diff --git a/.appveyor.yml b/.appveyor.yml
index fdab2008e8..ab8ac580ec 100644
--- a/.appveyor.yml
+++ b/.appveyor.yml
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ for:
     - nmake -l "TESTOPTS=-v -q" test-basic
     - >-
       nmake -l "TESTOPTS=-v --timeout-scale=3.0
-      --excludes=../test/excludes/_appveyor -j%JOBS%
+      --excludes=../test/.excludes/_appveyor -j%JOBS%
       --exclude win32ole
       --exclude test_bignum
       --exclude test_syntax
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ for:
     # separately execute tests without -j which may crash worker with -j.
     - >-
       nmake -l
-      "TESTOPTS=--timeout-scale=3.0 --excludes=../test/excludes/_appveyor"
+      "TESTOPTS=--timeout-scale=3.0 --excludes=../test/.excludes/_appveyor"
       TESTS="
       ../test/win32ole
       ../test/ruby/test_bignum.rb
diff --git a/common.mk b/common.mk
index b174687903..d031ab2886 100644
--- a/common.mk
+++ b/common.mk
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ INSTALL_DATA_MODE = 0644
 BOOTSTRAPRUBY_COMMAND = $(BOOTSTRAPRUBY) $(BOOTSTRAPRUBY_OPT)
 TESTSDIR      = $(srcdir)/test
 TOOL_TESTSDIR = $(tooldir)/test
-TEST_EXCLUDES = --excludes-dir=$(TESTSDIR)/excludes --name=!/memory_leak/
+TEST_EXCLUDES = --excludes-dir=$(TESTSDIR)/.excludes --name=!/memory_leak/
 TESTWORKDIR   = testwork
 TESTOPTS      = $(RUBY_TESTOPTS)
 
diff --git a/test/excludes/TestArray.rb b/test/.excludes/TestArray.rb
similarity index 100%
rename from test/excludes/TestArray.rb
rename to test/.excludes/TestArray.rb
diff --git a/test/excludes/TestArraySubclass.rb b/test/.excludes/TestArraySubclass.rb
similarity index 100%
rename from test/excludes/TestArraySubclass.rb
rename to test/.excludes/TestArraySubclass.rb
diff --git a/test/excludes/TestException.rb b/test/.excludes/TestException.rb
similarity index 100%
rename from test/excludes/TestException.rb
rename to test/.excludes/TestException.rb
diff --git a/test/excludes/TestGem.rb b/test/.excludes/TestGem.rb
similarity index 100%
rename from test/excludes/TestGem.rb
rename to test/.excludes/TestGem.rb
diff --git a/test/excludes/TestIO_Console.rb b/test/.excludes/TestIO_Console.rb
similarity index 100%
rename from test/excludes/TestIO_Console.rb
rename to test/.excludes/TestIO_Console.rb
diff --git a/test/excludes/TestISeq.rb b/test/.excludes/TestISeq.rb
similarity index 100%
rename from test/excludes/TestISeq.rb
rename to test/.excludes/TestISeq.rb
diff --git a/test/excludes/TestThread.rb b/test/.excludes/TestThread.rb
similarity index 100%
rename from test/excludes/TestThread.rb
rename to test/.excludes/TestThread.rb
diff --git a/test/excludes/TestThreadQueue.rb b/test/.excludes/TestThreadQueue.rb
similarity index 100%
rename from test/excludes/TestThreadQueue.rb
rename to test/.excludes/TestThreadQueue.rb
diff --git a/test/excludes/_appveyor/TestArray.rb b/test/.excludes/_appveyor/TestArray.rb
similarity index 100%
rename from test/excludes/_appveyor/TestArray.rb
rename to test/.excludes/_appveyor/TestArray.rb