diff --git a/ci/docker-compose.yml b/ci/docker-compose.yml
index bfc2024..92a9623 100644
--- a/ci/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/ci/docker-compose.yml
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@ services:
             traefik.http.middlewares.captcha-protect.plugin.captcha-protect.protectParameters: "${PROTECT_PARAMETERS:-false}"
             traefik.http.middlewares.captcha-protect.plugin.captcha-protect.goodBots: ""
             traefik.http.middlewares.captcha-protect.plugin.captcha-protect.enableGooglebotIPCheck: "true"
-            traefik.http.middlewares.captcha-protect.plugin.captcha-protect.protectRoutes: "/"
+            traefik.http.middlewares.captcha-protect.plugin.captcha-protect.mode: "regex"
+            traefik.http.middlewares.captcha-protect.plugin.captcha-protect.protectRoutes: "^/"
+            traefik.http.middlewares.captcha-protect.plugin.captcha-protect.excludeRoutes: "\\/oai\\/request,\\/node\\/\\d+\\/(book-)?manifest"
             traefik.http.middlewares.captcha-protect.plugin.captcha-protect.persistentStateFile: "/tmp/state.json"
             traefik.http.middlewares.captcha-protect.plugin.captcha-protect.enableStateReconciliation: "true"
         healthcheck:
@@ -53,7 +55,9 @@ services:
             traefik.http.middlewares.captcha-protect.plugin.captcha-protect.protectParameters: "${PROTECT_PARAMETERS:-false}"
             traefik.http.middlewares.captcha-protect.plugin.captcha-protect.goodBots: ""
             traefik.http.middlewares.captcha-protect.plugin.captcha-protect.enableGooglebotIPCheck: "true"
-            traefik.http.middlewares.captcha-protect.plugin.captcha-protect.protectRoutes: "/"
+            traefik.http.middlewares.captcha-protect.plugin.captcha-protect.mode: "regex"
+            traefik.http.middlewares.captcha-protect.plugin.captcha-protect.protectRoutes: "^/"
+            traefik.http.middlewares.captcha-protect.plugin.captcha-protect.excludeRoutes: "\\/oai\\/request,\\/node\\/\\d+\\/(book-)?manifest"
             traefik.http.middlewares.captcha-protect.plugin.captcha-protect.persistentStateFile: "/tmp/state.json"
             traefik.http.middlewares.captcha-protect.plugin.captcha-protect.enableStateReconciliation: "true"
         healthcheck:
diff --git a/ci/test.go b/ci/test.go
index 7f25399..f1aed01 100755
--- a/ci/test.go
+++ b/ci/test.go
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	fmt.Printf("Making sure attempt #%d causes a redirect to the challenge page\n", rateLimit+1)
 	ensureRedirect(ips, "http://localhost")
+	testExcludeRouteRegexBypass(ips)
 
 	fmt.Println("\nTesting state sharing between nginx instances...")
 	time.Sleep(cp.StateSaveInterval + cp.StateSaveJitter + (5 * time.Second))
@@ -189,6 +190,36 @@ func ensureRedirect(ips []string, url string) {
 	}
 }
 
+func testExcludeRouteRegexBypass(ips []string) {
+	fmt.Println("\nTesting regex excludeRoutes bypass...")
+
+	testIP := ips[0]
+	tests := []struct {
+		url  string
+		name string
+	}{
+		{
+			url:  "http://localhost/node/123/manifest",
+			name: "/node/123/manifest",
+		},
+		{
+			url:  "http://localhost/oai/request?foo=bar",
+			name: "/oai/request?foo=bar",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		fmt.Printf("Checking excluded route %s with IP %s\n", tt.name, testIP)
+		output := httpRequest(testIP, tt.url)
+		if output != "" {
+			slog.Error("Excluded route was unexpectedly challenged", "ip", testIP, "route", tt.name, "output", output)
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+	}
+
+	fmt.Println("✓ regex excludeRoutes bypass works for excluded paths")
+}
+
 func testStateSharing(ips []string) {
 	// Use first IP to test state sharing
 	testIP := ips[0]
diff --git a/main_test.go b/main_test.go
index 7aae468..b5f4e66 100644
--- a/main_test.go
+++ b/main_test.go
@@ -803,6 +803,52 @@ func TestVerifiedCacheBypasses(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestShouldApplyRegexExcludeRoutesIgnoreQueryString(t *testing.T) {
+	config := CreateConfig()
+	config.SiteKey = "test"
+	config.SecretKey = "test"
+	config.Mode = "regex"
+	config.ProtectRoutes = []string{"^/"}
+	config.ExcludeRoutes = []string{`\/oai\/request`, `\/node\/\d+\/(book-)?manifest`}
+	config.RateLimit = 0
+
+	bc, err := NewCaptchaProtect(context.Background(), nil, config, "test")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error %v", err)
+	}
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		url  string
+		want bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "query string does not prevent exclude route match",
+			url:  "http://example.com/oai/request?foo=bar",
+			want: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "regex exclude route matches manifest path",
+			url:  "http://example.com/node/123/manifest",
+			want: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "non excluded route still protected",
+			url:  "http://example.com/node/123/other",
+			want: true,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, tt.url, nil)
+			if got := bc.shouldApply(req, "1.2.3.4"); got != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("shouldApply(%q) = %v; want %v", tt.url, got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestStatsPage(t *testing.T) {
 	config := CreateConfig()
 	config.SiteKey = "test"