diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/filters/PlatformUnitFilter.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/filters/PlatformUnitFilter.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eaeefdcb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/filters/PlatformUnitFilter.java
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+package org.broadinstitute.sting.gatk.filters;
+
+import net.sf.picard.filter.SamRecordFilter;
+import net.sf.samtools.SAMRecord;
+import net.sf.samtools.SAMReadGroupRecord;
+
+import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.HashSet;
+
+/**
+ * Created by IntelliJ IDEA.
+ * User: asivache
+ * Date: Sep 21, 2009
+ * Time: 2:54:23 PM
+ * To change this template use File | Settings | File Templates.
+ */
+public class PlatformUnitFilter implements SamRecordFilter {
+    // a hack: use static in order to be able to fill it with the data from command line at runtime
+    static private Set<String> blackListedLanes = new HashSet<String>();
+
+    public boolean filterOut(SAMRecord samRecord) {
+
+        if ( blackListedLanes.size() == 0 ) return false; // no filters set, nothing to do
+
+        Object pu_attr = samRecord.getAttribute("PU");
+
+        if ( pu_attr == null ) {
+            // no platform unit in the record, go get the header if we have at least read group
+            final String rgId = (String)samRecord.getAttribute("RG");
+            if (rgId == null) return false; // we do not have read group either, can not filter
+
+            SAMReadGroupRecord rgr = samRecord.getHeader().getReadGroup(rgId);
+
+            pu_attr = rgr.getAttribute("PU") ;
+        }
+        if ( pu_attr == null ) return false; // could not get PU, forget about the filtering...
+        return blackListedLanes.contains((String)pu_attr);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The argument is interpreted as a comma-separated list of lanes (platform units) to be filtered
+     * out. All the specified names will be registered with the filter and filterOut(r) for any SAMRecord r
+     * belonging to one of the specified lanes will thereafter return true.
+     * The names can be surrounded by additional spaces, the latters will be trimmed by this method.
+     * This method can be called multiple times to add more lanes. Re-registering the same lane again is safe.
+     * @param arg
+     */
+    public static void setBlackListedLanes(String arg) {
+        String[] lanes = arg.split(",");
+        for ( int i = 0; i < lanes.length ; i++ ) {
+            blackListedLanes.add(lanes[i].trim());
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Adds a single name of a lane (platform unit) to be filtered out by this filter. The name can be surrounded
+     * by spaces, the latters will be trimmed out. This method can be called multiple times to add more lanes.
+     * Re-registering the same lane again is safe.
+     * @param arg
+     */
+    public static void addBlackListedLane(String arg) {
+        blackListedLanes.add(arg.trim());
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/filters/PlatformUnitFilterHelper.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/filters/PlatformUnitFilterHelper.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..922d0fa4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/gatk/filters/PlatformUnitFilterHelper.java
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+package org.broadinstitute.sting.gatk.filters;
+
+import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.xReadLines;
+import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.StingException;
+
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
+
+/**
+ * This is a utility class, its sole purpose is to populate PlatformUnitFilter with data. When a command line argument
+ * (@Argument) of the type PlatformUnitFilterHelper is declared in an application (walker), its constuctor
+ * PlatformUnitFilterHelper(String) automatically called by the argument system will parse its String argument
+ * and set up static fields of PlatformUnitFilter object.
+ *
+ * The String argument can be either a name of existing file, or a list of comma-separated lane (Platform Unit) names.
+ * First, the constructor will check if a file with specified name exists. If it does, then it is assumed that each line
+ * in the file contains one name of a lane (Platfor Unit) to filter out. If such file does not exist, then the argument is
+ * interpreted as a comma-separated list. Blank spaces around lane names are allowed in both cases and will be trimmed out.
+ *
+ * In other words, all it takes to request filtering out reads from specific lane(s) is
+ *
+ * 1) declare filter usage in the walker
+ *
+ * @ReadFilters({PlatformUnitFilter.class,...})
+ *
+ * 2) specify the argument that will take the list of lanes to filter:
+ *
+ * @Argument(fullName="filterLanes", shortName="FL", doc="all specified lanes will be ignored", required=false)
+ *   PlatformUnitFilterHelper dummy;
+ *
+ * After that, the walker can be invoked with "--filterLanes 302UBAAXX090508.8,302YAAAXX090427.8" argument.
+ *
+ * Created by IntelliJ IDEA.
+ * User: asivache
+ * Date: Sep 22, 2009
+ * Time: 11:11:48 AM
+ * To change this template use File | Settings | File Templates.
+ */
+public class PlatformUnitFilterHelper {
+
+    public static Pattern EMPTYLINE_PATTERN = Pattern.compile("^\\s*$");
+
+    public PlatformUnitFilterHelper(String arg) {
+         File f = new File(arg);
+
+         if ( f.exists() ) {
+             try {
+                 xReadLines reader = new xReadLines(f);
+                 for ( String line : reader ) {
+                     if ( EMPTYLINE_PATTERN.matcher(line).matches() ) continue; // skip empty lines
+                     PlatformUnitFilter.addBlackListedLane(line); // PlatformUnitFilter will trim the line as needed
+                 }
+             } catch ( FileNotFoundException e) { throw new StingException("File " + f + " does not exist."); } // this should NEVER happen
+             return;
+         }
+
+        // no such file, must be a comma-separated list:
+
+        PlatformUnitFilter.setBlackListedLanes(arg); // PlatformUnitFilter will split on commas and trim as needed
+
+    }
+}