diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/controllers/users.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/controllers/users.js
index 7201957ab36..98f16cb7d8a 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/controllers/users.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/controllers/users.js
@@ -9,7 +9,15 @@ import { observes } from "discourse-common/utils/decorators";
 
 export default Controller.extend({
   application: controller(),
-  queryParams: ["period", "order", "asc", "name", "group", "exclude_usernames"],
+  queryParams: [
+    "period",
+    "order",
+    "asc",
+    "name",
+    "group",
+    "exclude_usernames",
+    "exclude_groups",
+  ],
   period: "weekly",
   order: "",
   asc: null,
@@ -17,6 +25,7 @@ export default Controller.extend({
   group: null,
   nameInput: null,
   exclude_usernames: null,
+  exclude_groups: null,
   isLoading: false,
   columns: null,
   groupOptions: null,
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/routes/users.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/routes/users.js
index 77355b71dff..539021b4eb7 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/routes/users.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/routes/users.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ export default DiscourseRoute.extend({
     asc: { refreshModel: true },
     name: { refreshModel: false, replace: true },
     group: { refreshModel: true },
+    exclude_groups: { refreshModel: true },
     exclude_usernames: { refreshModel: true },
   },
 
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ export default DiscourseRoute.extend({
         name: "",
         group: null,
         exclude_usernames: null,
+        exclude_groups: null,
         lastUpdatedAt: null,
       });
     }
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/users-test.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/users-test.js
index 2dfb845c5f0..cef5f5b7dbb 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/users-test.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/users-test.js
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ import {
 } from "discourse/tests/helpers/qunit-helpers";
 import { test } from "qunit";
 import { click, triggerKeyEvent, visit } from "@ember/test-helpers";
+import pretender, { response } from "discourse/tests/helpers/create-pretender";
+import directoryFixtures from "discourse/tests/fixtures/directory-fixtures";
+import { cloneJSON } from "discourse-common/lib/object";
 
 acceptance("User Directory", function () {
   test("Visit Page", async function (assert) {
@@ -37,6 +40,24 @@ acceptance("User Directory", function () {
     );
   });
 
+  test("Visit With Group Exclusion", async function (assert) {
+    let queryParams;
+
+    pretender.get("/directory_items", (request) => {
+      queryParams = request.queryParams;
+
+      return response(cloneJSON(directoryFixtures["directory_items"]));
+    });
+
+    await visit("/u?exclude_groups=trust_level_0");
+
+    assert.strictEqual(
+      queryParams.exclude_groups,
+      "trust_level_0",
+      "includes the right query param in the API call"
+    );
+  });
+
   test("Visit With Group Filter", async function (assert) {
     await visit("/u?group=trust_level_0");
     assert.ok(