diff --git a/.chronus/changes/fix-exclude-version-2025-2-4-9-18-9.md b/.chronus/changes/fix-exclude-version-2025-2-4-9-18-9.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6ac23f30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.chronus/changes/fix-exclude-version-2025-2-4-9-18-9.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+changeKind: fix
+packages:
+  - "@chronus/chronus"
+---
+
+Fix `--exclude` not respected for `version`, `status` commands
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/chronus/src/release-plan/assemble-release-plan.test.ts b/packages/chronus/src/release-plan/assemble-release-plan.test.ts
index ab5ae829..14ca6bb2 100644
--- a/packages/chronus/src/release-plan/assemble-release-plan.test.ts
+++ b/packages/chronus/src/release-plan/assemble-release-plan.test.ts
@@ -249,4 +249,42 @@ describe("Assemble Release Plan", () => {
       expect(plan.changes[0]).toMatchObject({ usage: "partial", packages: ["pkg-a"] });
     });
   });
+
+  describe("partial release plan using exclude option", () => {
+    it("ignore packages with changes", () => {
+      const workspace: Workspace = mkWorkspace([mkPkg("pkg-a", {}), mkPkg("pkg-b", {})]);
+      const plan = assembleReleasePlan(
+        [mkChange("pkg-a", "minor"), mkChange("pkg-b", "minor")],
+        createChronusWorkspace(workspace, baseConfig),
+        { exclude: ["pkg-b"] },
+      );
+      expect(plan.actions).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(plan.actions[0]).toMatchObject({ packageName: "pkg-a", oldVersion: "1.0.0", newVersion: "1.1.0" });
+    });
+
+    it("ignore packages that would need to be bumped as dependent", () => {
+      const workspace: Workspace = mkWorkspace([
+        mkPkg("pkg-a", {}),
+        mkPkg("pkg-b", { dependencies: { "pkg-a": "1.0.0" } }),
+      ]);
+      const plan = assembleReleasePlan([mkChange("pkg-a", "minor")], createChronusWorkspace(workspace, baseConfig), {
+        exclude: ["pkg-b"],
+      });
+      expect(plan.actions).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(plan.actions[0]).toMatchObject({ packageName: "pkg-a", oldVersion: "1.0.0", newVersion: "1.1.0" });
+    });
+
+    it("report changes as partially used if only bumping some packages tagged in it", () => {
+      const workspace: Workspace = mkWorkspace([mkPkg("pkg-a", {}), mkPkg("pkg-b", {})]);
+      const plan = assembleReleasePlan(
+        [mkChange(["pkg-a", "pkg-b"], "minor")],
+        createChronusWorkspace(workspace, baseConfig),
+        {
+          exclude: ["pkg-b"],
+        },
+      );
+      expect(plan.changes).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(plan.changes[0]).toMatchObject({ usage: "partial", packages: ["pkg-a"] });
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/chronus/src/release-plan/assemble-release-plan.ts b/packages/chronus/src/release-plan/assemble-release-plan.ts
index 5a5da1ff..ae3b086c 100644
--- a/packages/chronus/src/release-plan/assemble-release-plan.ts
+++ b/packages/chronus/src/release-plan/assemble-release-plan.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import type { ChangeDescription } from "../change/types.js";
 import { getDependentsGraph } from "../dependency-graph/index.js";
+import { isPackageIncluded } from "../utils/misc-utils.js";
 import type { ChronusWorkspace } from "../workspace/types.js";
 import { applyDependents } from "./determine-dependents.js";
 import { incrementVersion } from "./increment-version.js";
@@ -18,7 +19,10 @@ export function assembleReleasePlan(
   options?: AssembleReleasePlanOptions,
 ): ReleasePlan {
   const packagesByName = new Map(workspace.allPackages.map((pkg) => [pkg.name, pkg]));
-  const { changeApplications, actions: requested } = reduceChanges(changes, workspace, options?.only);
+  const { changeApplications, actions: requested } = reduceChanges(changes, workspace, {
+    only: options?.only,
+    exclude: options?.exclude,
+  });
 
   const dependentsGraph = getDependentsGraph(workspace.packages);
   const internalActions = new Map<string, InternalReleaseAction>();
@@ -46,6 +50,7 @@ export function assembleReleasePlan(
       internalActions.set(request.packageName, request);
     }
   }
+
   // The map passed in to determineDependents will be mutated
   applyDependents({
     actions: internalActions,
@@ -76,7 +81,7 @@ export function assembleReleasePlan(
 function reduceChanges(
   changes: ChangeDescription[],
   workspace: ChronusWorkspace,
-  only?: string[],
+  filters: { only?: string[]; exclude?: string[] } = {},
 ): { changeApplications: ReleasePlanChangeApplication[]; actions: Map<string, InternalReleaseAction> } {
   const actions: Map<string, InternalReleaseAction> = new Map();
   const changeApplications: ReleasePlanChangeApplication[] = [];
@@ -85,8 +90,8 @@ function reduceChanges(
     // Filter out ignored packages because they should not trigger a release
     // If their dependencies need updates, they will be added to releases by `determineDependents()` with release type `none`
     const packages = change.packages
-      .filter((name) => !only || only.includes(name))
       .map((name) => workspace.getPackage(name))
+      .filter((pkg) => isPackageIncluded(pkg, filters))
       .filter((pkg) => pkg.state === "versioned" || pkg.state === "standalone");
 
     changeApplications.push({
diff --git a/packages/chronus/src/utils/misc-utils.ts b/packages/chronus/src/utils/misc-utils.ts
index b2808e45..30cc6326 100644
--- a/packages/chronus/src/utils/misc-utils.ts
+++ b/packages/chronus/src/utils/misc-utils.ts
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ export function isPackageIncluded(
     return false;
   }
 
-  if (only && (only.includes(pkgName) || only.includes(policyName))) {
-    return true;
+  if (only) {
+    return only.includes(pkgName) || only.includes(policyName);
   }
 
   return true;