diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index 7d51cae..61c3cb7 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -59,15 +59,16 @@ var _ config = &Config{}
 // UserSettings checks ~/.ssh and /etc/ssh for configuration files. The config
 // files are parsed and cached the first time Get() or GetStrict() is called.
 type UserSettings struct {
-	IgnoreErrors       bool
-	customConfig       *Config
-	customConfigFinder configFinder
-	systemConfig       *Config
-	systemConfigFinder configFinder
-	userConfig         *Config
-	userConfigFinder   configFinder
-	loadConfigs        *sync.Once
-	onceErr            error
+	IgnoreErrors         bool
+	IgnoreMatchDirective bool
+	customConfig         *Config
+	customConfigFinder   configFinder
+	systemConfig         *Config
+	systemConfigFinder   configFinder
+	userConfig           *Config
+	userConfigFinder     configFinder
+	loadConfigs          *sync.Once
+	onceErr              error
 }
 
 func homedir() string {
@@ -87,9 +88,10 @@ func userConfigFinder() string {
 // GetStrict. It checks both $HOME/.ssh/config and /etc/ssh/ssh_config for keys,
 // and it will return parse errors (if any) instead of swallowing them.
 var DefaultUserSettings = &UserSettings{
-	IgnoreErrors:       false,
-	systemConfigFinder: systemConfigFinder,
-	userConfigFinder:   userConfigFinder,
+	IgnoreErrors:         false,
+	IgnoreMatchDirective: false,
+	systemConfigFinder:   systemConfigFinder,
+	userConfigFinder:     userConfigFinder,
 }
 
 func systemConfigFinder() string {
@@ -295,10 +297,11 @@ func (u *UserSettings) doLoadConfigs() {
 		var err error
 		if u.customConfigFinder != nil {
 			filename = u.customConfigFinder()
-			u.customConfig, err = parseFile(filename)
+			u.customConfig, err = parseFile(filename, u.IgnoreMatchDirective)
 			// IsNotExist should be returned because a user specified this
 			// function - not existing likely means they made an error
-			if err != nil {
+			// We should also respect the ignore flag
+			if err != nil && !u.IgnoreErrors {
 				u.onceErr = err
 			}
 			return
@@ -308,7 +311,7 @@ func (u *UserSettings) doLoadConfigs() {
 		} else {
 			filename = u.userConfigFinder()
 		}
-		u.userConfig, err = parseFile(filename)
+		u.userConfig, err = parseFile(filename, u.IgnoreMatchDirective)
 		//lint:ignore S1002 I prefer it this way
 		if err != nil && os.IsNotExist(err) == false {
 			u.onceErr = err
@@ -319,7 +322,7 @@ func (u *UserSettings) doLoadConfigs() {
 		} else {
 			filename = u.systemConfigFinder()
 		}
-		u.systemConfig, err = parseFile(filename)
+		u.systemConfig, err = parseFile(filename, u.IgnoreMatchDirective)
 		//lint:ignore S1002 I prefer it this way
 		if err != nil && os.IsNotExist(err) == false {
 			u.onceErr = err
@@ -335,16 +338,23 @@ func (u *UserSettings) ReloadConfigs() {
 	u.doLoadConfigs()
 }
 
-func parseFile(filename string) (*Config, error) {
-	return parseWithDepth(filename, 0)
+// ReloadConfigs clears the cached config data and freshly loads the config
+// files again.
+func (u *UserSettings) ReloadConfigs() {
+	u.loadConfigs = new(sync.Once)
+	u.doLoadConfigs()
 }
 
-func parseWithDepth(filename string, depth uint8) (*Config, error) {
+func parseFile(filename string, ignoreMatchDirective bool) (*Config, error) {
+	return parseWithDepth(filename, ignoreMatchDirective, 0)
+}
+
+func parseWithDepth(filename string, ignoreMatchDirective bool, depth uint8) (*Config, error) {
 	b, err := os.ReadFile(filename)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	return decodeBytes(b, isSystem(filename), depth)
+	return decodeBytes(b, isSystem(filename), ignoreMatchDirective, depth)
 }
 
 func isSystem(filename string) bool {
@@ -354,21 +364,21 @@ func isSystem(filename string) bool {
 
 // Decode reads r into a Config, or returns an error if r could not be parsed as
 // an SSH config file.
-func Decode(r io.Reader) (*Config, error) {
+func Decode(r io.Reader, ignoreMatchDirective bool) (*Config, error) {
 	b, err := io.ReadAll(r)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	return decodeBytes(b, false, 0)
+	return decodeBytes(b, false, ignoreMatchDirective, 0)
 }
 
 // DecodeBytes reads b into a Config, or returns an error if r could not be
 // parsed as an SSH config file.
-func DecodeBytes(b []byte) (*Config, error) {
-	return decodeBytes(b, false, 0)
+func DecodeBytes(b []byte, ignoreMatchDirective bool) (*Config, error) {
+	return decodeBytes(b, false, ignoreMatchDirective, 0)
 }
 
-func decodeBytes(b []byte, system bool, depth uint8) (c *Config, err error) {
+func decodeBytes(b []byte, system, ignoreMatchDirective bool, depth uint8) (c *Config, err error) {
 	defer func() {
 		if r := recover(); r != nil {
 			if _, ok := r.(runtime.Error); ok {
@@ -382,7 +392,7 @@ func decodeBytes(b []byte, system bool, depth uint8) (c *Config, err error) {
 		}
 	}()
 
-	c = parseSSH(lexSSH(b), system, depth)
+	c = parseSSH(lexSSH(b), system, ignoreMatchDirective, depth)
 	return c, err
 }
 
@@ -390,9 +400,10 @@ func decodeBytes(b []byte, system bool, depth uint8) (c *Config, err error) {
 type Config struct {
 	// A list of hosts to match against. The file begins with an implicit
 	// "Host *" declaration matching all hosts.
-	Hosts    []*Host
-	depth    uint8
-	position Position
+	Hosts                []*Host
+	depth                uint8
+	position             Position
+	ignoreMatchDirective bool
 }
 
 // Get finds the first value in the configuration that matches the alias and
@@ -413,7 +424,7 @@ func (c *Config) Get(alias, key string) (string, error) {
 			case *KV:
 				// "keys are case insensitive" per the spec
 				lkey := strings.ToLower(t.Key)
-				if lkey == "match" {
+				if lkey == "match" && !c.ignoreMatchDirective {
 					panic("can't handle Match directives")
 				}
 				if lkey == lowerKey {
@@ -741,7 +752,8 @@ func removeDups(arr []string) []string {
 // Configuration files are parsed greedily (e.g. as soon as this function runs).
 // Any error encountered while parsing nested configuration files will be
 // returned.
-func NewInclude(directives []string, hasEquals bool, pos Position, comment string, system bool, depth uint8) (*Include, error) {
+func NewInclude(directives []string, hasEquals bool, pos Position, comment string, system, ignoreMatchDirective bool, depth uint8,
+) (*Include, error) {
 	if depth > maxRecurseDepth {
 		return nil, ErrDepthExceeded
 	}
@@ -774,7 +786,7 @@ func NewInclude(directives []string, hasEquals bool, pos Position, comment strin
 	matches = removeDups(matches)
 	inc.matches = matches
 	for i := range matches {
-		config, err := parseWithDepth(matches[i], depth)
+		config, err := parseWithDepth(matches[i], ignoreMatchDirective, depth)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
diff --git a/config_test.go b/config_test.go
index 4b06e4e..6b777f4 100644
--- a/config_test.go
+++ b/config_test.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ var files = []string{
 func TestDecode(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, filename := range files {
 		data := loadFile(t, filename)
-		cfg, err := Decode(bytes.NewReader(data))
+		cfg, err := Decode(bytes.NewReader(data), false)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ func TestIncludeString(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	c, err := Decode(bytes.NewReader(data))
+	c, err := Decode(bytes.NewReader(data), false)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -532,3 +532,29 @@ func TestCustomFinder(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("expected to find User root, got %q", val)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestCustomFinderWhenIgnoringMatchDirective(t *testing.T) {
+	us := &UserSettings{
+		IgnoreMatchDirective: true,
+	}
+	us.ConfigFinder(func() string {
+		return "testdata/config1-with-match-directive"
+	})
+
+	val := us.Get("git.yahoo.com", "HostName")
+	if val != "git.proxy.com" {
+		t.Errorf("expected to find Hostname git.proxy.com, got %q", val)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCustomFinderWhenNotIgnoringMatchDirective(t *testing.T) {
+	us := &UserSettings{}
+	us.ConfigFinder(func() string {
+		return "testdata/config1-with-match-directive"
+	})
+
+	val := us.Get("git.yahoo.com", "HostName")
+	if val != "" {
+		t.Errorf("expected to find Hostname empty %q", val)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/example_test.go b/example_test.go
index a7c16d6..771a287 100644
--- a/example_test.go
+++ b/example_test.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ Host *.example.com
   Compression yes
 `
 
-	cfg, _ := ssh_config.Decode(strings.NewReader(config))
+	cfg, _ := ssh_config.Decode(strings.NewReader(config), false)
 	val, _ := cfg.Get("test.example.com", "Compression")
 	fmt.Println(val)
 	// Output: yes
diff --git a/parser.go b/parser.go
index 2b1e718..ed30810 100644
--- a/parser.go
+++ b/parser.go
@@ -7,11 +7,12 @@ import (
 )
 
 type sshParser struct {
-	flow          chan token
-	config        *Config
-	tokensBuffer  []token
-	currentTable  []string
-	seenTableKeys []string
+	ignoreMatchDirective bool
+	flow                 chan token
+	config               *Config
+	tokensBuffer         []token
+	currentTable         []string
+	seenTableKeys        []string
 	// /etc/ssh parser or local parser - used to find the default for relative
 	// filepaths in the Include directive
 	system bool
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ func (p *sshParser) parseKV() sshParserStateFn {
 		tok = p.getToken()
 		comment = tok.val
 	}
-	if strings.ToLower(key.val) == "match" {
+	if strings.ToLower(key.val) == "match" && !p.ignoreMatchDirective {
 		// https://github.com/kevinburke/ssh_config/issues/6
 		p.raiseErrorf(val, "ssh_config: Match directive parsing is unsupported")
 		return nil
@@ -127,18 +128,20 @@ func (p *sshParser) parseKV() sshParserStateFn {
 		hostval := strings.TrimRightFunc(val.val, unicode.IsSpace)
 		spaceBeforeComment := val.val[len(hostval):]
 		val.val = hostval
+		p.config.ignoreMatchDirective = p.ignoreMatchDirective
 		p.config.Hosts = append(p.config.Hosts, &Host{
 			Patterns:           patterns,
 			Nodes:              make([]Node, 0),
 			EOLComment:         comment,
 			spaceBeforeComment: spaceBeforeComment,
 			hasEquals:          hasEquals,
-		})
+		},
+		)
 		return p.parseStart
 	}
 	lastHost := p.config.Hosts[len(p.config.Hosts)-1]
 	if strings.ToLower(key.val) == "include" {
-		inc, err := NewInclude(strings.Split(val.val, " "), hasEquals, key.Position, comment, p.system, p.depth+1)
+		inc, err := NewInclude(strings.Split(val.val, " "), hasEquals, key.Position, comment, p.system, p.ignoreMatchDirective, p.depth+1)
 		if err == ErrDepthExceeded {
 			p.raiseError(val, err)
 			return nil
@@ -177,7 +180,7 @@ func (p *sshParser) parseComment() sshParserStateFn {
 	return p.parseStart
 }
 
-func parseSSH(flow chan token, system bool, depth uint8) *Config {
+func parseSSH(flow chan token, system, ignoreMatchDirective bool, depth uint8) *Config {
 	// Ensure we consume tokens to completion even if parser exits early
 	defer func() {
 		for range flow {
@@ -187,13 +190,14 @@ func parseSSH(flow chan token, system bool, depth uint8) *Config {
 	result := newConfig()
 	result.position = Position{1, 1}
 	parser := &sshParser{
-		flow:          flow,
-		config:        result,
-		tokensBuffer:  make([]token, 0),
-		currentTable:  make([]string, 0),
-		seenTableKeys: make([]string, 0),
-		system:        system,
-		depth:         depth,
+		ignoreMatchDirective: ignoreMatchDirective,
+		flow:                 flow,
+		config:               result,
+		tokensBuffer:         make([]token, 0),
+		currentTable:         make([]string, 0),
+		seenTableKeys:        make([]string, 0),
+		system:               system,
+		depth:                depth,
 	}
 	parser.run()
 	return result
diff --git a/parser_test.go b/parser_test.go
index ff1ab2f..dc679a4 100644
--- a/parser_test.go
+++ b/parser_test.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ func (b *errReader) Read(p []byte) (n int, err error) {
 
 func TestIOError(t *testing.T) {
 	buf := &errReader{}
-	_, err := Decode(buf)
+	_, err := Decode(buf, false)
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("expected non-nil err, got nil")
 	}
diff --git a/testdata/config1-with-match-directive b/testdata/config1-with-match-directive
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ce7fc1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/config1-with-match-directive
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Match all
+  Include ~/.ssh
+Host *
+  User usr
+Host git.yahoo.com
+  HostName git.proxy.com