diff --git a/client/handler.go b/client/handler.go
index a3bcdc90985..5b023787f9d 100644
--- a/client/handler.go
+++ b/client/handler.go
@@ -511,8 +511,8 @@ func (h *Handler) listOAuth2Clients(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, ps h
 	filters := Filter{
 		Limit:  itemsPerPage,
 		Offset: page * itemsPerPage,
-		Name:   r.URL.Query().Get("client_name"),
-		Owner:  r.URL.Query().Get("owner"),
+		Name:   field(r.URL.Query().Get("client_name")),
+		Owner:  field(r.URL.Query().Get("owner")),
 	}
 
 	c, err := h.r.ClientManager().GetClients(r.Context(), filters)
diff --git a/client/manager.go b/client/manager.go
index b4c54cb3b2a..8879fad3fa5 100644
--- a/client/manager.go
+++ b/client/manager.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package client
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/ory/fosite"
 )
@@ -21,11 +22,27 @@ type Filter struct {
 
 	// The name of the clients to filter by.
 	// in: query
-	Name string `json:"client_name"`
+	Name field `json:"client_name"`
 
 	// The owner of the clients to filter by.
 	// in: query
-	Owner string `json:"owner"`
+	Owner field `json:"owner"`
+}
+
+type field string
+
+func (f field) Value() string {
+	if f.IsNegated() {
+		return string(f[2:])
+	}
+	if strings.HasPrefix(string(f), "=") {
+		return string(f[1:])
+	}
+	return string(f)
+}
+
+func (f field) IsNegated() bool {
+	return strings.HasPrefix(string(f), "!=")
 }
 
 type Manager interface {
diff --git a/persistence/sql/persister_client.go b/persistence/sql/persister_client.go
index c85893c1df8..e79d22de0f5 100644
--- a/persistence/sql/persister_client.go
+++ b/persistence/sql/persister_client.go
@@ -147,10 +147,18 @@ func (p *Persister) GetClients(ctx context.Context, filters client.Filter) (_ []
 		Order("id")
 
 	if filters.Name != "" {
-		query.Where("client_name = ?", filters.Name)
+		stmt := "client_name = ?"
+		if filters.Name.IsNegated() {
+			stmt = "client_name != ?"
+		}
+		query.Where(stmt, filters.Name.Value())
 	}
 	if filters.Owner != "" {
-		query.Where("owner = ?", filters.Owner)
+		stmt := "owner = ?"
+		if filters.Name.IsNegated() {
+			stmt = "owner != ?"
+		}
+		query.Where(stmt, filters.Owner.Value())
 	}
 
 	if err := query.All(&cs); err != nil {