diff --git a/command/build.go b/command/build.go
index 64a352678..05392c063 100644
--- a/command/build.go
+++ b/command/build.go
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ func (c *BuildCommand) GetBuildsFromHCL(path string) ([]packer.Build, int) {
 		PostProcessorsSchemas: c.CoreConfig.Components.PostProcessorStore,
 	}
 
-	builds, diags := parser.Parse(path, c.varFiles, c.flagVars)
+	builds, diags := parser.Parse(path, c.varFiles, c.flagVars, c.CoreConfig.Only, c.CoreConfig.Except)
 	{
 		// write HCL errors/diagnostics if any.
 		b := bytes.NewBuffer(nil)
diff --git a/command/build_test.go b/command/build_test.go
index 697bcd20e..63eb53ff7 100644
--- a/command/build_test.go
+++ b/command/build_test.go
@@ -394,6 +394,88 @@ func TestBuildExceptFileCommaFlags(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func testHCLOnlyExceptFlags(t *testing.T, args, present, notPresent []string) {
+	c := &BuildCommand{
+		Meta: testMetaFile(t),
+	}
+
+	defer cleanup()
+
+	finalArgs := []string{"-parallel=false"}
+	finalArgs = append(finalArgs, args...)
+	finalArgs = append(finalArgs, testFixture("hcl-only-except"))
+
+	if code := c.Run(finalArgs); code != 0 {
+		fatalCommand(t, c.Meta)
+	}
+
+	for _, f := range notPresent {
+		if fileExists(f) {
+			t.Errorf("Expected NOT to find %s", f)
+		}
+	}
+	for _, f := range present {
+		if !fileExists(f) {
+			t.Errorf("Expected to find %s", f)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestBuildCommand_HCLOnlyExceptOptions(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		args       []string
+		present    []string
+		notPresent []string
+	}{
+		{
+			[]string{"-only=chocolate"},
+			[]string{},
+			[]string{"chocolate.txt", "vanilla.txt", "cherry.txt"},
+		},
+		{
+			[]string{"-only=*chocolate*"},
+			[]string{"chocolate.txt"},
+			[]string{"vanilla.txt", "cherry.txt"},
+		},
+		{
+			[]string{"-except=*chocolate*"},
+			[]string{"vanilla.txt", "cherry.txt"},
+			[]string{"chocolate.txt"},
+		},
+		{
+			[]string{"-except=*ch*"},
+			[]string{"vanilla.txt"},
+			[]string{"chocolate.txt", "cherry.txt"},
+		},
+		{
+			[]string{"-only=*chocolate*", "-only=*vanilla*"},
+			[]string{"chocolate.txt", "vanilla.txt"},
+			[]string{"cherry.txt"},
+		},
+		{
+			[]string{"-except=*chocolate*", "-except=*vanilla*"},
+			[]string{"cherry.txt"},
+			[]string{"chocolate.txt", "vanilla.txt"},
+		},
+		{
+			[]string{"-only=file.chocolate"},
+			[]string{"chocolate.txt"},
+			[]string{"vanilla.txt", "cherry.txt"},
+		},
+		{
+			[]string{"-except=file.chocolate"},
+			[]string{"vanilla.txt", "cherry.txt"},
+			[]string{"chocolate.txt"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("%s", tt.args), func(t *testing.T) {
+			testHCLOnlyExceptFlags(t, tt.args, tt.present, tt.notPresent)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestBuildWithNonExistingBuilder(t *testing.T) {
 	c := &BuildCommand{
 		Meta: testMetaFile(t),
diff --git a/command/test-fixtures/hcl-only-except/build.pkr.hcl b/command/test-fixtures/hcl-only-except/build.pkr.hcl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..af9f3fff9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/command/test-fixtures/hcl-only-except/build.pkr.hcl
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+source "file" "chocolate" {
+  content = "chocolate"
+  target = "chocolate.txt"
+}
+
+source "file" "vanilla" {
+  content = "vanilla"
+  target = "vanilla.txt"
+}
+
+source "file" "cherry" {
+  content = "cherry"
+  target = "cherry.txt"
+}
+
+build {
+  sources = [
+    "file.chocolate",
+    "file.vanilla",
+    "file.cherry",
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index ab4e1c120..1dfaa3e69 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/ghodss/yaml v1.0.0 // indirect
 	github.com/go-ini/ini v1.25.4
 	github.com/go-ole/go-ole v1.2.4 // indirect
-	github.com/gobwas/glob v0.2.3 // indirect
+	github.com/gobwas/glob v0.2.3
 	github.com/gocolly/colly v1.2.0
 	github.com/gofrs/flock v0.7.1
 	github.com/golang-collections/collections v0.0.0-20130729185459-604e922904d3
diff --git a/hcl2template/common_test.go b/hcl2template/common_test.go
index d6b9462aa..752055fc4 100644
--- a/hcl2template/common_test.go
+++ b/hcl2template/common_test.go
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ func testParse(t *testing.T, tests []parseTest) {
 				return
 			}
 
-			gotBuilds, gotDiags := tt.parser.getBuilds(gotCfg)
+			gotBuilds, gotDiags := tt.parser.getBuilds(gotCfg, nil, nil)
 			if tt.getBuildsWantDiags == (gotDiags == nil) {
 				t.Fatalf("Parser.getBuilds() unexpected diagnostics. %s", gotDiags)
 			}
diff --git a/hcl2template/types.packer_config.go b/hcl2template/types.packer_config.go
index fe8df0732..ead2d66b1 100644
--- a/hcl2template/types.packer_config.go
+++ b/hcl2template/types.packer_config.go
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/helper/common"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/packer"
 	"github.com/zclconf/go-cty/cty"
+
+	"github.com/gobwas/glob"
 )
 
 // PackerConfig represents a loaded Packer HCL config. It will contain
@@ -248,7 +250,7 @@ func (p *Parser) getCoreBuildPostProcessors(source *SourceBlock, blocks []*PostP
 // getBuilds will return a list of packer Build based on the HCL2 parsed build
 // blocks. All Builders, Provisioners and Post Processors will be started and
 // configured.
-func (p *Parser) getBuilds(cfg *PackerConfig) ([]packer.Build, hcl.Diagnostics) {
+func (p *Parser) getBuilds(cfg *PackerConfig, onlyGlobs []glob.Glob, exceptGlobs []glob.Glob) ([]packer.Build, hcl.Diagnostics) {
 	res := []packer.Build{}
 	var diags hcl.Diagnostics
 
@@ -263,6 +265,38 @@ func (p *Parser) getBuilds(cfg *PackerConfig) ([]packer.Build, hcl.Diagnostics)
 				})
 				continue
 			}
+
+			// Apply the -only and -except command-line options to exclude matching builds.
+			buildName := fmt.Sprintf("%s.%s", src.Type, src.Name)
+
+			// -only
+			if len(onlyGlobs) > 0 {
+				include := false
+				for _, onlyGlob := range onlyGlobs {
+					if onlyGlob.Match(buildName) {
+						include = true
+						break
+					}
+				}
+				if !include {
+					continue
+				}
+			}
+
+			// -except
+			if len(exceptGlobs) > 0 {
+				exclude := false
+				for _, exceptGlob := range exceptGlobs {
+					if exceptGlob.Match(buildName) {
+						exclude = true
+						break
+					}
+				}
+				if exclude {
+					continue
+				}
+			}
+
 			builder, moreDiags, generatedVars := p.startBuilder(src, cfg.EvalContext(nil))
 			diags = append(diags, moreDiags...)
 			if moreDiags.HasErrors() {
@@ -317,6 +351,25 @@ func (p *Parser) getBuilds(cfg *PackerConfig) ([]packer.Build, hcl.Diagnostics)
 	return res, diags
 }
 
+// Convert -only and -except globs to glob.Glob instances.
+func convertFilterOption(patterns []string, optionName string) ([]glob.Glob, hcl.Diagnostics) {
+	var globs []glob.Glob
+	var diags hcl.Diagnostics
+
+	for _, pattern := range patterns {
+		g, err := glob.Compile(pattern)
+		if err != nil {
+			diags = append(diags, &hcl.Diagnostic{
+				Summary:  fmt.Sprintf("Invalid -%s pattern %s: %s", optionName, pattern, err),
+				Severity: hcl.DiagError,
+			})
+		}
+		globs = append(globs, g)
+	}
+
+	return globs, diags
+}
+
 // Parse will parse HCL file(s) in path. Path can be a folder or a file.
 //
 // Parse will first parse variables and then the rest; so that interpolation
@@ -327,12 +380,30 @@ func (p *Parser) getBuilds(cfg *PackerConfig) ([]packer.Build, hcl.Diagnostics)
 //
 // Parse then return a slice of packer.Builds; which are what packer core uses
 // to run builds.
-func (p *Parser) Parse(path string, varFiles []string, argVars map[string]string) ([]packer.Build, hcl.Diagnostics) {
+func (p *Parser) Parse(path string, varFiles []string, argVars map[string]string, onlyBuilds []string, exceptBuilds []string) ([]packer.Build, hcl.Diagnostics) {
+	var onlyGlobs []glob.Glob
+	if len(onlyBuilds) > 0 {
+		og, diags := convertFilterOption(onlyBuilds, "only")
+		if diags.HasErrors() {
+			return nil, diags
+		}
+		onlyGlobs = og
+	}
+
+	var exceptGlobs []glob.Glob
+	if len(exceptBuilds) > 0 {
+		eg, diags := convertFilterOption(exceptBuilds, "except")
+		if diags.HasErrors() {
+			return nil, diags
+		}
+		exceptGlobs = eg
+	}
+
 	cfg, diags := p.parse(path, varFiles, argVars)
 	if diags.HasErrors() {
 		return nil, diags
 	}
 
-	builds, moreDiags := p.getBuilds(cfg)
+	builds, moreDiags := p.getBuilds(cfg, onlyGlobs, exceptGlobs)
 	return builds, append(diags, moreDiags...)
 }
diff --git a/hcl2template/types.packer_config_test.go b/hcl2template/types.packer_config_test.go
index d3f1afce9..45d9c43c5 100644
--- a/hcl2template/types.packer_config_test.go
+++ b/hcl2template/types.packer_config_test.go
@@ -262,3 +262,25 @@ func TestParser_complete(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	testParse(t, tests)
 }
+
+func TestParser_ValidateFilterOption(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		pattern     string
+		expectError bool
+	}{
+		{"*foo*", false},
+		{"foo[]bar", true},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.pattern, func(t *testing.T) {
+			_, diags := convertFilterOption([]string{test.pattern}, "")
+			if diags.HasErrors() && !test.expectError {
+				t.Fatalf("Expected %s to parse as glob", test.pattern)
+			}
+			if !diags.HasErrors() && test.expectError {
+				t.Fatalf("Expected %s to fail to parse as glob", test.pattern)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}