rules []SeverityRule, prefix string) []severityRule {
 			path := fsutils.NormalizePathInRegex(rule.Path)
 			parsedRule.path = regexp.MustCompile(path)
 		}
+		if rule.PathExcept != "" {
+			pathExcept := fsutils.NormalizePathInRegex(rule.PathExcept)
+			parsedRule.pathExcept = regexp.MustCompile(pathExcept)
+		}
 		parsedRules = append(parsedRules, parsedRule)
 	}
 	return parsedRules
diff --git a/pkg/result/processors/severity_rules_test.go b/pkg/result/processors/severity_rules_test.go
index 637febe2316f..34fd7621f49e 100644
--- a/pkg/result/processors/severity_rules_test.go
+++ b/pkg/result/processors/severity_rules_test.go
@@ -39,6 +39,13 @@ func TestSeverityRulesMultiple(t *testing.T) {
 				Path: `_test\.go`,
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			Severity: "info",
+			BaseRule: BaseRule{
+				Text:    "^nontestonly$",
+				PathExcept: `_test\.go`,
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			BaseRule: BaseRule{
 				Source:  "^//go:generate ",
@@ -72,6 +79,8 @@ func TestSeverityRulesMultiple(t *testing.T) {
 		{Path: "ssl.go", Text: "ssl", Linter: "gosec"},
 		{Path: "e.go", Text: "some", Linter: "linter"},
 		{Path: "e_test.go", Text: "testonly", Linter: "testlinter"},
+		{Path: "e.go", Text: "nontestonly", Linter: "testlinter"},
+		{Path: "e_test.go", Text: "nontestonly", Linter: "testlinter"},
 		{Path: filepath.Join("testdata", "exclude_rules.go"), Line: 3, Linter: "lll"},
 		{Path: filepath.Join("testdata", "severity_rules.go"), Line: 3, Linter: "invalidgo"},
 		{Path: "someotherlinter.go", Text: "someotherlinter", Linter: "someotherlinter"},
@@ -97,6 +106,8 @@ func TestSeverityRulesMultiple(t *testing.T) {
 		{Path: "ssl.go", Text: "ssl", Linter: "gosec", Severity: "info"},
 		{Path: "e.go", Text: "some", Linter: "linter", Severity: "info"},
 		{Path: "e_test.go", Text: "testonly", Linter: "testlinter", Severity: "info"},
+		{Path: "e.go", Text: "nontestonly", Linter: "testlinter", Severity: "info"},       // matched
+		{Path: "e_test.go", Text: "nontestonly", Linter: "testlinter", Severity: "error"}, // not matched
 		{Path: filepath.Join("testdata", "exclude_rules.go"), Line: 3, Linter: "lll", Severity: "error"},
 		{Path: filepath.Join("testdata", "severity_rules.go"), Line: 3, Linter: "invalidgo", Severity: "info"},
 		{Path: "someotherlinter.go", Text: "someotherlinter", Linter: "someotherlinter", Severity: "info"},
diff --git a/test/testdata/configs/forbidigo_tests.yml b/test/testdata/configs/forbidigo_tests.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..712bbd5a6013
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/testdata/configs/forbidigo_tests.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+linters-settings:
+  forbidigo:
+    forbid:
+      - fmt\.Print.*
+      - time.Sleep(# no sleeping!)?
+
+issues:
+  exclude-rules:
+    # Apply forbidigo only to test files, exclude
+    # it everywhere else.
+    - path-except: _test\.go
+      linters:
+        - forbidigo
diff --git a/test/testdata/forbidigo_exclude.go b/test/testdata/forbidigo_exclude.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..23e014cf47bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/testdata/forbidigo_exclude.go
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+//golangcitest:args -Eforbidigo
+//golangcitest:config_path testdata/configs/forbidigo_tests.yml
+//golangcitest:expected_exitcode 0
+package testdata
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func Forbidigo() {
+	fmt.Printf("too noisy!!!")
+	time.Sleep(time.Nanosecond)
+}
diff --git a/test/testdata/forbidigo_exclude_test.go b/test/testdata/forbidigo_exclude_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..73466be1b22d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/testdata/forbidigo_exclude_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+//golangcitest:args -Eforbidigo
+//golangcitest:config_path testdata/configs/forbidigo_tests.yml
+package testdata
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func TestForbidigo(t *testing.T) {
+	fmt.Printf("too noisy!!!")  // want "use of `fmt\\.Printf` forbidden by pattern `fmt\\\\.Print\\.\\*`"
+	time.Sleep(time.Nanosecond) // want "no sleeping!"
+}