diff --git a/lib/Context/Context.php b/lib/Context/Context.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d9977735
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/Context/Context.php
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+<?php
+/** @license MIT
+ * Copyright 2017 J. King, Dustin Wilson et al.
+ * See LICENSE and AUTHORS files for details */
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+namespace JKingWeb\Arsse\Context;
+
+use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Date;
+
+class Context extends ExclusionContext {
+    public $not;
+    public $reverse = false;
+    public $limit = 0;
+    public $offset = 0;
+    public $unread;
+    public $starred;
+    public $labelled;
+    public $annotated;
+    public $oldestArticle;
+    public $latestArticle;
+    public $oldestEdition;
+    public $latestEdition;
+    public $modifiedSince;
+    public $notModifiedSince;
+    public $markedSince;
+    public $notMarkedSince;
+
+    public function __construct() {
+        $this->not = new ExclusionContext;
+    }
+
+    public function __clone() {
+        // clone the exclusion context as well
+        $this->not = clone $this->not;
+    }
+
+    public function reverse(bool $spec = null) {
+        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
+    }
+
+    public function limit(int $spec = null) {
+        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
+    }
+
+    public function offset(int $spec = null) {
+        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
+    }
+
+    public function unread(bool $spec = null) {
+        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
+    }
+
+    public function starred(bool $spec = null) {
+        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
+    }
+
+    public function labelled(bool $spec = null) {
+        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
+    }
+
+    public function annotated(bool $spec = null) {
+        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
+    }
+
+    public function latestArticle(int $spec = null) {
+        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
+    }
+
+    public function oldestArticle(int $spec = null) {
+        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
+    }
+
+    public function latestEdition(int $spec = null) {
+        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
+    }
+
+    public function oldestEdition(int $spec = null) {
+        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
+    }
+
+    public function modifiedSince($spec = null) {
+        $spec = Date::normalize($spec);
+        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
+    }
+
+    public function notModifiedSince($spec = null) {
+        $spec = Date::normalize($spec);
+        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
+    }
+
+    public function markedSince($spec = null) {
+        $spec = Date::normalize($spec);
+        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
+    }
+
+    public function notMarkedSince($spec = null) {
+        $spec = Date::normalize($spec);
+        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/lib/Misc/Context.php b/lib/Context/ExclusionContext.php
similarity index 56%
rename from lib/Misc/Context.php
rename to lib/Context/ExclusionContext.php
index 9263fa1d..5a2a9cf6 100644
--- a/lib/Misc/Context.php
+++ b/lib/Context/ExclusionContext.php
@@ -4,49 +4,27 @@
  * See LICENSE and AUTHORS files for details */
 
 declare(strict_types=1);
-namespace JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc;
+namespace JKingWeb\Arsse\Context;
 
-use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Date;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\ValueInfo;
 
-class Context {
-    public $not = null;
-    public $reverse = false;
-    public $limit = 0;
-    public $offset = 0;
+class ExclusionContext {
     public $folder;
     public $folderShallow;
     public $subscription;
-    public $oldestArticle;
-    public $latestArticle;
-    public $oldestEdition;
-    public $latestEdition;
-    public $unread = null;
-    public $starred = null;
-    public $modifiedSince;
-    public $notModifiedSince;
-    public $markedSince;
-    public $notMarkedSince;
     public $edition;
     public $article;
     public $editions;
     public $articles;
     public $label;
     public $labelName;
-    public $labelled = null;
-    public $annotated = null;
-    public $annotationTerms = null;
-    public $searchTerms = null;
-    public $titleTerms = null;
-    public $authorTerms = null;
+    public $annotationTerms;
+    public $searchTerms;
+    public $titleTerms;
+    public $authorTerms;
 
     protected $props = [];
 
-    public function __clone() {
-        // clone the negation context, if any
-        $this->not = $this->not ? clone $this->not : null;
-    }
-
     protected function act(string $prop, int $set, $value) {
         if ($set) {
             if (is_null($value)) {
@@ -87,18 +65,6 @@ class Context {
         return array_values($spec);
     }
 
-    public function reverse(bool $spec = null) {
-        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
-    }
-
-    public function limit(int $spec = null) {
-        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
-    }
-
-    public function offset(int $spec = null) {
-        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
-    }
-
     public function folder(int $spec = null) {
         return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
     }
@@ -111,50 +77,6 @@ class Context {
         return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
     }
 
-    public function latestArticle(int $spec = null) {
-        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
-    }
-
-    public function oldestArticle(int $spec = null) {
-        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
-    }
-
-    public function latestEdition(int $spec = null) {
-        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
-    }
-
-    public function oldestEdition(int $spec = null) {
-        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
-    }
-
-    public function unread(bool $spec = null) {
-        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
-    }
-
-    public function starred(bool $spec = null) {
-        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
-    }
-
-    public function modifiedSince($spec = null) {
-        $spec = Date::normalize($spec);
-        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
-    }
-
-    public function notModifiedSince($spec = null) {
-        $spec = Date::normalize($spec);
-        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
-    }
-
-    public function markedSince($spec = null) {
-        $spec = Date::normalize($spec);
-        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
-    }
-
-    public function notMarkedSince($spec = null) {
-        $spec = Date::normalize($spec);
-        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
-    }
-
     public function edition(int $spec = null) {
         return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
     }
@@ -185,14 +107,6 @@ class Context {
         return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
     }
 
-    public function labelled(bool $spec = null) {
-        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
-    }
-
-    public function annotated(bool $spec = null) {
-        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
-    }
-
     public function annotationTerms(array $spec = null) {
         if (isset($spec)) {
             $spec = $this->cleanStringArray($spec);
@@ -220,8 +134,4 @@ class Context {
         }
         return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
     }
-
-    public function not(self $spec = null) {
-        return $this->act(__FUNCTION__, func_num_args(), $spec);
-    }
 }
diff --git a/lib/Database.php b/lib/Database.php
index 353e7b93..6f7a9b42 100644
--- a/lib/Database.php
+++ b/lib/Database.php
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ namespace JKingWeb\Arsse;
 use JKingWeb\DrUUID\UUID;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Db\Statement;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Query;
-use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Context;
+use JKingWeb\Arsse\Context\Context;
+use JKingWeb\Arsse\Context\ExclusionContext;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Date;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\ValueInfo;
 
@@ -1178,8 +1179,9 @@ class Database {
             // if there are no output columns requested we're getting a count and should not group, but otherwise we should
             $q->setGroup("arsse_articles.id", "arsse_marks.note", "arsse_enclosures.url", "arsse_enclosures.type", "arsse_subscriptions.title", "arsse_feeds.title", "arsse_subscriptions.id", "arsse_marks.modified", "arsse_label_members.modified", "arsse_marks.read", "arsse_marks.starred", "latest_editions.edition");
         }
+        $excContext = new ExclusionContext;
         // handle the simple context options
-        foreach ([
+        $options = [
             // each context array consists of a column identifier (see $colDefs above), a comparison operator, a data type, and an upper bound if the value is an array
             "edition"          => ["edition",       "=",  "int",      1],
             "editions"         => ["edition",       "in", "int",      self::LIMIT_ARTICLES],
@@ -1197,7 +1199,8 @@ class Database {
             "subscription"     => ["subscription",  "=",  "int",      1],
             "unread"           => ["unread",        "=",  "bool",     1],
             "starred"          => ["starred",       "=",  "bool",     1],
-        ] as $m => list($col, $op, $type, $max)) {
+        ];
+        foreach ($options as $m => list($col, $op, $type, $max)) {
             if (!$context->$m()) {
                 // context is not being used
                 continue;
@@ -1213,6 +1216,25 @@ class Database {
                 $q->setWhere("{$colDefs[$col]} $op ?", $type, $context->$m);
             }
         }
+        if ($context->not != $excContext) {
+            // further handle exclusionary options if specified
+            foreach ($options as $m => list($col, $op, $type, $max)) {
+                if (!method_exists($context->not, $m) || !$context->not->$m()) {
+                    // context option is not being used
+                    continue;
+                } elseif (is_array($context->not->$m)) {
+                    if (!$context->not->$m) {
+                        // for exclusions we don't care if the array is empty
+                    } elseif (sizeof($context->not->$m) > $max) {
+                        throw new Db\ExceptionInput("tooLong", ['field' => $m, 'action' => $this->caller(), 'max' => $max]); // @codeCoverageIgnore
+                    }
+                    list($clause, $types, $values) = $this->generateIn($context->$m, $type);
+                    $q->setWhereNot("{$colDefs[$col]} $op ($clause)", $types, $values);
+                } else {
+                    $q->setWhereNot("{$colDefs[$col]} $op ?", $type, $context->$m);
+                }
+            }
+        }
         // handle complex context options
         if ($context->labelled()) {
             // any label (true) or no label (false)
diff --git a/lib/Misc/Query.php b/lib/Misc/Query.php
index d7a2c7f7..458b7ed6 100644
--- a/lib/Misc/Query.php
+++ b/lib/Misc/Query.php
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ class Query {
     protected $qWhere = []; // WHERE clause components
     protected $tWhere = []; // WHERE clause type bindings
     protected $vWhere = []; // WHERE clause binding values
+    protected $qWhereNot = []; // WHERE NOT clause components
+    protected $tWhereNot = []; // WHERE NOT clause type bindings
+    protected $vWhereNot = []; // WHERE NOT clause binding values
     protected $group = []; // GROUP BY clause components
     protected $order = []; // ORDER BY clause components
     protected $limit = 0;
@@ -69,6 +72,15 @@ class Query {
         return true;
     }
 
+    public function setWhereNot(string $where, $types = null, $values = null): bool {
+        $this->qWhereNot[] = $where;
+        if (!is_null($types)) {
+            $this->tWhereNot[] = $types;
+            $this->vWhereNot[] = $values;
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
     public function setGroup(string ...$column): bool {
         foreach ($column as $col) {
             $this->group[] = $col;
@@ -94,7 +106,7 @@ class Query {
     public function pushCTE(string $tableSpec, string $join = ''): bool {
         // this function takes the query body and converts it to a common table expression, putting it at the bottom of the existing CTE stack
         // all WHERE, ORDER BY, and LIMIT parts belong to the new CTE and are removed from the main query
-        $this->setCTE($tableSpec, $this->buildQueryBody(), [$this->tBody, $this->tWhere], [$this->vBody, $this->vWhere]);
+        $this->setCTE($tableSpec, $this->buildQueryBody(), [$this->tBody, $this->tWhere, $this->tWhereNot], [$this->vBody, $this->vWhere, $this->vWhereNot]);
         $this->jCTE = [];
         $this->tBody = [];
         $this->vBody = [];
@@ -129,11 +141,11 @@ class Query {
     }
 
     public function getTypes(): array {
-        return [$this->tCTE, $this->tBody, $this->tJoin, $this->tWhere];
+        return [$this->tCTE, $this->tBody, $this->tJoin, $this->tWhere, $this->tWhereNot];
     }
 
     public function getValues(): array {
-        return [$this->vCTE, $this->vBody, $this->vJoin, $this->vWhere];
+        return [$this->vCTE, $this->vBody, $this->vJoin, $this->vWhere, $this->vWhereNot];
     }
 
     public function getJoinTypes(): array {
@@ -173,8 +185,12 @@ class Query {
             $out .= " ".implode(" ", $this->qJoin);
         }
         // add any WHERE terms
-        if (sizeof($this->qWhere)) {
-            $out .= " WHERE ".implode(" AND ", $this->qWhere);
+        if (sizeof($this->qWhere) || sizeof($this->qWhereNot)) {
+            $where = implode(" AND ", $this->qWhere);
+            $whereNot = implode(" OR ", $this->qWhereNot);
+            $whereNot = strlen($whereNot) ? "NOT ($whereNot)" : "";
+            $where = implode(" AND ", array_filter([$where, $whereNot]));
+            $out .= " WHERE $where";
         }
         // add any GROUP BY terms
         if (sizeof($this->group)) {
diff --git a/lib/REST/NextCloudNews/V1_2.php b/lib/REST/NextCloudNews/V1_2.php
index 84beda3e..7f4301c8 100644
--- a/lib/REST/NextCloudNews/V1_2.php
+++ b/lib/REST/NextCloudNews/V1_2.php
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ use JKingWeb\Arsse\Arsse;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Database;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\User;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Service;
-use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Context;
+use JKingWeb\Arsse\Context\Context;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\ValueInfo;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\AbstractException;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Db\ExceptionInput;
diff --git a/lib/REST/TinyTinyRSS/API.php b/lib/REST/TinyTinyRSS/API.php
index 4ddea6fa..f126324c 100644
--- a/lib/REST/TinyTinyRSS/API.php
+++ b/lib/REST/TinyTinyRSS/API.php
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use JKingWeb\Arsse\Database;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\User;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Service;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Date;
-use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Context;
+use JKingWeb\Arsse\Context\Context;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\ValueInfo;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\AbstractException;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\ExceptionType;
diff --git a/tests/cases/Database/SeriesArticle.php b/tests/cases/Database/SeriesArticle.php
index 85300993..37a53114 100644
--- a/tests/cases/Database/SeriesArticle.php
+++ b/tests/cases/Database/SeriesArticle.php
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ namespace JKingWeb\Arsse\TestCase\Database;
 
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Database;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Arsse;
-use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Context;
+use JKingWeb\Arsse\Context\Context;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Date;
 use Phake;
 
diff --git a/tests/cases/Database/SeriesLabel.php b/tests/cases/Database/SeriesLabel.php
index 8347ce53..e6fc426e 100644
--- a/tests/cases/Database/SeriesLabel.php
+++ b/tests/cases/Database/SeriesLabel.php
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
 namespace JKingWeb\Arsse\TestCase\Database;
 
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Arsse;
-use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Context;
+use JKingWeb\Arsse\Context\Context;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Date;
 use Phake;
 
diff --git a/tests/cases/Misc/TestContext.php b/tests/cases/Misc/TestContext.php
index 12a99693..db088b4f 100644
--- a/tests/cases/Misc/TestContext.php
+++ b/tests/cases/Misc/TestContext.php
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@
 declare(strict_types=1);
 namespace JKingWeb\Arsse\TestCase\Misc;
 
-use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Context;
+use JKingWeb\Arsse\Context\Context;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\ValueInfo;
 
-/** @covers \JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Context */
+/** @covers \JKingWeb\Arsse\Context\Context<extended> */
 class TestContext extends \JKingWeb\Arsse\Test\AbstractTest {
     public function testVerifyInitialState() {
         $c = new Context;
@@ -96,4 +96,13 @@ class TestContext extends \JKingWeb\Arsse\Test\AbstractTest {
             $this->assertSame($out, $c->$method($in)->$method, "Context method $method did not return the expected results");
         }
     }
+
+    public function testCloneAContext() {
+        $c1 = new Context;
+        $c2 = clone $c1;
+        $this->assertEquals($c1, $c2);
+        $this->assertEquals($c1->not, $c2->not);
+        $this->assertNotSame($c1, $c2);
+        $this->assertNotSame($c1->not, $c2->not);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/cases/REST/NextCloudNews/TestV1_2.php b/tests/cases/REST/NextCloudNews/TestV1_2.php
index f35e21e5..664db4e1 100644
--- a/tests/cases/REST/NextCloudNews/TestV1_2.php
+++ b/tests/cases/REST/NextCloudNews/TestV1_2.php
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ use JKingWeb\Arsse\Database;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Service;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Test\Result;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Date;
-use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Context;
+use JKingWeb\Arsse\Context\Context;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Db\ExceptionInput;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Db\Transaction;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\REST\NextCloudNews\V1_2;
diff --git a/tests/cases/REST/TinyTinyRSS/TestAPI.php b/tests/cases/REST/TinyTinyRSS/TestAPI.php
index bf35a303..4b497a7f 100644
--- a/tests/cases/REST/TinyTinyRSS/TestAPI.php
+++ b/tests/cases/REST/TinyTinyRSS/TestAPI.php
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ use JKingWeb\Arsse\Service;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\REST\Request;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Test\Result;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Date;
-use JKingWeb\Arsse\Misc\Context;
+use JKingWeb\Arsse\Context\Context;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Db\ExceptionInput;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\Db\Transaction;
 use JKingWeb\Arsse\REST\TinyTinyRSS\API;