diff --git a/userspace/libsinsp/sinsp.cpp b/userspace/libsinsp/sinsp.cpp
index 86b722df41..7681e3f97a 100644
--- a/userspace/libsinsp/sinsp.cpp
+++ b/userspace/libsinsp/sinsp.cpp
@@ -1686,6 +1686,13 @@ void sinsp::set_filter(const std::string& filter)
 	m_internal_flt_ast = compiler.get_filter_ast();
 }
 
+void sinsp::set_filter(const std::string& filterstring, std::unique_ptr<sinsp_filter> filter)
+{
+	set_filter(filter);
+	m_filterstring = filterstring;
+}
+
+
 std::string sinsp::get_filter() const
 {
 	return m_filterstring;
diff --git a/userspace/libsinsp/sinsp.h b/userspace/libsinsp/sinsp.h
index a709cc44a2..52dde9674e 100644
--- a/userspace/libsinsp/sinsp.h
+++ b/userspace/libsinsp/sinsp.h
@@ -305,6 +305,17 @@ class SINSP_PUBLIC sinsp : public capture_stats_source
 	*/
 	void set_filter(std::unique_ptr<sinsp_filter> filter);
 
+	/*!
+	  \brief Installs the given capture runtime filter object and accordingly
+	  sets the filter string.
+
+	  \param filter the filter string. Refer to the filtering language
+	   section for information about the filtering
+	   syntax.
+	  \param filter the runtime filter object
+	*/
+	void set_filter(const std::string& filterstring, std::unique_ptr<sinsp_filter> filter);
+
 	/*!
 	  \brief Return the filter set for this capture.