diff --git a/libdftw.h b/libdftw.h
index 4aa7a0d..2666b85 100644
--- a/libdftw.h
+++ b/libdftw.h
@@ -16,6 +16,14 @@ enum {
 #define FTW_NS	 FTW_NS
 };
 
+#define DFTW_CONTINUE 0
+#define DFTW_SKIP_SUBTREE 1
+
+/*
+ * Callbacks should return DFTW_CONTINUE to continue traversal. Returning
+ * DFTW_SKIP_SUBTREE from an FTW_D callback skips descending into that
+ * directory while allowing the walk to continue elsewhere.
+ */
 void dftw(const char *dirpath,
         int (*fn) (const char *fpath, const struct stat *sb, int typeflag));
 
diff --git a/libdftw/dftw.c b/libdftw/dftw.c
index 2193c07..795e7de 100644
--- a/libdftw/dftw.c
+++ b/libdftw/dftw.c
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
+#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <libcircle.h>
 
 #include <dirent.h>
 #include <limits.h>
-#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ void DFTW_create(CIRCLE_handle* handle)
 void DFTW_process(CIRCLE_handle* handle)
 {
     struct stat st;
+    int cb_rc = DFTW_CONTINUE;
     int status = 0;
 
     char temp[CIRCLE_MAX_STRING_LEN];
@@ -51,8 +52,10 @@ void DFTW_process(CIRCLE_handle* handle)
     }
 
     else if(S_ISDIR(st.st_mode) && !(S_ISLNK(st.st_mode))) {
-        _DFTW_CB(temp, &st, FTW_D);
-        DFTW_process_dir(temp, handle);
+        cb_rc = _DFTW_CB(temp, &st, FTW_D);
+        if(cb_rc == DFTW_CONTINUE) {
+            DFTW_process_dir(temp, handle);
+        }
     }
     else if(S_ISREG(st.st_mode)) {
         _DFTW_CB(temp, &st, FTW_F);