diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b3d1d2b2..69415b41 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+### 5.17.0 /2022-10-30
+- Added
+  - The RPM dependency file can now use `ignores` to remove items instead of
+    needing to redefine the entire dependency stack to remove deps
+
 ### 5.16.0 / 2022-06-24
 - Added
   - The `puppet-lint-optional_default-check` was added to prevent setting
diff --git a/lib/simp/rake/build/rpmdeps.rb b/lib/simp/rake/build/rpmdeps.rb
index 6bc0eb43..2d9be7ca 100644
--- a/lib/simp/rake/build/rpmdeps.rb
+++ b/lib/simp/rake/build/rpmdeps.rb
@@ -104,7 +104,8 @@ def self.generate_custom_rpm_obsoletes(obsoletes_hash, module_metadata)
   #       * Requires rpm-name <= 2.0.0
   # +module_metadata+:: Hash containing the contents of the
   #   module's 'metadata.json' file
-  def self.generate_custom_rpm_requires(requires_list, module_metadata)
+  # +ignores+:: Array of package names to ignore during processing
+  def self.generate_custom_rpm_requires(requires_list, module_metadata, ignores=[])
     rpm_metadata_content = []
 
     requires_list.each do |pkg_to_modify|
@@ -114,6 +115,8 @@ def self.generate_custom_rpm_requires(requires_list, module_metadata)
 
       pkg, min_version, max_version = pkg if pkg.is_a?(Array)
 
+      next if ignores.include?(pkg)
+
       rpm_version_chars = ['<','>','=']
 
       if min_version && rpm_version_chars.none? { |x| min_version.include?(x) }
@@ -140,7 +143,7 @@ def self.generate_custom_rpm_requires(requires_list, module_metadata)
       end
 
       if dep_info.empty?
-        err_msg = "Could not find #{short_names.first} dependency"
+        err_msg = "Could not find '#{short_names.first}' dependency"
         raise SIMPRpmDepException.new(err_msg)
       else
         dep_version = dep_info.first['version_requirement']
@@ -154,7 +157,7 @@ def self.generate_custom_rpm_requires(requires_list, module_metadata)
         begin
           rpm_metadata_content << get_version_requires(pkg, dep_version)
         rescue SIMPRpmDepVersionException
-          err_msg = "Unable to parse #{short_names.first} dependency" +
+          err_msg = "Unable to parse '#{short_names.first}' dependency" +
             " version '#{dep_version}'"
           raise SIMPRpmDepException.new(err_msg)
         end
@@ -174,15 +177,19 @@ def self.generate_custom_rpm_requires(requires_list, module_metadata)
   #    is a Hash containing the version info.  For example,
   #   [ 'package1' => { :min => '1.0.0' },
   #     'package2' => { :min => '3.1-1', :max => '4.0' } ]
-  def self.generate_external_rpm_requires(ext_deps_list)
+  # +ignores+:: Array of package names to ignore during processing
+  def self.generate_external_rpm_requires(ext_deps_list, ignores=[])
     requires = []
 
     ext_deps_list.each do |pkg_name, options|
+      next if ignores.include?(pkg_name)
+
       requires << "Requires: #{pkg_name} >= #{options[:min]}"
       if options[:max]
         requires << "Requires: #{pkg_name} < #{options[:max]}"
       end
     end
+
     requires
   end
 
@@ -197,7 +204,8 @@ def self.generate_external_rpm_requires(ext_deps_list)
   #
   # +module_metadata+:: Hash containing the contents of the
   #   module's 'metadata.json' file
-  def self.generate_module_rpm_requires(module_metadata)
+  # +ignores+:: Array of package names to ignore during processing
+  def self.generate_module_rpm_requires(module_metadata, ignores=[])
     rpm_metadata_content = []
 
     deps = []
@@ -214,12 +222,15 @@ def self.generate_module_rpm_requires(module_metadata)
     deps.sort! { |x,y| x['name'] <=> y['name'] }
     deps.each do |dep|
       pkg = "pupmod-#{dep['name'].gsub('/', '-')}"
+
+      next if ignores.include?(pkg)
+
       dep_version = dep['version_requirement']
 
       begin
         rpm_metadata_content << get_version_requires(pkg, dep_version)
       rescue SIMPRpmDepVersionException
-        err_msg = "Unable to parse #{dep['name']} dependency" +
+        err_msg = "Unable to parse '#{dep['name']}' dependency" +
           " version '#{dep_version}'"
         raise SIMPRpmDepException.new(err_msg)
       end
@@ -252,6 +263,10 @@ def self.rpm_requires_up_to_date?(new_requires, rpm_requires_file)
   #   dependencies are pulled from module_metadata.
   # * 'Requires' line(s) for any external dependencies specified
   #   in the module_rpm_meta hash.
+  # * Any items matching the name in an 'ignores' array will be removed from the
+  #   dependency list.
+  #   * This will be an *exact* match, globbing and regexes are not supported
+  #   * Does not affect Obsoletes statements
   #
   # Otherwise, the generated 'requires' file will contain "Requires"
   # lines for each dependency and each SIMP optional dependency
@@ -269,18 +284,31 @@ def self.rpm_requires_up_to_date?(new_requires, rpm_requires_file)
   #   'dependencies.yaml' file or nil, if no entry exists
   def self.generate_rpm_requires_file(dir, module_metadata, module_rpm_meta)
     rpm_metadata_content = []
+
+    ignores = module_rpm_meta ? Array(module_rpm_meta[:ignores]) : []
+
     if module_rpm_meta and module_rpm_meta[:obsoletes]
-      rpm_metadata_content = generate_custom_rpm_obsoletes(module_rpm_meta[:obsoletes], module_metadata)
+      rpm_metadata_content = generate_custom_rpm_obsoletes(
+        module_rpm_meta[:obsoletes],
+        module_metadata
+      )
     end
 
     if module_rpm_meta and module_rpm_meta[:requires]
-      rpm_metadata_content += generate_custom_rpm_requires(module_rpm_meta[:requires], module_metadata)
+      rpm_metadata_content += generate_custom_rpm_requires(
+        module_rpm_meta[:requires],
+        module_metadata,
+        ignores
+      )
     else
-      rpm_metadata_content += generate_module_rpm_requires(module_metadata)
+      rpm_metadata_content += generate_module_rpm_requires(module_metadata, ignores)
     end
 
     if module_rpm_meta and module_rpm_meta[:external_dependencies]
-      rpm_metadata_content += generate_external_rpm_requires(module_rpm_meta[:external_dependencies])
+      rpm_metadata_content += generate_external_rpm_requires(
+        module_rpm_meta[:external_dependencies],
+        ignores
+      )
     end
 
     rpm_metadata_file = File.join(dir, 'build', 'rpm_metadata', 'requires')
diff --git a/lib/simp/rake/helpers/version.rb b/lib/simp/rake/helpers/version.rb
index 483d0069..e52dbe4b 100644
--- a/lib/simp/rake/helpers/version.rb
+++ b/lib/simp/rake/helpers/version.rb
@@ -2,5 +2,5 @@ module Simp; end
 module Simp::Rake; end
 
 class Simp::Rake::Helpers
-  VERSION = '5.16.0'
+  VERSION = '5.17.0'
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/simp/rake/build/files/dependencies.yaml b/spec/lib/simp/rake/build/files/dependencies.yaml
index 110f6234..d56db2d5 100644
--- a/spec/lib/simp/rake/build/files/dependencies.yaml
+++ b/spec/lib/simp/rake/build/files/dependencies.yaml
@@ -20,7 +20,10 @@
     # does NOT include puppetlabs/apt
     - 'pupmod-puppetlabs-stdlib'
     - 'pupmod-ceritsc-yum'
+    - 'i-should-not-exist'
     - ['pupmod-richardc-datacat', '1.2.3', '<=3.4.5']
+  :ignores:
+    - 'i-should-not-exist'
   :release: '2017.0'
   :external_dependencies:
     'rubygem-puppetserver-toml':
diff --git a/spec/lib/simp/rake/build/rpmdeps_spec.rb b/spec/lib/simp/rake/build/rpmdeps_spec.rb
index 8fe8e568..f6d52186 100644
--- a/spec/lib/simp/rake/build/rpmdeps_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/simp/rake/build/rpmdeps_spec.rb
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@
   context 'dependency from dependencies.yaml not found in metadata.json' do
     it 'should fail when dep in depedencies.yaml is not found in metadata.json' do
       mod_dir = File.join(@tmp_dir, 'files', 'unknown_dep_mod')
-      err_msg = "Could not find oops/unknown dependency in #{mod_dir}/metadata.json"
+      err_msg = "Could not find 'oops/unknown' dependency in #{mod_dir}/metadata.json"
       expect {
         Simp::Rake::Build::RpmDeps::generate_rpm_meta_files(mod_dir, rpm_metadata)
       }.to raise_error(err_msg)
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@
   context 'malformed dependency version' do
     it 'should fail for managed component with invalid dep version in metadata.json' do
       mod_dir = File.join(@tmp_dir, 'files', 'malformed_dep_meta_mod')
-      err_msg = "Unable to parse foo1/bar1 dependency version '1.0.0.1' in #{mod_dir}/metadata.json"
+      err_msg = "Unable to parse 'foo1/bar1' dependency version '1.0.0.1' in #{mod_dir}/metadata.json"
       expect {
         Simp::Rake::Build::RpmDeps::generate_rpm_meta_files(mod_dir, rpm_metadata)
       }.to raise_error(err_msg)
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@
       rpm_meta = rpm_metadata.dup
       rpm_meta ['malformed_dep_meta_mod'] = nil
       mod_dir = File.join(@tmp_dir, 'files', 'malformed_dep_meta_mod')
-      err_msg = "Unable to parse foo1/bar1 dependency version '1.0.0.1' in #{mod_dir}/metadata.json"
+      err_msg = "Unable to parse 'foo1/bar1' dependency version '1.0.0.1' in #{mod_dir}/metadata.json"
       expect {
         Simp::Rake::Build::RpmDeps::generate_rpm_meta_files(mod_dir, rpm_meta)
       }.to raise_error(err_msg)