diff --git a/common/flatpak-dir-private.h b/common/flatpak-dir-private.h
index cbcb87d04..5527e0ab8 100644
--- a/common/flatpak-dir-private.h
+++ b/common/flatpak-dir-private.h
@@ -106,6 +106,8 @@ typedef struct
   GError   *summary_fetch_error;
   GVariant *metadata;
   GError   *metadata_fetch_error;
+  GRegex   *allow_refs;
+  GRegex   *deny_refs;
   int       refcount;
 } FlatpakRemoteState;
 
@@ -115,6 +117,8 @@ gboolean flatpak_remote_state_ensure_summary (FlatpakRemoteState *self,
                                               GError            **error);
 gboolean flatpak_remote_state_ensure_metadata (FlatpakRemoteState *self,
                                                GError            **error);
+gboolean flatpak_remote_state_allow_ref (FlatpakRemoteState *self,
+                                         const char *ref);
 gboolean flatpak_remote_state_lookup_ref (FlatpakRemoteState *self,
                                           const char         *ref,
                                           char              **out_checksum,
diff --git a/common/flatpak-dir.c b/common/flatpak-dir.c
index 7ebd42f7d..bff34a6c5 100644
--- a/common/flatpak-dir.c
+++ b/common/flatpak-dir.c
@@ -277,6 +277,8 @@ flatpak_remote_state_unref (FlatpakRemoteState *remote_state)
       g_clear_error (&remote_state->summary_fetch_error);
       g_clear_pointer (&remote_state->metadata, g_variant_unref);
       g_clear_error (&remote_state->metadata_fetch_error);
+      g_clear_pointer (&remote_state->allow_refs, g_regex_unref);
+      g_clear_pointer (&remote_state->deny_refs, g_regex_unref);
 
       g_free (remote_state);
     }
@@ -314,6 +316,13 @@ flatpak_remote_state_ensure_metadata (FlatpakRemoteState *self,
   return TRUE;
 }
 
+gboolean
+flatpak_remote_state_allow_ref (FlatpakRemoteState *self,
+                                const char *ref)
+{
+  return flatpak_filters_allow_ref (self->allow_refs, self->deny_refs, ref);
+}
+
 /* Returns TRUE if the ref is found in the summary or cache. out_checksum and
  * out_variant are not guaranteed to be set even when the ref is found. */
 gboolean
@@ -10306,6 +10315,8 @@ _flatpak_dir_get_remote_state (FlatpakDir   *self,
         return NULL;
       if (!repo_get_remote_collection_id (self->repo, remote_or_uri, &state->collection_id, error))
         return NULL;
+      if (!flatpak_dir_lookup_remote_filter (self, remote_or_uri, &state->allow_refs, &state->deny_refs, error))
+        return NULL;
     }
 
   if (local_only)