diff --git a/docs/graphite.md b/docs/graphite.md
index 719a4bb8b5..b089a7fb73 100644
--- a/docs/graphite.md
+++ b/docs/graphite.md
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ averageSeries(seriesLists) series                     | avg          | Stable
 consolidateBy(seriesList, func) seriesList            |              | Stable
 diffSeries(seriesLists) series                        |              | Stable
 divideSeries(seriesList, dividend, divisor) seriesList|              | Stable
+exclude(seriesList, pattern) seriesList               |              | Stable
+grep(seriesList, pattern) seriesList                  |              | Stable
 groupByTags(seriesList, func, tagList) seriesList     |              | Stable
 maxSeries(seriesList) series                          | max          | Stable
 minSeries(seriesList) series                          | min          | Stable
diff --git a/expr/func_grep.go b/expr/func_grep.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c653453de5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/expr/func_grep.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package expr
+
+import (
+	"regexp"
+
+	"github.com/grafana/metrictank/api/models"
+)
+
+type FuncGrep struct {
+	in             GraphiteFunc
+	pattern        *regexp.Regexp
+	excludeMatches bool
+}
+
+func NewGrep() GraphiteFunc {
+	return &FuncGrep{excludeMatches: false}
+}
+
+func NewExclude() GraphiteFunc {
+	return &FuncGrep{excludeMatches: true}
+}
+
+func (s *FuncGrep) Signature() ([]Arg, []Arg) {
+	return []Arg{
+			ArgSeriesList{val: &s.in},
+			ArgRegex{key: "pattern", val: &s.pattern},
+		}, []Arg{
+			ArgSeriesList{},
+		}
+}
+
+func (s *FuncGrep) Context(context Context) Context {
+	return context
+}
+
+func (s *FuncGrep) Exec(cache map[Req][]models.Series) ([]models.Series, error) {
+	series, err := s.in.Exec(cache)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	var outputs []models.Series
+	for _, serie := range series {
+		if s.pattern.MatchString(serie.Target) != s.excludeMatches {
+			outputs = append(outputs, serie)
+		}
+	}
+	return outputs, nil
+}
diff --git a/expr/func_grep_test.go b/expr/func_grep_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cb30c5d928
--- /dev/null
+++ b/expr/func_grep_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+package expr
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"regexp"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/grafana/metrictank/api/models"
+)
+
+func TestGrep(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		pattern    string
+		in         []string
+		matches    []string
+		nonmatches []string
+	}{
+		{
+			"this",
+			[]string{"series.name.this.ok"},
+			[]string{"series.name.this.ok"},
+			[]string{},
+		},
+		{
+			`cpu\d`,
+			[]string{"series.cpu1.ok", "series.cpu2.ok", "series.cpu.notok", "series.cpu3.ok"},
+			[]string{"series.cpu1.ok", "series.cpu2.ok", "series.cpu3.ok"},
+			[]string{"series.cpu.notok"},
+		},
+		{
+			`cpu[02468]`,
+			[]string{"series.cpu1.ok", "series.cpu2.ok", "series.cpu.notok", "series.cpu3.ok"},
+			[]string{"series.cpu2.ok"},
+			[]string{"series.cpu1.ok", "series.cpu.notok", "series.cpu3.ok"},
+		},
+	}
+	for i, c := range cases {
+		var in []models.Series
+		for _, name := range c.in {
+			in = append(in, models.Series{
+				Target: name,
+			})
+		}
+
+		{
+			f := NewGrep()
+			grep := f.(*FuncGrep)
+			grep.pattern = regexp.MustCompile(c.pattern)
+			grep.in = NewMock(in)
+			checkGrepOutput(t, f, i, c.matches)
+		}
+
+		{
+			f := NewExclude()
+			grep := f.(*FuncGrep)
+			grep.pattern = regexp.MustCompile(c.pattern)
+			grep.in = NewMock(in)
+			checkGrepOutput(t, f, i, c.nonmatches)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func checkGrepOutput(t *testing.T, f GraphiteFunc, i int, expected []string) {
+	got, err := f.Exec(make(map[Req][]models.Series))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("case %d: err should be nil. got %q", i, err)
+	}
+	if len(got) != len(expected) {
+		t.Fatalf("case %d: expected %d output series, got %d", i, len(expected), len(got))
+	}
+	for i, o := range expected {
+		g := got[i]
+		if o != g.Target {
+			t.Fatalf("case %d: expected target %q, got %q", i, o, g.Target)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func BenchmarkGrep_1(b *testing.B) {
+	benchmarkGrep(b, 1)
+}
+func BenchmarkGrep_10(b *testing.B) {
+	benchmarkGrep(b, 10)
+}
+func BenchmarkGrep_100(b *testing.B) {
+	benchmarkGrep(b, 100)
+}
+func BenchmarkGrep_1000(b *testing.B) {
+	benchmarkGrep(b, 1000)
+}
+func BenchmarkGrep_100000(b *testing.B) {
+	benchmarkGrep(b, 100000)
+}
+
+func benchmarkGrep(b *testing.B, numSeries int) {
+	var input []models.Series
+	for i := 0; i < numSeries; i++ {
+		series := models.Series{
+			Target: fmt.Sprintf("metrictank.stats.env.instance.input.plugin%d.metrics_received.counter32", i),
+		}
+		input = append(input, series)
+	}
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
+		f := NewGrep()
+		grep := f.(*FuncGrep)
+		grep.pattern = regexp.MustCompile("input.plugin[0246].metrics")
+		grep.in = NewMock(input)
+		got, err := f.Exec(make(map[Req][]models.Series))
+		if err != nil {
+			b.Fatalf("%s", err)
+		}
+		results = got
+	}
+}
diff --git a/expr/funcs.go b/expr/funcs.go
index 468424af39..15a10c0121 100644
--- a/expr/funcs.go
+++ b/expr/funcs.go
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ func init() {
 		"consolidateBy":  {NewConsolidateBy, true},
 		"diffSeries":     {NewAggregateConstructor("diff", crossSeriesDiff), true},
 		"divideSeries":   {NewDivideSeries, true},
+		"exclude":        {NewExclude, true},
+		"grep":           {NewGrep, true},
 		"groupByTags":    {NewGroupByTags, true},
 		"max":            {NewAggregateConstructor("max", crossSeriesMax), true},
 		"maxSeries":      {NewAggregateConstructor("max", crossSeriesMax), true},