diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 Changelog for ghcid (* = breaking change)
 
+0.8.3, released 2020-03-10
+    #306, fix --target to work on exe: targets
 0.8.2, released 2020-03-08
     #302, --target option for specifying targets for cabal repl
     #300, restart on file changes detected by --restart=dir/
diff --git a/ghcid.cabal b/ghcid.cabal
--- a/ghcid.cabal
+++ b/ghcid.cabal
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 cabal-version:      >= 1.18
 build-type:         Simple
 name:               ghcid
-version:            0.8.2
+version:            0.8.3
 license:            BSD3
 license-file:       LICENSE
 category:           Development
diff --git a/src/Ghcid.hs b/src/Ghcid.hs
--- a/src/Ghcid.hs
+++ b/src/Ghcid.hs
@@ -147,7 +147,8 @@
         stack <- firstJustM findStack [".",".."] -- stack file might be parent, see #62
 
         let cabal = map (curdir </>) $ filter ((==) ".cabal" . takeExtension) files
-        let opts = ["-fno-code" | null test && null run && not allow_eval] ++ ghciFlagsRequired ++ ghciFlagsUseful
+        let isLib = isPrefixOf "lib:"
+        let opts = ["-fno-code" | null test && null run && not allow_eval && all isLib target] ++ ghciFlagsRequired ++ ghciFlagsUseful
         pure $ case () of
             _ | Just stack <- stack ->
                 let flags = if null arguments then