diff --git a/synapse/api/filtering.py b/synapse/api/filtering.py
index 014e2e1fc..20b6951d4 100644
--- a/synapse/api/filtering.py
+++ b/synapse/api/filtering.py
@@ -16,37 +16,18 @@
 from twisted.internet import defer
 
 
-# TODO(paul)
-_filters_for_user = {}
-
-
 class Filtering(object):
 
     def __init__(self, hs):
         super(Filtering, self).__init__()
-        self.hs = hs
+        self.store = hs.get_datastore()
 
-    @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def get_user_filter(self, user_localpart, filter_id):
-        filters = _filters_for_user.get(user_localpart, None)
+        return self.store.get_user_filter(user_localpart, filter_id)
 
-        if not filters or filter_id >= len(filters):
-            raise KeyError()
-
-        # trivial yield to make it a generator so d.iC works
-        yield
-        defer.returnValue(filters[filter_id])
-
-    @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def add_user_filter(self, user_localpart, definition):
-        filters = _filters_for_user.setdefault(user_localpart, [])
-
-        filter_id = len(filters)
-        filters.append(definition)
-
-        # trivial yield, see above
-        yield
-        defer.returnValue(filter_id)
+        # TODO(paul): implement sanity checking of the definition
+        return self.store.add_user_filter(user_localpart, definition)
 
     # TODO(paul): surely we should probably add a delete_user_filter or
     #   replace_user_filter at some point? There's no REST API specified for
diff --git a/synapse/storage/__init__.py b/synapse/storage/__init__.py
index 4beb951b9..efa63031b 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/__init__.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/__init__.py
@@ -30,9 +30,9 @@ from .transactions import TransactionStore
 from .keys import KeyStore
 from .event_federation import EventFederationStore
 from .media_repository import MediaRepositoryStore
-
 from .state import StateStore
 from .signatures import SignatureStore
+from .filtering import FilteringStore
 
 from syutil.base64util import decode_base64
 from syutil.jsonutil import encode_canonical_json
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ class DataStore(RoomMemberStore, RoomStore,
                 DirectoryStore, KeyStore, StateStore, SignatureStore,
                 EventFederationStore,
                 MediaRepositoryStore,
+                FilteringStore,
                 ):
 
     def __init__(self, hs):
diff --git a/synapse/storage/filtering.py b/synapse/storage/filtering.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..18e0e7c29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/synapse/storage/filtering.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+# Copyright 2015 OpenMarket Ltd
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+from twisted.internet import defer
+
+from ._base import SQLBaseStore
+
+
+# TODO(paul)
+_filters_for_user = {}
+
+
+class FilteringStore(SQLBaseStore):
+    @defer.inlineCallbacks
+    def get_user_filter(self, user_localpart, filter_id):
+        filters = _filters_for_user.get(user_localpart, None)
+
+        if not filters or filter_id >= len(filters):
+            raise KeyError()
+
+        # trivial yield to make it a generator so d.iC works
+        yield
+        defer.returnValue(filters[filter_id])
+
+    @defer.inlineCallbacks
+    def add_user_filter(self, user_localpart, definition):
+        filters = _filters_for_user.setdefault(user_localpart, [])
+
+        filter_id = len(filters)
+        filters.append(definition)
+
+        # trivial yield, see above
+        yield
+        defer.returnValue(filter_id)
diff --git a/tests/rest/client/v2_alpha/__init__.py b/tests/rest/client/v2_alpha/__init__.py
index f59745e13..3fe62d5ac 100644
--- a/tests/rest/client/v2_alpha/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/rest/client/v2_alpha/__init__.py
@@ -39,9 +39,7 @@ class V2AlphaRestTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
 
         hs = HomeServer("test",
             db_pool=None,
-            datastore=Mock(spec=[
-                "insert_client_ip",
-            ]),
+            datastore=self.make_datastore_mock(),
             http_client=None,
             resource_for_client=self.mock_resource,
             resource_for_federation=self.mock_resource,
@@ -58,3 +56,8 @@ class V2AlphaRestTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
 
         for r in self.TO_REGISTER:
             r.register_servlets(hs, self.mock_resource)
+
+    def make_datastore_mock(self):
+        return Mock(spec=[
+            "insert_client_ip",
+        ])
diff --git a/tests/rest/client/v2_alpha/test_filter.py b/tests/rest/client/v2_alpha/test_filter.py
index 8629a1aed..1add727e6 100644
--- a/tests/rest/client/v2_alpha/test_filter.py
+++ b/tests/rest/client/v2_alpha/test_filter.py
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 
 from twisted.internet import defer
 
+from mock import Mock
+
 from . import V2AlphaRestTestCase
 
 from synapse.rest.client.v2_alpha import filter
@@ -24,6 +26,25 @@ class FilterTestCase(V2AlphaRestTestCase):
     USER_ID = "@apple:test"
     TO_REGISTER = [filter]
 
+    def make_datastore_mock(self):
+        datastore = super(FilterTestCase, self).make_datastore_mock()
+
+        self._user_filters = {}
+
+        def add_user_filter(user_localpart, definition):
+            filters = self._user_filters.setdefault(user_localpart, [])
+            filter_id = len(filters)
+            filters.append(definition)
+            return defer.succeed(filter_id)
+        datastore.add_user_filter = add_user_filter
+
+        def get_user_filter(user_localpart, filter_id):
+            filters = self._user_filters[user_localpart]
+            return defer.succeed(filters[filter_id])
+        datastore.get_user_filter = get_user_filter
+
+        return datastore
+
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def test_filter(self):
         (code, response) = yield self.mock_resource.trigger("POST",