diff --git a/giftwrap/build_spec.py b/giftwrap/build_spec.py
index c9d6105..36c7cb3 100644
--- a/giftwrap/build_spec.py
+++ b/giftwrap/build_spec.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ from giftwrap.settings import Settings
 class BuildSpec(object):
 
     def __init__(self, manifest, version, build_type=None, parallel=True,
-                 limit_projects=None):
+                 limit_projects=None, project_filter=None):
         self._manifest = yaml.load(manifest)
         self.version = version
         self.build_type = build_type
@@ -38,8 +38,10 @@ class BuildSpec(object):
             parallel = False
         manifest_settings['parallel_build'] = parallel
         self.settings = Settings.factory(manifest_settings)
+        self.project_filter = project_filter
         self.projects = self._render_projects(limit_projects)
 
+
     def _render_projects(self, limit_projects):
         if 'superrepo' in self._manifest:
             if 'projects' not in self._manifest:
@@ -97,4 +99,9 @@ class BuildSpec(object):
                     projects.append(OpenstackProject.factory(self.settings,
                                                              project,
                                                              project_version))
+        if self.project_filter:
+            for project in projects:
+                if project.name in self.project_filter:
+                    projects.remove(project)
+
         return projects
diff --git a/giftwrap/settings.py b/giftwrap/settings.py
index 0e18d7c..6df9787 100644
--- a/giftwrap/settings.py
+++ b/giftwrap/settings.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class Settings(object):
                  package_name_format=None, version=None,
                  base_path=None, install_path=None, gerrit_dependencies=True,
                  force_overwrite=False, output_dir=None, include_config=True,
-                 parallel_build=True, constraints=None):
+                 parallel_build=True, constraints=None, project_filter=None):
         if not version:
             raise Exception("'version' is a required settings")
         if constraints is None:
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ class Settings(object):
         self.include_config = include_config
         self.parallel_build = parallel_build
         self.constraints = constraints
+        self.project_filter = project_filter
 
     @property
     def package_name_format(self):
diff --git a/giftwrap/shell.py b/giftwrap/shell.py
index c329302..f653e72 100644
--- a/giftwrap/shell.py
+++ b/giftwrap/shell.py
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ def build(args):
             manifest = fh.read()
 
         buildspec = BuildSpec(manifest, args.version, args.type, args.parallel,
-                              args.projects)
+                              args.projects, args.project_filter)
         builder = BuilderFactory.create_builder(args.type, buildspec)
 
         def _signal_handler(*args):
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ def main():
             return arg.split(',')
 
     build_subcmd.add_argument('-p', '--projects', type=csvarg, dest='projects')
+    build_subcmd.add_argument('-f', '--filter', type=csvarg,
+                              dest='project_filter')
     build_subcmd.set_defaults(func=build)
 
     args = parser.parse_args()
diff --git a/giftwrap/tests/test_buildspec.py b/giftwrap/tests/test_buildspec.py
index 51fc4b6..e107ad2 100644
--- a/giftwrap/tests/test_buildspec.py
+++ b/giftwrap/tests/test_buildspec.py
@@ -116,7 +116,46 @@ class TestBuildSpec(unittest.TestCase):
                               parentrepo.working_tree_dir,
                               childrepo2,
                               childrepo)
+        
+    @utils.make_test_repo("parentrepo")
+    @utils.make_test_repo("childrepo2")
+    @utils.make_test_repo("childrepo")
+    @utils.make_test_repo("reqrepo")
+    def test_build_spec_superrepo_filters(self,
+                                  parentrepo,
+                                  childrepo2,
+                                  childrepo,
+                                  reqrepo):
+        parentrepo = git.Repo(parentrepo)
+        childname = os.path.basename(childrepo)
+        childrepo = git.Repo(childrepo)
+        self._add_setup_py(childrepo)
 
+        child2name = os.path.basename(childrepo2)
+        childrepo2 = git.Repo(childrepo2)
+        self._add_setup_py(childrepo2)
+
+        # tag child repo to test describe behavior
+        cw = childrepo2.config_writer()
+        cw.set_value("user", "email", "nobody@noexist.test")
+        cw.set_value("user", "name", "Nobody McNoperson")
+        cw.release()
+        childrepo2.create_tag('test-tag-1', message='Annotated ftw')
+        parentrepo.create_submodule(childname, childname,
+                                    url=childrepo.working_tree_dir)
+        parentrepo.create_submodule(child2name, child2name,
+                                    url=childrepo2.working_tree_dir)
+        parentrepo.index.commit('adding child repos')
+        self._populate_reqrepo(reqrepo, childname)
+        parentrepo.create_submodule('requirements', 'requirements',
+                                    url=reqrepo)
+        version = parentrepo.head.commit.hexsha
+        self._test_build_spec(version,
+                              parentrepo.working_tree_dir,
+                              childrepo2,
+                              childrepo,
+                              [child2name])
+        
     @utils.make_test_repo("childrepo2")
     @utils.make_test_repo("childrepo")
     @utils.make_test_repo("reqrepo")
@@ -150,7 +189,8 @@ class TestBuildSpec(unittest.TestCase):
                          version,
                          working_tree,
                          childrepo2,
-                         childrepo):
+                         childrepo,
+                         filter=None):
         childname = os.path.basename(childrepo.working_tree_dir)
         child2name = os.path.basename(childrepo2.working_tree_dir)
         childhash = childrepo.head.commit.hexsha
@@ -164,8 +204,13 @@ class TestBuildSpec(unittest.TestCase):
             yaml.safe_dump(manifest, tf)
             tf.flush()
             tf.seek(0)
-            bs = build_spec.BuildSpec(tf, version)
-        self.assertEqual(2, len(bs.projects))
+            bs = build_spec.BuildSpec(tf, version, project_filter=filter)
+
+        if not filter:
+            self.assertEqual(2, len(bs.projects))
+        else:
+            self.assertEqual(1, len(bs.projects))
+
         results = {
             childname: {
                 'gitref': childhash,