diff --git a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/DefaultOptionHandler.java b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/DefaultOptionHandler.java
index d5c69514cb281..96d74559b2e50 100644
--- a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/DefaultOptionHandler.java
+++ b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/DefaultOptionHandler.java
@@ -153,7 +153,9 @@ public boolean consume(ArgumentQueue args) {
                 if (jarFilePathStr == null) {
                     NativeImage.showError(requireValidJarFileMessage);
                 }
-                handleJarFileArg(nativeImage.canonicalize(Paths.get(jarFilePathStr)));
+                final Path filePath = nativeImage.canonicalize(Paths.get(jarFilePathStr));
+                nativeImage.setJarFilePath(filePath);
+                handleJarFileArg(filePath);
                 nativeImage.setJarOptionMode(true);
                 return true;
             case verboseOption:
@@ -319,7 +321,6 @@ private void handleJarFileArg(Path filePath) {
         if (!NativeImage.processJarManifestMainAttributes(filePath, nativeImage::handleMainClassAttribute)) {
             NativeImage.showError("No manifest in " + filePath);
         }
-        nativeImage.addCustomImageClasspath(filePath);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/NativeImage.java b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/NativeImage.java
index 4031fabb0a3e8..eab216a51f4cb 100644
--- a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/NativeImage.java
+++ b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.driver/src/com/oracle/svm/driver/NativeImage.java
@@ -253,6 +253,7 @@ private static <T> String oR(OptionKey<T> option) {
     private boolean diagnostics = false;
     String diagnosticsDir;
     private boolean jarOptionMode = false;
+    private Path jarFilePath;
     private boolean dryRun = false;
     private String printFlagsOptionQuery = null;
     private String printFlagsWithExtraHelpOptionQuery = null;
@@ -688,9 +689,18 @@ public void showVerboseMessage(String message) {
 
         @Override
         public boolean isExcluded(Path resourcePath, Path classpathEntry) {
+            showVerboseMessage(String.format("Attempt to check if resource %s in classpath entry %s should be excluded", resourcePath, classpathEntry));
             return excludedConfigs.stream()
-                            .filter(e -> e.jarPattern.matcher(classpathEntry.toString()).find())
-                            .anyMatch(e -> e.resourcePattern.matcher(resourcePath.toString()).find());
+                            .filter(e -> regexMatch(classpathEntry, e.jarPattern, "Classpath entry"))
+                            .anyMatch(e -> regexMatch(resourcePath, e.resourcePattern, "Resource path"));
+        }
+
+        private boolean regexMatch(Path path, Pattern pattern, String prefix) {
+            final boolean matches = pattern.matcher(path.toString()).find();
+            if (verbose) {
+                showVerboseMessage(String.format("%s %s %s match pattern %s", prefix, path, matches ? "does" : "doesn't", pattern));
+            }
+            return matches;
         }
     }
 
@@ -1111,6 +1121,10 @@ private int completeImageBuild() {
             addPlainImageBuilderArg(NativeImage.oR + enablePrintFlagsWithExtraHelp + "=" + printFlagsWithExtraHelpOptionQuery);
         }
 
+        if (jarOptionMode) {
+            addCustomImageClasspath(jarFilePath);
+        }
+
         if (shouldAddCWDToCP()) {
             addImageClasspath(Paths.get("."));
         }
@@ -1778,6 +1792,10 @@ void setDiagnostics(boolean val) {
         }
     }
 
+    void setJarFilePath(Path jarFilePath) {
+        this.jarFilePath = jarFilePath;
+    }
+
     void setJarOptionMode(boolean val) {
         jarOptionMode = val;
     }