diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 483d258ea..def6147ca 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -27,6 +27,27 @@ You can also turn warnings into actual errors::
     py.test -W error
 
 
+Advance usage
+=============
+
+You can get more fine grained filtering of warnings by using the
+``filterwarnings`` configuration option.
+
+``filterwarnings`` works like the python's ``-W`` flag except it will not
+escape special characters.
+
+Example
+-------
+
+.. code::
+
+    # pytest.ini
+    [pytest]
+    filterwarnings= default
+                    ignore:.*is deprecated.*:Warning
+                    error::DeprecationWarning:importlib.*
+
+
 Changes
 =======
 
diff --git a/helper_test_a.py b/helper_test_a.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ba88aa31d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helper_test_a.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import warnings
+
+
+def deprecated_a():
+    """
+    A warning triggered in __this__ module for testing.
+    """
+    globals()['__warningregistry__'] = {}
+    warnings.warn("This is deprecated message_a",
+                  DeprecationWarning, stacklevel=0)
diff --git a/helper_test_b.py b/helper_test_b.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3c00a6114
--- /dev/null
+++ b/helper_test_b.py
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import warnings
+
+
+def user_warning_b():
+    """
+    A warning triggered in __this__ module for testing.
+    """
+    # reset the "once" filters
+    # globals()['__warningregistry__'] = {}
+    warnings.warn("This is deprecated message_b different from a",
+                  UserWarning, stacklevel=1)
diff --git a/pytest_warnings.py b/pytest_warnings.py
index 1813cf519..84f64ea92 100644
--- a/pytest_warnings.py
+++ b/pytest_warnings.py
@@ -5,11 +5,39 @@ import pytest
 import warnings
 
 
+def _setoption(wmod, arg):
+    """
+    Copy of the warning._setoption function but does not escape arguments.
+    """
+    parts = arg.split(':')
+    if len(parts) > 5:
+        raise wmod._OptionError("too many fields (max 5): %r" % (arg,))
+    while len(parts) < 5:
+        parts.append('')
+    action, message, category, module, lineno = [s.strip()
+                                                 for s in parts]
+    action = wmod._getaction(action)
+    category = wmod._getcategory(category)
+    if lineno:
+        try:
+            lineno = int(lineno)
+            if lineno < 0:
+                raise ValueError
+        except (ValueError, OverflowError):
+            raise wmod._OptionError("invalid lineno %r" % (lineno,))
+    else:
+        lineno = 0
+    wmod.filterwarnings(action, message, category, module, lineno)
+
+
 def pytest_addoption(parser):
     group = parser.getgroup("pytest-warnings")
     group.addoption(
         '-W', '--pythonwarnings', action='append',
-        help="set which warnings to report, see ...")
+        help="set which warnings to report, see -W option of python itself.")
+    parser.addini("filterwarnings", type="linelist",
+                  help="Each line specifies warning filter pattern which would be passed"
+                  "to warnings.filterwarnings. Process after -W and --pythonwarnings.")
 
 
 @pytest.hookimpl(hookwrapper=True)
@@ -28,12 +56,17 @@ def pytest_runtest_call(item):
             message, category, filename, lineno, file=file, line=line)
 
     args = item.config.getoption('pythonwarnings') or []
+    inifilters = item.config.getini("filterwarnings")
     with wrec:
         _showwarning = wrec._showwarning
         warnings.showwarning = showwarning
         wrec._module.simplefilter('once')
         for arg in args:
             wrec._module._setoption(arg)
+
+        for arg in inifilters:
+            _setoption(wrec._module, arg)
+
         yield
         wrec._showwarning = _showwarning
 
diff --git a/test_warnings.py b/test_warnings.py
index 62167992f..bc65220c7 100644
--- a/test_warnings.py
+++ b/test_warnings.py
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import pytest
 import warnings
 
+from pytest_warnings import _setoption
+from helper_test_a import deprecated_a
+from helper_test_b import user_warning_b
+
 
 def test_warnings():
     warnings.warn("Foo", DeprecationWarning)
@@ -25,3 +29,67 @@ def test_warnings1():
 def test_warn():
     with pytest.warns(DeprecationWarning):
         warnings.warn("Bar", DeprecationWarning)
+
+
+# This section test the ability to filter selectively warnings using regular
+# expressions on messages.
+
+def test_filters_setoption():
+    "A alone works"
+
+    with pytest.warns(DeprecationWarning):
+        deprecated_a()
+
+
+def test_filters_setoption_2():
+    "B alone works"
+
+    with pytest.warns(UserWarning) as record:
+        user_warning_b()
+
+    assert len(record) == 1
+
+
+def test_filters_setoption_3():
+    "A and B works"
+
+    with pytest.warns(None) as record:
+        user_warning_b()
+        deprecated_a()
+    assert len(record) == 2
+
+
+def test_filters_setoption_4():
+    "A works, B is filtered"
+
+    with pytest.warns(None) as record:
+        _setoption(warnings, 'ignore:.*message_a.*')
+        deprecated_a()
+        user_warning_b()
+
+    assert len(record) == 1, "Only `A` should be filtered out"
+
+
+def test_filters_setoption_4b():
+    "A works, B is filtered"
+
+    with pytest.warns(None) as record:
+        _setoption(warnings, 'ignore:.*message_b.*')
+        _setoption(warnings, 'ignore:.*message_a.*')
+        _setoption(warnings, 'always:::.*helper_test_a.*')
+        deprecated_a()
+        user_warning_b()
+
+    assert len(record) == 1, "`A` and `B` should be visible, second filter reenable A"
+
+
+def test_filters_setoption_5():
+    "B works, A is filtered"
+
+    with pytest.warns(None) as records:
+        _setoption(warnings, 'always:::.*helper_test_a.*')
+        _setoption(warnings, 'ignore::UserWarning')
+        deprecated_a()
+        user_warning_b()
+
+    assert len(records) == 1, "Only `B` should be filtered out"