diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index c27eea98..0033b26f 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 1.9.7.dev0
  * #968: Fix for a "spot" check error when a filename in the most recent archive contains a newline.
  * #970: Fix for an error when there's a blank line in the configured patterns or excludes.
+ * #971: Fix for "exclude_from" files being completely ignored.
 
 1.9.6
  * #959: Fix an error in the Btrfs hook when a subvolume mounted at "/" is configured in borgmatic's
diff --git a/borgmatic/actions/create.py b/borgmatic/actions/create.py
index d0d88385..126f791d 100644
--- a/borgmatic/actions/create.py
+++ b/borgmatic/actions/create.py
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ def collect_patterns(config):
                     borgmatic.borg.pattern.Pattern_type.EXCLUDE,
                     borgmatic.borg.pattern.Pattern_style.FNMATCH,
                 )
-                for filename in config.get('excludes_from', ())
+                for filename in config.get('exclude_from', ())
                 for exclude_line in open(filename).readlines()
                 if not exclude_line.lstrip().startswith('#')
                 if exclude_line.strip()
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ def collect_patterns(config):
     except (FileNotFoundError, OSError) as error:
         logger.debug(error)
 
-        raise ValueError(f'Cannot read patterns_from/excludes_from file: {error.filename}')
+        raise ValueError(f'Cannot read patterns_from/exclude_from file: {error.filename}')
 
 
 def expand_directory(directory, working_directory):
diff --git a/tests/unit/actions/test_create.py b/tests/unit/actions/test_create.py
index 4c5ecf80..523e3dbc 100644
--- a/tests/unit/actions/test_create.py
+++ b/tests/unit/actions/test_create.py
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ def test_collect_patterns_errors_on_missing_config_patterns_from_file():
         module.collect_patterns({'patterns_from': ['file1.txt', 'file2.txt']})
 
 
-def test_collect_patterns_reads_config_excludes_from_file():
+def test_collect_patterns_reads_config_exclude_from_file():
     builtins = flexmock(sys.modules['builtins'])
     builtins.should_receive('open').with_args('file1.txt').and_return(io.StringIO('/foo'))
     builtins.should_receive('open').with_args('file2.txt').and_return(
@@ -94,20 +94,20 @@ def test_collect_patterns_reads_config_excludes_from_file():
     flexmock(module).should_receive('parse_pattern').with_args('   ').never()
     flexmock(module).should_receive('parse_pattern').with_args('/baz').and_return(Pattern('/baz'))
 
-    assert module.collect_patterns({'excludes_from': ['file1.txt', 'file2.txt']}) == (
+    assert module.collect_patterns({'exclude_from': ['file1.txt', 'file2.txt']}) == (
         Pattern('/foo', Pattern_type.EXCLUDE, Pattern_style.FNMATCH),
         Pattern('/bar', Pattern_type.EXCLUDE, Pattern_style.FNMATCH),
         Pattern('/baz', Pattern_type.EXCLUDE, Pattern_style.FNMATCH),
     )
 
 
-def test_collect_patterns_errors_on_missing_config_excludes_from_file():
+def test_collect_patterns_errors_on_missing_config_exclude_from_file():
     builtins = flexmock(sys.modules['builtins'])
     builtins.should_receive('open').with_args('file1.txt').and_raise(OSError)
     flexmock(module).should_receive('parse_pattern').never()
 
     with pytest.raises(ValueError):
-        module.collect_patterns({'excludes_from': ['file1.txt', 'file2.txt']})
+        module.collect_patterns({'exclude_from': ['file1.txt', 'file2.txt']})
 
 
 def test_expand_directory_with_basic_path_passes_it_through():