diff --git a/Types/StandardGroups.hs b/Types/StandardGroups.hs
index 5be5fa8b77..a8ac89b4ec 100644
--- a/Types/StandardGroups.hs
+++ b/Types/StandardGroups.hs
@@ -53,4 +53,4 @@ preferredContent BackupGroup = "include=*"
 preferredContent SmallArchiveGroup = "(include=*/archive/* or include=archive/*) and " ++ preferredContent FullArchiveGroup
 preferredContent FullArchiveGroup = "not (copies=archive:1 or copies=smallarchive:1)"
 preferredContent SourceGroup = "not (copies=1)"
-preferredContent ManualGroup = "present and exclude=archive/*"
+preferredContent ManualGroup = "present and exclude=*/archive/* and exclude=archive/*"
diff --git a/doc/preferred_content.mdwn b/doc/preferred_content.mdwn
index 1def63b6db..f87dd6655d 100644
--- a/doc/preferred_content.mdwn
+++ b/doc/preferred_content.mdwn
@@ -148,4 +148,4 @@ local copy of every file. Instead, you can manually run `git annex get`,
 Only content that is present is preferred. Content in "archive"
 directories is never preferred.
 
-`present and exclude=archive/*`
+`present and exclude=*/archive/* and exclude=archive/*`