diff --git a/law/contrib/arc/workflow.py b/law/contrib/arc/workflow.py
index 90082bb9..276b6688 100644
--- a/law/contrib/arc/workflow.py
+++ b/law/contrib/arc/workflow.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def create_job_file(self, job_num, branches):
         proxy_cmd = ProxyCommand(
             task.as_branch(branches[0]),
             exclude_task_args=exclude_args,
-            exclude_global_args=["workers", "local-scheduler"],
+            exclude_global_args=["workers", "local-scheduler", task.task_family + "-*"],
         )
         if task.arc_use_local_scheduler():
             proxy_cmd.add_arg("--local-scheduler", "True", overwrite=True)
diff --git a/law/contrib/cms/workflow.py b/law/contrib/cms/workflow.py
index cf046c7b..5a3b5921 100644
--- a/law/contrib/cms/workflow.py
+++ b/law/contrib/cms/workflow.py
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ def create_job_file(self, submit_jobs):
         proxy_cmd = ProxyCommand(
             task.as_branch(),
             exclude_task_args=exclude_args,
-            exclude_global_args=["workers"],
+            exclude_global_args=["workers", task.task_family + "-*"],
         )
         proxy_cmd.add_arg("--local-scheduler", "True", overwrite=True)
         for key, value in OrderedDict(task.crab_cmdline_args()).items():
diff --git a/law/contrib/glite/workflow.py b/law/contrib/glite/workflow.py
index 3343fba8..fe8c7cbf 100644
--- a/law/contrib/glite/workflow.py
+++ b/law/contrib/glite/workflow.py
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ def create_job_file(self, job_num, branches):
         proxy_cmd = ProxyCommand(
             task.as_branch(branches[0]),
             exclude_task_args=exclude_args,
-            exclude_global_args=["workers", "local-scheduler"],
+            exclude_global_args=["workers", "local-scheduler", task.task_family + "-*"],
         )
         if task.glite_use_local_scheduler():
             proxy_cmd.add_arg("--local-scheduler", "True", overwrite=True)
diff --git a/law/contrib/htcondor/workflow.py b/law/contrib/htcondor/workflow.py
index 360e8c88..c694ddd3 100644
--- a/law/contrib/htcondor/workflow.py
+++ b/law/contrib/htcondor/workflow.py
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ def create_job_file(self, job_num, branches):
         proxy_cmd = ProxyCommand(
             task.as_branch(branches[0]),
             exclude_task_args=exclude_args,
-            exclude_global_args=["workers", "local-scheduler"],
+            exclude_global_args=["workers", "local-scheduler", task.task_family + "-*"],
         )
         if task.htcondor_use_local_scheduler():
             proxy_cmd.add_arg("--local-scheduler", "True", overwrite=True)
diff --git a/law/contrib/lsf/workflow.py b/law/contrib/lsf/workflow.py
index c83b2bd8..5e4f4c2f 100644
--- a/law/contrib/lsf/workflow.py
+++ b/law/contrib/lsf/workflow.py
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ def create_job_file(self, job_num, branches):
         proxy_cmd = ProxyCommand(
             task.as_branch(branches[0]),
             exclude_task_args=exclude_args,
-            exclude_global_args=["workers", "local-scheduler"],
+            exclude_global_args=["workers", "local-scheduler", task.task_family + "-*"],
         )
         if task.lsf_use_local_scheduler():
             proxy_cmd.add_arg("--local-scheduler", "True", overwrite=True)
diff --git a/law/contrib/slurm/workflow.py b/law/contrib/slurm/workflow.py
index 6cc5b560..a77c91d8 100644
--- a/law/contrib/slurm/workflow.py
+++ b/law/contrib/slurm/workflow.py
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ def create_job_file(self, job_num, branches):
         proxy_cmd = ProxyCommand(
             task.as_branch(branches[0]),
             exclude_task_args=exclude_args,
-            exclude_global_args=["workers", "local-scheduler"],
+            exclude_global_args=["workers", "local-scheduler", task.task_family + "-*"],
         )
         if task.slurm_use_local_scheduler():
             proxy_cmd.add_arg("--local-scheduler", "True", overwrite=True)
diff --git a/law/parser.py b/law/parser.py
index 00cf0ca6..4662c112 100644
--- a/law/parser.py
+++ b/law/parser.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 import luigi
 
 from law.logger import get_logger
+from law.util import multi_match
 
 
 logger = get_logger(__name__)
@@ -152,10 +153,11 @@ def global_cmdline_args(exclude=None):
     if exclude:
         args = OrderedDict(args)
 
-        for key in exclude:
-            if not key.startswith("--"):
-                key = "--" + key.lstrip("-")
-            args.pop(key, None)
+        # treat arguments in exclude as patterns
+        _exclude = ["--" + pattern.lstrip("-") for pattern in exclude]
+        for arg in list(args.keys()):
+            if multi_match(arg, _exclude, mode=any):
+                args.pop(arg)
 
     return args