diff --git a/internal/provider/common.go b/internal/provider/common.go
index 953e3ac3a..d6c0491a0 100644
--- a/internal/provider/common.go
+++ b/internal/provider/common.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package provider
 
 import (
 	"regexp"
+	"slices"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -17,6 +18,19 @@ var (
 	metadataKeyRegexp = regexp.MustCompile(`^[` + metadataKeyChars + `]+$`)
 )
 
+// MergeTags merges image-level tag filters over default tag filters.
+func MergeTags(defaultTags, imageTags []string) []string {
+	tags := slices.Concat(defaultTags, imageTags)
+	seen := make(map[string]struct{}, len(tags))
+	return slices.DeleteFunc(tags, func(tag string) bool {
+		if _, ok := seen[tag]; ok {
+			return true
+		}
+		seen[tag] = struct{}{}
+		return false
+	})
+}
+
 // ValidateImage returns a standard image through Docker labels
 func ValidateImage(image string, metadata, labels map[string]string, watchByDef bool, defaults *model.Defaults) (img model.Image, err error) {
 	img = model.Image{
@@ -28,8 +42,8 @@ func ValidateImage(image string, metadata, labels map[string]string, watchByDef
 		img.NotifyOn = defaults.NotifyOn
 		img.MaxTags = defaults.MaxTags
 		img.SortTags = defaults.SortTags
-		img.IncludeTags = defaults.IncludeTags
-		img.ExcludeTags = defaults.ExcludeTags
+		img.IncludeTags = MergeTags(defaults.IncludeTags, nil)
+		img.ExcludeTags = MergeTags(defaults.ExcludeTags, nil)
 		img.Metadata = defaults.Metadata
 	}
 
@@ -81,9 +95,9 @@ func ValidateImage(image string, metadata, labels map[string]string, watchByDef
 				return img, errors.Wrapf(err, "cannot parse %q value of label %s", value, key)
 			}
 		case key == "diun.include_tags":
-			img.IncludeTags = strings.Split(value, ";")
+			img.IncludeTags = MergeTags(img.IncludeTags, strings.Split(value, ";"))
 		case key == "diun.exclude_tags":
-			img.ExcludeTags = strings.Split(value, ";")
+			img.ExcludeTags = MergeTags(img.ExcludeTags, strings.Split(value, ";"))
 		case key == "diun.hub_tpl":
 			img.HubTpl = value
 		case key == "diun.hub_link":
diff --git a/internal/provider/common_test.go b/internal/provider/common_test.go
index 1ed6fd7e2..6ee7cedae 100644
--- a/internal/provider/common_test.go
+++ b/internal/provider/common_test.go
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ func TestValidateImage(t *testing.T) {
 			expectedErr: nil,
 		},
 		{
-			name:       "Override default include_tags",
+			name:       "Merge default include_tags",
 			image:      "myimg",
 			watchByDef: true,
 			labels: map[string]string{
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ func TestValidateImage(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			expectedImage: model.Image{
 				Name:        "myimg",
-				IncludeTags: []string{"ubuntu"},
+				IncludeTags: []string{"alpine", "ubuntu"},
 			},
 			expectedErr: nil,
 		},
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ func TestValidateImage(t *testing.T) {
 			expectedErr: nil,
 		},
 		{
-			name:       "Override default exclude_tags",
+			name:       "Merge default exclude_tags",
 			image:      "myimg",
 			watchByDef: true,
 			labels: map[string]string{
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ func TestValidateImage(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			expectedImage: model.Image{
 				Name:        "myimg",
-				ExcludeTags: []string{"ubuntu"},
+				ExcludeTags: []string{"alpine", "ubuntu"},
 			},
 			expectedErr: nil,
 		},
diff --git a/internal/provider/file/file_test.go b/internal/provider/file/file_test.go
index 1e4c6857c..7184a1ced 100644
--- a/internal/provider/file/file_test.go
+++ b/internal/provider/file/file_test.go
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ var (
 				SortTags:  registry.SortTagSemver,
 				MaxTags:   25,
 				IncludeTags: []string{
+					`^(0|[1-9]\d*)\..*`,
 					`^1\.2\..*`,
 				},
 				ExcludeTags: []string{
@@ -120,6 +121,7 @@ var (
 					`^(0|[1-9]\d*)\..*`,
 				},
 				ExcludeTags: []string{
+					`^0\.0\..*`,
 					`latest`,
 				},
 			},
@@ -183,6 +185,7 @@ var (
 				SortTags:  registry.SortTagReverse,
 				MaxTags:   25,
 				IncludeTags: []string{
+					`^(0|[1-9]\d*)\..*`,
 					`^1\..*`,
 				},
 				ExcludeTags: []string{
diff --git a/internal/provider/file/image.go b/internal/provider/file/image.go
index 33e9e83c7..7a69d1a6d 100644
--- a/internal/provider/file/image.go
+++ b/internal/provider/file/image.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/containerd/platforms"
 	"github.com/crazy-max/diun/v4/internal/model"
+	"github.com/crazy-max/diun/v4/internal/provider"
 	ocispecs "github.com/opencontainers/image-spec/specs-go/v1"
 	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
 )
@@ -88,15 +89,8 @@ func (c *Client) listFileImage() []model.Image {
 				item.MaxTags = c.defaults.MaxTags
 			}
 
-			// Set default IncludeTags
-			if len(item.IncludeTags) == 0 {
-				item.IncludeTags = c.defaults.IncludeTags
-			}
-
-			// Set default ExcludeTags
-			if len(item.ExcludeTags) == 0 {
-				item.ExcludeTags = c.defaults.ExcludeTags
-			}
+			item.IncludeTags = provider.MergeTags(c.defaults.IncludeTags, item.IncludeTags)
+			item.ExcludeTags = provider.MergeTags(c.defaults.ExcludeTags, item.ExcludeTags)
 
 			images = append(images, item)
 		}