diff --git a/build.proj b/build.proj
index efc6d5f..41b99ca 100644
--- a/build.proj
+++ b/build.proj
@@ -24,11 +24,15 @@
   </Target>
 
   <Target Name="RunTests" AfterTargets="CopyMSBuildScripts">
-    <Exec Command="dotnet test $(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)test\coverlet.core.tests\coverlet.core.tests.csproj -c $(Configuration) /p:CollectCoverage=true /p:CoverletOutputFormat=opencover" />
+    <Exec Command="dotnet test $(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)test\coverlet.core.tests\coverlet.core.tests.csproj -c $(Configuration) /p:CollectCoverage=true /p:CoverletOutputFormat=opencover"/>
+  </Target>
+  
+  <Target Name="RunTestsWithExclude" AfterTargets="RunTests">
+    <Exec Command="dotnet test --no-build $(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)test\coverlet.core.tests\coverlet.core.tests.csproj -c $(Configuration) /p:CollectCoverage=true /p:CoverletOutputFormat=opencover /p:Exclude=\&quot;../../src/coverlet.core/Instrumentation/**/*.cs,../../src/coverlet.core/Reporters/**/*.cs\&quot;"/>
   </Target>
 
-  <Target Name="CreateNuGetPackage" AfterTargets="RunTests" Condition="$(Configuration) == 'Release'">
+  <Target Name="CreateNuGetPackage" AfterTargets="RunTestsWithExclude" Condition="$(Configuration) == 'Release'">
     <Exec Command="dotnet pack $(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)src\coverlet.msbuild.tasks\coverlet.msbuild.tasks.csproj -c $(Configuration) -o $(OutputPath) /p:NuspecFile=$(NuspecFile)" />
   </Target>
 
-</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
+</Project>
diff --git a/src/coverlet.msbuild.tasks/InstrumentationTask.cs b/src/coverlet.msbuild.tasks/InstrumentationTask.cs
index 8a1f810..2ee289f 100644
--- a/src/coverlet.msbuild.tasks/InstrumentationTask.cs
+++ b/src/coverlet.msbuild.tasks/InstrumentationTask.cs
@@ -12,14 +12,14 @@ namespace Coverlet.MSbuild.Tasks
         [Required]
         public string Path { get; set; }
         
-        [Required]
-        public string[] Exclude { get; set; }
+        public string Exclude { get; set; }
                 
         public override bool Execute()
         {
             try
             {
-                Coverage = new Coverage(Path, Guid.NewGuid().ToString(), Exclude);
+                var excludeRules = Exclude?.Split(',');
+                Coverage = new Coverage(Path, Guid.NewGuid().ToString(), excludeRules);
                 Coverage.PrepareModules();
             }
             catch(Exception ex)