diff --git a/lib/mongoid/loadable.rb b/lib/mongoid/loadable.rb
index bb3f6d8205..63bde8edaf 100644
--- a/lib/mongoid/loadable.rb
+++ b/lib/mongoid/loadable.rb
@@ -10,6 +10,13 @@ module Loadable
     # (See #model_paths.)
     DEFAULT_MODEL_PATHS = %w( ./app/models ./lib/models ).freeze
 
+    # The default list of glob patterns that match paths to ignore when loading
+    # models. Defaults to '*/models/concerns/*', which Rails uses for extensions
+    # to models (and which cause errors when loaded out of order).
+    #
+    # See #ignore_patterns.
+    DEFAULT_IGNORE_PATTERNS = %w( */models/concerns/* ).freeze
+
     # Search a list of model paths to get every model and require it, so
     # that indexing and inheritance work in both development and production
     # with the same results.
@@ -24,17 +31,47 @@ module Loadable
     #   for model files. These must either be absolute paths, or relative to
     #   the current working directory.
     def load_models(paths = model_paths)
-      paths.each do |path|
-        if preload_models.resizable?
-          files = preload_models.map { |model| "#{path}/#{model.underscore}.rb" }
+      files = files_under_paths(paths)
+
+      files.sort.each do |file|
+        load_model(file)
+      end
+
+      nil
+    end
+
+    # Given a list of paths, return all ruby files under that path (or, if
+    # `preload_models` is a list of model names, returns only the files for
+    # those named models).
+    #
+    # @param [ Array<String> ] paths the list of paths to search
+    #
+    # @return [ Array<String> ] the normalized file names, suitable for loading
+    #   via `require_dependency` or `require`.
+    def files_under_paths(paths)
+      paths.flat_map { |path| files_under_path(path) }
+    end
+
+    # Given a single path, returns all ruby files under that path (or, if
+    # `preload_models` is a list of model names, returns only the files for
+    # those named models).
+    #
+    # @param [ String ] path the path to search
+    #
+    # @return [ Array<String> ] the normalized file names, suitable for loading
+    #   via `require_dependency` or `require`.
+    def files_under_path(path)
+      files = if preload_models.resizable?
+          preload_models.
+            map { |model| "#{path}/#{model.underscore}.rb" }.
+            select { |file_name| File.exists?(file_name) }
         else
-          files = Dir.glob("#{path}/**/*.rb")
+          Dir.glob("#{path}/**/*.rb").
+            reject { |file_name| ignored?(file_name) }
         end
 
-        files.sort.each do |file|
-          load_model(file.gsub(/^#{path}\// , "").gsub(/\.rb$/, ""))
-        end
-      end
+      # strip the path and the suffix from each entry
+      files.map { |file| file.gsub(/^#{path}\// , "").gsub(/\.rb$/, "") }
     end
 
     # A convenience method for loading a model's file. If Rails'
@@ -71,6 +108,14 @@ def model_paths
         DEFAULT_MODEL_PATHS
     end
 
+    # Returns the array of glob patterns that determine whether a given
+    # path should be ignored by the model loader.
+    #
+    # @return [ Array<String> ] the array of ignore patterns
+    def ignore_patterns
+      @ignore_patterns ||= DEFAULT_IGNORE_PATTERNS.dup
+    end
+
     # Sets the model paths to the given array of paths. These are the paths
     # where the application's model definitions are located.
     #
@@ -78,6 +123,25 @@ def model_paths
     def model_paths=(paths)
       @model_paths = paths
     end
+
+    # Sets the ignore patterns to the given array of patterns. These are glob
+    # patterns that determine whether a given path should be ignored by the
+    # model loader or not.
+    #
+    # @param [ Array<String> ] patterns The list of glob patterns
+    def ignore_patterns=(patterns)
+      @ignore_patterns = patterns
+    end
+
+    # Returns true if the given file path matches any of the ignore patterns.
+    #
+    # @param [ String ] file_path The file path to consider
+    #
+    # @return [ true | false ] whether or not the given file path should be
+    #   ignored.
+    def ignored?(file_path)
+      ignore_patterns.any? { |pattern| File.fnmatch?(pattern, file_path) }
+    end
   end
 
 end
diff --git a/spec/mongoid/loadable_spec.rb b/spec/mongoid/loadable_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e0277dbfbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/mongoid/loadable_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe Mongoid::Loadable do
+  let(:lib_dir) { Pathname.new('../../lib').realpath(__dir__) }
+
+  shared_context 'with ignore_patterns' do
+    around do |example|
+      saved = Mongoid.ignore_patterns
+      Mongoid.ignore_patterns = ignore_patterns
+      example.run
+    ensure
+      Mongoid.ignore_patterns = saved
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#ignore_patterns' do
+    context 'when not explicitly set' do
+      it 'equals the default list of ignore patterns' do
+        expect(Mongoid.ignore_patterns).to eq Mongoid::Loadable::DEFAULT_IGNORE_PATTERNS
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when explicitly set' do
+      include_context 'with ignore_patterns'
+
+      let(:ignore_patterns) { %w[ pattern1 pattern2 ] }
+
+      it 'equals the list of specified patterns' do
+        expect(Mongoid.ignore_patterns).to eq ignore_patterns
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#files_under_path' do
+    let(:results) { Mongoid.files_under_path(lib_dir) }
+
+    include_context 'with ignore_patterns'
+
+    context 'when ignore_patterns is empty' do
+      let(:ignore_patterns) { [] }
+
+      it 'returns all ruby files' do
+        expect(results.length).to be > 10 # should be a bunch of them
+        expect(results).to include('rails/mongoid')
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when ignore_patterns is not empty' do
+      let(:ignore_patterns) { %w[ */rails/* ] }
+
+      it 'omits the ignored paths' do
+        expect(results.length).to be > 10 # should be a bunch of them
+        expect(results).not_to include('rails/mongoid')
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe '#files_under_paths' do
+    let(:paths) { [ lib_dir.join('mongoid'), lib_dir.join('rails') ] }
+    let(:results) { Mongoid.files_under_paths(paths) }
+
+    include_context 'with ignore_patterns'
+
+    context 'when ignore_patterns is empty' do
+      let(:ignore_patterns) { [] }
+
+      it 'returns all ruby files' do
+        expect(results.length).to be > 10 # should be a bunch
+        expect(results).to include('generators/mongoid/model/model_generator')
+        expect(results).to include('fields/encrypted')
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when ignore_patterns is not empty' do
+      let(:ignore_patterns) { %w[ */model/* */fields/* ] }
+
+      it 'returns all ruby files' do
+        expect(results.length).to be > 10 # should be a bunch
+        expect(results).not_to include('generators/mongoid/model/model_generator')
+        expect(results).not_to include('fields/encrypted')
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end