diff --git a/autoload/youcompleteme.vim b/autoload/youcompleteme.vim
index cb89b180..dd848c32 100644
--- a/autoload/youcompleteme.vim
+++ b/autoload/youcompleteme.vim
@@ -27,6 +27,12 @@ let s:completion_start_column = 0
 let g:ycm_min_num_of_chars_for_completion = 2
 
 function! youcompleteme#Enable()
+  " If the user set the current filetype as a filetype that YCM should ignore,
+  " then we don't do anything
+  if get( g:ycm_filetypes_to_ignore, &filetype, 0 )
+    return
+  endif
+
   augroup youcompleteme
     autocmd!
     autocmd CursorMovedI * call s:OnMovedI()
diff --git a/plugin/youcompleteme.vim b/plugin/youcompleteme.vim
index 52445107..d3e770d0 100644
--- a/plugin/youcompleteme.vim
+++ b/plugin/youcompleteme.vim
@@ -25,6 +25,14 @@ elseif v:version < 703 || !has( 'patch584' )
 endif
 let g:loaded_youcompleteme = 1
 
+if !exists( 'g:ycm_min_num_of_chars_for_completion' )
+  let g:ycm_min_num_of_chars_for_completion = 2
+endif
+
+if !exists( 'g:ycm_filetypes_to_ignore' )
+  let g:ycm_filetypes_to_ignore = { 'notes' : 1 }
+endif
+
 " This is basic vim plugin boilerplate
 let s:save_cpo = &cpo
 set cpo&vim