diff --git a/src/buffer.cc b/src/buffer.cc
index 0587cf45..2d2e106c 100644
--- a/src/buffer.cc
+++ b/src/buffer.cc
@@ -227,6 +227,9 @@ void Buffer::apply_modification(const BufferModification& modification)
 
 void Buffer::append_modification(BufferModification&& modification)
 {
+    for (auto filter : m_filters)
+        filter.second(*this, modification);
+
     apply_modification(modification);
     m_current_undo_group.push_back(std::move(modification));
 }
@@ -277,4 +280,22 @@ void Buffer::unregister_modification_listener(BufferModificationListener* listen
     m_modification_listeners.erase(it);
 }
 
+void Buffer::add_filter(FilterAndId&& filter)
+{
+    if (m_filters.contains(filter.first))
+        throw filter_id_not_unique(filter.first);
+    m_filters.append(filter);
+}
+
+void Buffer::remove_filter(const std::string& id)
+{
+    m_filters.remove(id);
+}
+
+CandidateList Buffer::complete_filterid(const std::string& prefix,
+                                        size_t cursor_pos)
+{
+    return m_filters.complete_id<str_to_str>(prefix, cursor_pos);
+}
+
 }
diff --git a/src/buffer.hh b/src/buffer.hh
index 5a336f23..0221e46a 100644
--- a/src/buffer.hh
+++ b/src/buffer.hh
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@
 #include <memory>
 
 #include "line_and_column.hh"
+#include "filter.hh"
+#include "exception.hh"
+#include "completion.hh"
+#include "idvaluemap.hh"
 
 namespace Kakoune
 {
@@ -149,6 +153,18 @@ public:
     void register_modification_listener(BufferModificationListener* listener);
     void unregister_modification_listener(BufferModificationListener* listener);
 
+    struct filter_id_not_unique : public runtime_error
+    {
+        filter_id_not_unique(const std::string& id)
+            : runtime_error("filter id not unique: " + id) {}
+    };
+
+    void add_filter(FilterAndId&& filter);
+    void remove_filter(const std::string& id);
+
+    CandidateList complete_filterid(const std::string& prefix,
+                                    size_t cursor_pos = std::string::npos);
+
     // returns an iterator pointing to the first character of the line
     // iterator is on
     BufferIterator iterator_at_line_begin(const BufferIterator& iterator) const;
@@ -190,6 +206,8 @@ private:
     size_t m_last_save_undo_index;
 
     std::vector<BufferModificationListener*> m_modification_listeners;
+
+    idvaluemap<std::string, FilterFunc> m_filters;
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/src/filter.hh b/src/filter.hh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3368ee5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/filter.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#ifndef filter_hh_INCLUDED
+#define filter_hh_INCLUDED
+
+#include <string>
+#include <functional>
+
+namespace Kakoune
+{
+
+class Buffer;
+class BufferModification;
+
+typedef std::function<void (Buffer& buffer, BufferModification& modification)> FilterFunc;
+typedef std::pair<std::string, FilterFunc> FilterAndId;
+
+}
+
+#endif // filter_hh_INCLUDED
diff --git a/src/filter_registry.cc b/src/filter_registry.cc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d6a71ba0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/filter_registry.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#include "filter_registry.hh"
+
+#include "exception.hh"
+#include "buffer.hh"
+
+namespace Kakoune
+{
+
+struct factory_not_found : public runtime_error
+{
+    factory_not_found() : runtime_error("filter factory not found") {}
+};
+
+void FilterRegistry::register_factory(const std::string& name,
+                                      const FilterFactory& factory)
+{
+    assert(not m_factories.contains(name));
+    m_factories.append(std::make_pair(name, factory));
+}
+
+void FilterRegistry::add_filter_to_buffer(Buffer& buffer,
+                                          const std::string& name,
+                                          const FilterParameters& parameters)
+{
+    auto it = m_factories.find(name);
+    if (it == m_factories.end())
+        throw factory_not_found();
+
+    buffer.add_filter(it->second(buffer, parameters));
+}
+
+CandidateList FilterRegistry::complete_filter(const std::string& prefix,
+                                              size_t cursor_pos)
+{
+    return m_factories.complete_id<str_to_str>(prefix, cursor_pos);
+}
+
+}
diff --git a/src/filter_registry.hh b/src/filter_registry.hh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4fbb8df7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/filter_registry.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#ifndef filter_registry_h_INCLUDED
+#define filter_registry_h_INCLUDED
+
+#include <string>
+#include <unordered_map>
+
+#include "filter.hh"
+#include "utils.hh"
+#include "completion.hh"
+#include "idvaluemap.hh"
+
+namespace Kakoune
+{
+
+class Window;
+
+typedef std::vector<std::string> FilterParameters;
+
+typedef std::function<FilterAndId (Buffer& buffer,
+                                   const FilterParameters& params)> FilterFactory;
+
+class FilterRegistry : public Singleton<FilterRegistry>
+{
+public:
+    void register_factory(const std::string& name,
+                          const FilterFactory& factory);
+
+    void add_filter_to_buffer(Buffer& window,
+                              const std::string& factory_name,
+                              const FilterParameters& parameters);
+
+    CandidateList complete_filter(const std::string& prefix,
+                                  size_t cursor_pos);
+
+private:
+    idvaluemap<std::string, FilterFactory> m_factories;
+};
+
+}
+
+#endif // filter_registry_h_INCLUDED
+
diff --git a/src/filters.cc b/src/filters.cc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..73ae91cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/filters.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+#include "filters.hh"
+#include "filter_registry.hh"
+#include "buffer.hh"
+
+namespace Kakoune
+{
+
+void preserve_indent(Buffer& buffer, BufferModification& modification)
+{
+    if (modification.type == BufferModification::Insert and
+        modification.content == "\n")
+    {
+         BufferIterator line_begin = buffer.iterator_at_line_begin(modification.position - 1);
+         BufferIterator first_non_white = line_begin;
+         while ((*first_non_white == '\t' or *first_non_white == ' ') and
+                not first_non_white.is_end())
+             ++first_non_white;
+
+         modification.content += buffer.string(line_begin, first_non_white);
+    }
+}
+
+template<void (*filter_func)(Buffer&, BufferModification&)>
+class SimpleFilterFactory
+{
+public:
+    SimpleFilterFactory(const std::string& id) : m_id(id) {}
+
+    FilterAndId operator()(Buffer& buffer,
+                           const FilterParameters& params) const
+    {
+        return FilterAndId(m_id, FilterFunc(filter_func));
+    }
+private:
+    std::string m_id;
+};
+
+void register_filters()
+{
+    FilterRegistry& registry = FilterRegistry::instance();
+
+    registry.register_factory("preserve_indent", SimpleFilterFactory<preserve_indent>("preserve_indent"));
+}
+
+}
diff --git a/src/filters.hh b/src/filters.hh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0d88da46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/filters.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#ifndef filters_hh_INCLUDED
+#define filters_hh_INCLUDED
+
+namespace Kakoune
+{
+
+void register_filters();
+
+}
+
+#endif // filters_hh_INCLUDED
diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index 36cf3445..3b290854 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 #include "debug.hh"
 #include "highlighters.hh"
 #include "highlighter_registry.hh"
+#include "filters.hh"
+#include "filter_registry.hh"
 #include "hooks_manager.hh"
 
 #include <unordered_map>
@@ -458,6 +460,32 @@ void rm_highlighter(const CommandParameters& params, const Context& context)
     context.window->remove_highlighter(params[0]);
 }
 
+void add_filter(const CommandParameters& params, const Context& context)
+{
+    if (params.size() < 1)
+        throw wrong_argument_count();
+
+    try
+    {
+        FilterRegistry& registry = FilterRegistry::instance();
+        FilterParameters filter_params(params.begin()+1, params.end());
+        registry.add_filter_to_buffer(*context.buffer, params[0],
+                                      filter_params);
+    }
+    catch (runtime_error& err)
+    {
+        print_status("error: " + err.description());
+    }
+}
+
+void rm_filter(const CommandParameters& params, const Context& context)
+{
+    if (params.size() != 1)
+        throw wrong_argument_count();
+
+    context.buffer->remove_filter(params[0]);
+}
+
 void add_hook(const CommandParameters& params, const Context& context)
 {
     if (params.size() < 3)
@@ -678,6 +706,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
     BufferManager       buffer_manager;
     RegisterManager     register_manager;
     HighlighterRegistry highlighter_registry;
+    FilterRegistry      filter_registry;
     HooksManager        hooks_manager;
 
     command_manager.register_command(std::vector<std::string>{ "e", "edit" }, edit,
@@ -701,12 +730,22 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
                                          [&](const std::string& prefix, size_t cursor_pos)
                                          { return main_context.window->complete_highlighterid(prefix, cursor_pos); }
                                      });
+    command_manager.register_command(std::vector<std::string>{ "af", "addfilter" }, add_filter,
+                                     PerArgumentCommandCompleter {
+                                         std::bind(&FilterRegistry::complete_filter, &filter_registry, _1, _2)
+                                     });
+    command_manager.register_command(std::vector<std::string>{ "rf", "rmfilter" }, rm_filter,
+                                     PerArgumentCommandCompleter {
+                                         [&](const std::string& prefix, size_t cursor_pos)
+                                         { return main_context.buffer->complete_filterid(prefix, cursor_pos); }
+                                     });
     command_manager.register_command(std::vector<std::string>{ "hook" }, add_hook);
 
     command_manager.register_command(std::vector<std::string>{ "source" }, exec_commands_in_file,
                                      PerArgumentCommandCompleter{ complete_filename });
 
     register_highlighters();
+    register_filters();
 
     try
     {