diff --git vault-core/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/vault/fs/api/WorkspaceFilter.java vault-core/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/vault/fs/api/WorkspaceFilter.java
index a1c27cd..a338970 100644
--- vault-core/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/vault/fs/api/WorkspaceFilter.java
+++ vault-core/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/vault/fs/api/WorkspaceFilter.java
@@ -25,25 +25,33 @@ import javax.jcr.RepositoryException;
 import javax.jcr.Session;
 
 /**
- * <code>WorkspaceFilter</code>...
+ * <code>WorkspaceFilter</code> defined a filter for items (node or property).
  */
 public interface WorkspaceFilter extends Dumpable {
 
     /**
-     * Returns a list of path filter sets.
+     * Returns a list of path filter sets for node items.
      * @return the list of path filter sets.
      */
     List<PathFilterSet> getFilterSets();
 
     /**
-     * Returns the filter set that covers the respective path
+     * Returns a list of path filter sets for node or property items.
+     * @param applyToNodes <code>true</code> in order to get the list of path filters for nodes,
+     *                     <code>false</code> in order to get the list of path filters for properties.
+     * @return the list of path filter sets.
+     */
+    List<PathFilterSet> getFilterSets(boolean applyToNodes);
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the filter set that covers the respective node path
      * @param path the path
      * @return the filter set or <code>null</code>
      */
     PathFilterSet getCoveringFilterSet(String path);
 
     /**
-     * Returns the import mode for the given path.
+     * Returns the import mode for the given node path.
      * @param path path to check
      * @return the import mode or {@link ImportMode#REPLACE} if the given path
      *         is not covered by this filter.
@@ -51,7 +59,7 @@ public interface WorkspaceFilter extends Dumpable {
     ImportMode getImportMode(String path);
 
     /**
-     * Checks if the given path is contained in this workspace filter.
+     * Checks if the given node path is contained in this workspace filter.
      * It returns <code>true</code> if any of the filter sets contain the path
      * and it's not globally ignored.
      *
@@ -61,7 +69,7 @@ public interface WorkspaceFilter extends Dumpable {
     boolean contains(String path);
 
     /**
-     * Checks if the given path is covered in this workspace filter.
+     * Checks if the given node path is covered in this workspace filter.
      * It only returns <code>true</code> if at least one of the sets covers
      * the path and is not globally ignored.
      *
@@ -71,7 +79,7 @@ public interface WorkspaceFilter extends Dumpable {
     boolean covers(String path);
 
     /**
-     * Checks if the given path is an ancestor of any of the filter sets.
+     * Checks if the given node path is an ancestor of any of the filter sets.
      *
      * @param path the item to check
      * @return <code>true</code> if the given item is an ancestor
@@ -79,7 +87,7 @@ public interface WorkspaceFilter extends Dumpable {
     boolean isAncestor(String path);
 
     /**
-     * Checks if the given path is globally ignored.
+     * Checks if the given node path is globally ignored.
      *
      * @param path the path to check.
      * @return <code>true</code> if the item is globally ignored.
diff --git vault-core/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/vault/fs/config/DefaultWorkspaceFilter.java vault-core/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/vault/fs/config/DefaultWorkspaceFilter.java
index 46f036f..2bc4b61 100644
--- vault-core/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/vault/fs/config/DefaultWorkspaceFilter.java
+++ vault-core/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/vault/fs/config/DefaultWorkspaceFilter.java
@@ -73,7 +73,9 @@ public class DefaultWorkspaceFilter implements Dumpable, WorkspaceFilter {
      */
     private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(DefaultWorkspaceFilter.class);
 
-    private final List<PathFilterSet> filterSets = new LinkedList<PathFilterSet>();
+    private final List<PathFilterSet> nodesFilterSets = new LinkedList<PathFilterSet>();
+
+    private final List<PathFilterSet> propsFilterSets = new LinkedList<PathFilterSet>();
 
     public static final String ATTR_VERSION = "version";
 
@@ -93,15 +95,40 @@ public class DefaultWorkspaceFilter implements Dumpable, WorkspaceFilter {
      */
     private ImportMode importMode;
 
+    /**
+     * Add a #PathFilterSet for nodes.
+     * @param set the set of filters to add.
+     */
     public void add(PathFilterSet set) {
-        filterSets.add(set);
+        add(set, true);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Add a #PathFilterSet for properties.
+     * @param set the set of filters to add.
+     * @param applyToNodes <code>true</code> if the filters apply to nodes,
+     *                     <code>false</code> if the filters apply to items.
+     */
+    public void add(PathFilterSet set, boolean applyToNodes) {
+        if (applyToNodes) {
+            nodesFilterSets.add(set);
+        } else {
+            propsFilterSets.add(set);
+        }
     }
 
     /**
      * {@inheritDoc}
      */
     public List<PathFilterSet> getFilterSets() {
-        return filterSets;
+        return nodesFilterSets;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * {@inheritDoc}
+     */
+    public List<PathFilterSet> getFilterSets(boolean applyToNodes) {
+        return (applyToNodes) ? nodesFilterSets : propsFilterSets;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -111,7 +138,7 @@ public class DefaultWorkspaceFilter implements Dumpable, WorkspaceFilter {
         if (isGloballyIgnored(path)) {
             return null;
         }
-        for (PathFilterSet set: filterSets) {
+        for (PathFilterSet set: nodesFilterSets) {
             if (set.covers(path)) {
                 return set;
             }
@@ -141,7 +168,7 @@ public class DefaultWorkspaceFilter implements Dumpable, WorkspaceFilter {
         if (isGloballyIgnored(path)) {
             return false;
         }
-        for (PathFilterSet set: filterSets) {
+        for (PathFilterSet set: nodesFilterSets) {
             if (set.contains(path)) {
                 return true;
             }
@@ -156,7 +183,7 @@ public class DefaultWorkspaceFilter implements Dumpable, WorkspaceFilter {
         if (isGloballyIgnored(path)) {
             return false;
         }
-        for (PathFilterSet set: filterSets) {
+        for (PathFilterSet set: nodesFilterSets) {
             if (set.covers(path)) {
                 return true;
             }
@@ -168,7 +195,7 @@ public class DefaultWorkspaceFilter implements Dumpable, WorkspaceFilter {
      * {@inheritDoc}
      */
     public boolean isAncestor(String path) {
-        for (PathFilterSet set: filterSets) {
+        for (PathFilterSet set: nodesFilterSets) {
             if (set.isAncestor(path)) {
                 return true;
             }
@@ -194,9 +221,12 @@ public class DefaultWorkspaceFilter implements Dumpable, WorkspaceFilter {
         if (globalIgnored != null) {
             mapped.setGlobalIgnored(globalIgnored.translate(mapping));
         }
-        for (PathFilterSet set: filterSets) {
+        for (PathFilterSet set: nodesFilterSets) {
             mapped.add(set.translate(mapping));
         }
+        for (PathFilterSet set: propsFilterSets) {
+            mapped.add(set.translate(mapping), false);
+        }
         return mapped;
     }
 
@@ -284,35 +314,41 @@ public class DefaultWorkspaceFilter implements Dumpable, WorkspaceFilter {
                 if (!"filter".equals(child.getNodeName())) {
                     throw new ConfigurationException("<filter> expected.");
                 }
-                PathFilterSet def = readDef((Element) child);
-                filterSets.add(def);
+                readDef((Element) child);
             }
         }
     }
 
-    private PathFilterSet readDef(Element elem) throws ConfigurationException {
+    private void readDef(Element elem) throws ConfigurationException {
         String root = elem.getAttribute("root");
-        PathFilterSet def = new PathFilterSet(root == null || root.length() == 0 ? "/" : root);
+        PathFilterSet nodeFilters = new PathFilterSet(root == null || root.length() == 0 ? "/" : root);
+        PathFilterSet propFilters = new PathFilterSet();
         // check for import mode
         String mode = elem.getAttribute("mode");
         if (mode != null && mode.length() > 0) {
-            def.setImportMode(ImportMode.valueOf(mode.toUpperCase()));
+            ImportMode importMode = ImportMode.valueOf(mode.toUpperCase());
+            nodeFilters.setImportMode(importMode);
+            propFilters.setImportMode(importMode);
         }
         // check for filters
         NodeList n1 = elem.getChildNodes();
         for (int i=0; i<n1.getLength(); i++) {
             Node child = n1.item(i);
             if (child.getNodeType() == Node.ELEMENT_NODE) {
+                Element element = (Element)child;
+                boolean matchProperties = Boolean.getBoolean(element.getAttribute("matchProperties"));
+                PathFilterSet set =  (matchProperties) ? propFilters : nodeFilters;
                 if ("include".equals(child.getNodeName())) {
-                    def.addInclude(readFilter((Element) child));
+                    set.addInclude(readFilter((Element) child));
                 } else if ("exclude".equals(child.getNodeName())) {
-                    def.addExclude(readFilter((Element) child));
+                    set.addExclude(readFilter((Element) child));
                 } else {
                     throw new ConfigurationException("either <include> or <exclude> expected.");
                 }
             }
         }
-        return def;
+        add(nodeFilters, true);
+        add(propFilters, false);
     }
 
     protected PathFilter readFilter(Element elem) throws ConfigurationException {
@@ -327,7 +363,7 @@ public class DefaultWorkspaceFilter implements Dumpable, WorkspaceFilter {
      * {@inheritDoc}
      */
     public void dump(DumpContext ctx, boolean isLast) {
-        Iterator<PathFilterSet> iter = filterSets.iterator();
+        Iterator<PathFilterSet> iter = nodesFilterSets.iterator();
         while (iter.hasNext()) {
             PathFilterSet set = iter.next();
             ctx.println(!iter.hasNext(), "ItemFilterSet");
@@ -354,7 +390,7 @@ public class DefaultWorkspaceFilter implements Dumpable, WorkspaceFilter {
             AttributesImpl attrs = new AttributesImpl();
             attrs.addAttribute(null, null, ATTR_VERSION, "CDATA", String.valueOf(version));
             ser.startElement(null, null, "workspaceFilter", attrs);
-            for (PathFilterSet set: filterSets) {
+            for (PathFilterSet set: nodesFilterSets) {
                 attrs = new AttributesImpl();
                 attrs.addAttribute(null, null, "root", "CDATA", set.getRoot());
                 if (set.getImportMode() != ImportMode.REPLACE) {
@@ -411,7 +447,7 @@ public class DefaultWorkspaceFilter implements Dumpable, WorkspaceFilter {
         ProgressTracker tracker = new ProgressTracker(listener);
         // get common ancestor
         Tree<PathFilterSet> tree = new Tree<PathFilterSet>();
-        for (PathFilterSet set: filterSets) {
+        for (PathFilterSet set: nodesFilterSets) {
             tree.put(set.getRoot(), set);
         }
         String rootPath = tree.getRootPath();
diff --git vault-core/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/vault/fs/impl/AggregateImpl.java vault-core/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/vault/fs/impl/AggregateImpl.java
index d70da46..fea7464 100644
--- vault-core/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/vault/fs/impl/AggregateImpl.java
+++ vault-core/src/main/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/vault/fs/impl/AggregateImpl.java
@@ -572,6 +572,15 @@ public class AggregateImpl implements Aggregate {
         }
     }
 
+    private boolean includeProperty(String propertyPath) {
+        for (PathFilterSet filterSet : mgr.getWorkspaceFilter().getFilterSets(false)) {
+            if (filterSet.contains(propertyPath)) {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+
     private void addNamespace(Set<String> prefixes, String name) throws RepositoryException {
         int idx = name.indexOf(':');
         if (idx > 0) {
@@ -676,7 +685,7 @@ public class AggregateImpl implements Aggregate {
         while (pIter.hasNext()) {
             Property p = pIter.nextProperty();
             String path = p.getPath();
-            if (aggregator.includes(getNode(), node, p, path)) {
+            if (aggregator.includes(getNode(), node, p, path) && includeProperty(path)) {
                 include(node, p, path);
             }
         }