diff --git a/filter/doc.go b/filter/doc.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4e0ba0f4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/filter/doc.go
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+// Package filter implements filters for files similar to filepath.Glob, but
+// in contrast to filepath.Glob a pattern may specify directories.
+//
+// For a list of valid patterns please see the documentation on filepath.Glob.
+package filter
diff --git a/filter/filter.go b/filter/filter.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..493483a88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/filter/filter.go
@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+package filter
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+// ErrBadString is returned when Match is called with the empty string as the
+// second argument.
+var ErrBadString = errors.New("filter.Match: string is empty")
+
+// Match returns true if str matches the pattern. When the pattern is
+// malformed, filepath.ErrBadPattern is returned. The empty pattern matches
+// everything, when str is the empty string ErrBadString is returned.
+//
+// Pattern can be a combination of patterns suitable for filepath.Match, joined
+// by filepath.Separator.
+func Match(pattern, str string) (matched bool, err error) {
+	if pattern == "" {
+		return true, nil
+	}
+
+	if str == "" {
+		return false, ErrBadString
+	}
+
+	patterns := strings.Split(pattern, string(filepath.Separator))
+	strs := strings.Split(str, string(filepath.Separator))
+
+	return match(patterns, strs)
+}
+
+func match(patterns, strs []string) (matched bool, err error) {
+	if len(patterns) == 0 && len(strs) == 0 {
+		return true, nil
+	}
+
+	if len(patterns) <= len(strs) {
+	outer:
+		for offset := len(strs) - len(patterns); offset >= 0; offset-- {
+
+			for i := len(patterns) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
+				ok, err := filepath.Match(patterns[i], strs[offset+i])
+				if err != nil {
+					return false, err
+				}
+
+				if !ok {
+					continue outer
+				}
+			}
+
+			return true, nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false, nil
+}
+
+// MatchList returns true if str matches one of the patterns.
+func MatchList(patterns []string, str string) (matched bool, err error) {
+	for _, pat := range patterns {
+		matched, err = Match(pat, str)
+		if err != nil {
+			return false, err
+		}
+
+		if matched {
+			return true, nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false, nil
+}
+
+// matchList returns true if str matches one of the patterns.
+func matchList(patterns [][]string, str []string) (matched bool, err error) {
+	for _, pat := range patterns {
+		matched, err = match(pat, str)
+		if err != nil {
+			return false, err
+		}
+
+		if matched {
+			return true, nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false, nil
+}
+
+// Filter contains include and exclude patterns. If both lists of patterns are
+// empty, all files are accepted.
+type Filter struct {
+	include, exclude [][]string
+}
+
+// New returns a new filter with the given include/exclude lists of patterns.
+func New(include, exclude []string) *Filter {
+	f := &Filter{}
+
+	for _, pat := range include {
+		f.include = append(f.include, strings.Split(pat, string(filepath.Separator)))
+	}
+
+	for _, pat := range exclude {
+		f.exclude = append(f.exclude, strings.Split(pat, string(filepath.Separator)))
+	}
+
+	return f
+}
+
+// Match tests a filename against the filter. If include and exclude patterns
+// are both empty, true is returned.
+//
+// If only include patterns and no exclude patterns are configured, true is
+// returned iff name matches one of the include patterns.
+//
+// If only exclude patterns and no include patterns are configured, true is
+// returned iff name does not match all of the exclude patterns.
+func (f Filter) Match(name string) (matched bool, err error) {
+	if name == "" {
+		return false, ErrBadString
+	}
+
+	if len(f.include) == 0 && len(f.exclude) == 0 {
+		return true, nil
+	}
+
+	names := strings.Split(name, string(filepath.Separator))
+	if len(f.exclude) == 0 {
+		return matchList(f.include, names)
+	}
+
+	if len(f.include) == 0 {
+		match, err := matchList(f.exclude, names)
+		return !match, err
+	}
+
+	excluded, err := matchList(f.exclude, names)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+
+	if !excluded {
+		return true, nil
+	}
+
+	return matchList(f.include, names)
+}
diff --git a/filter/filter_test.go b/filter/filter_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cd21ec054
--- /dev/null
+++ b/filter/filter_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,325 @@
+package filter_test
+
+import (
+	"bufio"
+	"compress/bzip2"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/restic/restic/filter"
+)
+
+var matchTests = []struct {
+	pattern string
+	path    string
+	match   bool
+}{
+	{"", "", true},
+	{"", "foo", true},
+	{"", "/x/y/z/foo", true},
+	{"*.go", "/foo/bar/test.go", true},
+	{"*.c", "/foo/bar/test.go", false},
+	{"*", "/foo/bar/test.go", true},
+	{"foo*", "/foo/bar/test.go", true},
+	{"bar*", "/foo/bar/test.go", true},
+	{"/bar*", "/foo/bar/test.go", false},
+	{"bar/*", "/foo/bar/test.go", true},
+	{"baz/*", "/foo/bar/test.go", false},
+	{"bar/test.go", "/foo/bar/test.go", true},
+	{"bar/*.go", "/foo/bar/test.go", true},
+	{"ba*/*.go", "/foo/bar/test.go", true},
+	{"bb*/*.go", "/foo/bar/test.go", false},
+	{"test.*", "/foo/bar/test.go", true},
+	{"tesT.*", "/foo/bar/test.go", false},
+	{"bar/*", "/foo/bar/baz", true},
+	{"bar", "/foo/bar", true},
+	{"bar", "/foo/bar/baz", true},
+	{"bar", "/foo/bar/test.go", true},
+	{"/foo/*test.*", "/foo/bar/test.go", false},
+	{"/foo/*/test.*", "/foo/bar/test.go", true},
+	{"/foo/*/bar/test.*", "/foo/bar/test.go", false},
+	{"/*/*/bar/test.*", "/foo/bar/test.go", false},
+	{"/*/*/bar/test.*", "/foo/bar/baz/test.go", false},
+	{"/*/*/baz/test.*", "/foo/bar/baz/test.go", true},
+	{"/*/foo/bar/test.*", "/foo/bar/baz/test.go", false},
+	{"/*/foo/bar/test.*", "/foo/bar/baz/test.go", false},
+	{"/foo/bar/test.*", "bar/baz/test.go", false},
+	{"/x/y/bar/baz/test.*", "bar/baz/test.go", false},
+	{"/x/y/bar/baz/test.c", "bar/baz/test.go", false},
+	{"baz/test.*", "bar/baz/test.go", true},
+	{"baz/tesT.*", "bar/baz/test.go", false},
+	{"test.go", "bar/baz/test.go", true},
+	{"*.go", "bar/baz/test.go", true},
+	{"*.c", "bar/baz/test.go", false},
+	{"sdk", "/foo/bar/sdk", true},
+	{"sdk", "/foo/bar/sdk/test/sdk_foo.go", true},
+	{"sdk/*/cpp/*/*vars*.html", "/usr/share/doc/libreoffice/sdk/docs/cpp/ref/a00517.html", false},
+}
+
+func TestMatch(t *testing.T) {
+	for i, test := range matchTests {
+		match, err := filter.Match(test.pattern, test.path)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("test %d failed: expected no error for pattern %q, but error returned: %v",
+				i, test.pattern, err)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if match != test.match {
+			t.Errorf("test %d: filter.Match(%q, %q): expected %v, got %v",
+				i, test.pattern, test.path, test.match, match)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func ExampleMatch() {
+	match, _ := filter.Match("*.go", "/home/user/file.go")
+	fmt.Printf("match: %v\n", match)
+	// Output:
+	// match: true
+}
+
+func ExampleMatch_wildcards() {
+	match, _ := filter.Match("/home/[uU]ser/?.go", "/home/user/F.go")
+	fmt.Printf("match: %v\n", match)
+	// Output:
+	// match: true
+}
+
+var filterListTests = []struct {
+	patterns []string
+	path     string
+	match    bool
+}{
+	{[]string{"*.go"}, "/foo/bar/test.go", true},
+	{[]string{"*.c"}, "/foo/bar/test.go", false},
+	{[]string{"*.go", "*.c"}, "/foo/bar/test.go", true},
+	{[]string{"*"}, "/foo/bar/test.go", true},
+	{[]string{"x"}, "/foo/bar/test.go", false},
+	{[]string{"?"}, "/foo/bar/test.go", false},
+	{[]string{"?", "x"}, "/foo/bar/x", true},
+	{[]string{"/*/*/bar/test.*"}, "/foo/bar/test.go", false},
+	{[]string{"/*/*/bar/test.*", "*.go"}, "/foo/bar/test.go", true},
+}
+
+func TestMatchList(t *testing.T) {
+	for i, test := range filterListTests {
+		match, err := filter.MatchList(test.patterns, test.path)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("test %d failed: expected no error for patterns %q, but error returned: %v",
+				i, test.patterns, err)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if match != test.match {
+			t.Errorf("test %d: filter.MatchList(%q, %q): expected %v, got %v",
+				i, test.patterns, test.path, test.match, match)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func ExampleMatchList() {
+	match, _ := filter.MatchList([]string{"*.c", "*.go"}, "/home/user/file.go")
+	fmt.Printf("match: %v\n", match)
+	// Output:
+	// match: true
+}
+
+func extractTestLines(t testing.TB) (lines []string) {
+	f, err := os.Open("testdata/libreoffice.txt.bz2")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	defer func() {
+		if err := f.Close(); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+	}()
+
+	sc := bufio.NewScanner(bzip2.NewReader(f))
+	for sc.Scan() {
+		lines = append(lines, sc.Text())
+	}
+
+	return lines
+}
+
+func TestFilterPatternsFile(t *testing.T) {
+	lines := extractTestLines(t)
+
+	var testPatterns = []struct {
+		pattern string
+		hits    uint
+	}{
+		{"*.html", 18249},
+		{"sdk", 22186},
+		{"sdk/*/cpp/*/*vars.html", 3},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range testPatterns {
+		var c uint
+		for _, line := range lines {
+			match, err := filter.Match(test.pattern, line)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Error(err)
+				continue
+			}
+
+			if match {
+				c++
+				// fmt.Printf("pattern %q, line %q\n", test.pattern, line)
+			}
+		}
+
+		if c != test.hits {
+			t.Errorf("wrong number of hits for pattern %q: want %d, got %d",
+				test.pattern, test.hits, c)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func BenchmarkFilterLines(b *testing.B) {
+	pattern := "sdk/*/cpp/*/*vars.html"
+	lines := extractTestLines(b)
+	var c uint
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		c = 0
+		for _, line := range lines {
+			match, err := filter.Match(pattern, line)
+			if err != nil {
+				b.Fatal(err)
+			}
+
+			if match {
+				c++
+			}
+		}
+
+		if c != 3 {
+			b.Fatalf("wrong number of matches: expected 3, got %d", c)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func BenchmarkFilterSingle(b *testing.B) {
+	pattern := "sdk/*/cpp/*/*vars.html"
+	line := "/usr/share/doc/libreoffice/sdk/docs/cpp/ref/a00517.html"
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		filter.Match(pattern, line)
+	}
+}
+
+type test struct {
+	path  string
+	match bool
+}
+
+var filterTests = []struct {
+	include, exclude []string
+	tests            []test
+}{
+	{
+		[]string{"*.go", "/home/user"},
+		[]string{},
+		[]test{
+			{"/home/user/foo/test.c", true},
+			{"/home/user/foo/test.go", true},
+			{"/home/foo/test.go", true},
+			{"/home/foo/test.doc", false},
+			{"/x", false},
+			{"main.go", true},
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		nil,
+		[]string{"*.docx", "*.xlsx"},
+		[]test{
+			{"/home/user/foo/test.c", true},
+			{"/home/user/foo/test.docx", false},
+			{"/home/foo/test.xlsx", false},
+			{"/home/foo/test.doc", true},
+			{"/x", true},
+			{"main.go", true},
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		[]string{"accounting.*", "*Partner*"},
+		[]string{"*.docx", "*.xlsx"},
+		[]test{
+			// {"/home/user/foo/test.c", true},
+			{"/home/user/Partner/test.docx", true},
+			{"/home/user/bar/test.docx", false},
+			{"/home/user/test.xlsx", false},
+			{"/home/foo/test.doc", true},
+			{"/x", true},
+			{"main.go", true},
+			{"/users/A/accounting.xlsx", true},
+			{"/users/A/Calculation Partner.xlsx", true},
+		},
+	},
+}
+
+func TestFilter(t *testing.T) {
+	for i, test := range filterTests {
+		f := filter.New(test.include, test.exclude)
+
+		for _, testfile := range test.tests {
+			matched, err := f.Match(testfile.path)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Error(err)
+			}
+
+			if matched != testfile.match {
+				t.Errorf("test %d: filter.Match(%q): expected %v, got %v",
+					i, testfile.path, testfile.match, matched)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func BenchmarkFilter(b *testing.B) {
+	lines := extractTestLines(b)
+	f := filter.New([]string{"sdk", "*.html"}, []string{"*.png"})
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		for _, line := range lines {
+			f.Match(line)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func BenchmarkFilterInclude(b *testing.B) {
+	lines := extractTestLines(b)
+	f := filter.New([]string{"sdk", "*.html"}, nil)
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		for _, line := range lines {
+			f.Match(line)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func BenchmarkFilterExclude(b *testing.B) {
+	lines := extractTestLines(b)
+	f := filter.New(nil, []string{"*.png"})
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		for _, line := range lines {
+			f.Match(line)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/filter/testdata/libreoffice.txt.bz2 b/filter/testdata/libreoffice.txt.bz2
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..adc90f2e2
Binary files /dev/null and b/filter/testdata/libreoffice.txt.bz2 differ