diff --git a/crates/typos-cli/src/bin/typos-cli/main.rs b/crates/typos-cli/src/bin/typos-cli/main.rs
index 9dd8773..9e9fe31 100644
--- a/crates/typos-cli/src/bin/typos-cli/main.rs
+++ b/crates/typos-cli/src/bin/typos-cli/main.rs
@@ -298,13 +298,20 @@ fn run_checks(args: &args::Args) -> proc_exit::ExitResult {
         };
 
         if single_threaded {
-            typos_cli::file::walk_path(walk.build(), selected_checks, &engine, reporter)
+            typos_cli::file::walk_path(
+                walk.build(),
+                selected_checks,
+                &engine,
+                reporter,
+                args.force_exclude,
+            )
         } else {
             typos_cli::file::walk_path_parallel(
                 walk.build_parallel(),
                 selected_checks,
                 &engine,
                 reporter,
+                args.force_exclude,
             )
         }
         .map_err(|e| {
diff --git a/crates/typos-cli/src/file.rs b/crates/typos-cli/src/file.rs
index 450510c..4aee397 100644
--- a/crates/typos-cli/src/file.rs
+++ b/crates/typos-cli/src/file.rs
@@ -669,9 +669,10 @@ pub fn walk_path(
     checks: &dyn FileChecker,
     engine: &crate::policy::ConfigEngine<'_>,
     reporter: &dyn report::Report,
+    force_exclude: bool,
 ) -> Result<(), ignore::Error> {
     for entry in walk {
-        walk_entry(entry, checks, engine, reporter)?;
+        walk_entry(entry, checks, engine, reporter, force_exclude)?;
     }
     Ok(())
 }
@@ -681,11 +682,12 @@ pub fn walk_path_parallel(
     checks: &dyn FileChecker,
     engine: &crate::policy::ConfigEngine<'_>,
     reporter: &dyn report::Report,
+    force_exclude: bool,
 ) -> Result<(), ignore::Error> {
     let error: std::sync::Mutex<Result<(), ignore::Error>> = std::sync::Mutex::new(Ok(()));
     walk.run(|| {
         Box::new(|entry: Result<ignore::DirEntry, ignore::Error>| {
-            match walk_entry(entry, checks, engine, reporter) {
+            match walk_entry(entry, checks, engine, reporter, force_exclude) {
                 Ok(()) => ignore::WalkState::Continue,
                 Err(err) => {
                     *error.lock().unwrap() = Err(err);
@@ -703,6 +705,7 @@ fn walk_entry(
     checks: &dyn FileChecker,
     engine: &crate::policy::ConfigEngine<'_>,
     reporter: &dyn report::Report,
+    force_exclude: bool,
 ) -> Result<(), ignore::Error> {
     let entry = match entry {
         Ok(entry) => entry,
@@ -722,7 +725,7 @@ fn walk_entry(
         return Ok(());
     }
     if entry.file_type().map(|t| t.is_file()).unwrap_or(true) {
-        let explicit = entry.depth() == 0;
+        let explicit = entry.depth() == 0 && !force_exclude;
         let (path, lookup_path) = if entry.is_stdin() {
             let path = std::path::Path::new("-");
             let cwd = std::env::current_dir().map_err(|err| {
diff --git a/crates/typos-cli/tests/cmd/force-exclude.in/binary b/crates/typos-cli/tests/cmd/force-exclude.in/binary
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e76a66f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/typos-cli/tests/cmd/force-exclude.in/binary
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+%PDF
+
+hello
diff --git a/crates/typos-cli/tests/cmd/force-exclude.toml b/crates/typos-cli/tests/cmd/force-exclude.toml
index 4587740..3057f1d 100644
--- a/crates/typos-cli/tests/cmd/force-exclude.toml
+++ b/crates/typos-cli/tests/cmd/force-exclude.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 bin.name = "typos"
-args = "file.ignore ignore/file parent/ignore/file --force-exclude"
+args = "file.ignore ignore/file parent/ignore/file binary --force-exclude"
 stdin = ""
 stdout = ""
 stderr = ""