diff --git a/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-empi/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/empi/broker/EmpiMessageHandler.java b/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-empi/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/empi/broker/EmpiMessageHandler.java
index f98b563fda2..6c97cccbf14 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-empi/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/empi/broker/EmpiMessageHandler.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-empi/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/empi/broker/EmpiMessageHandler.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import ca.uhn.fhir.interceptor.api.HookParams;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.interceptor.api.IInterceptorBroadcaster;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.interceptor.api.Pointcut;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.empi.svc.EmpiMatchLinkSvc;
+import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.empi.svc.EmpiMessageFilteringSvc;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.subscription.model.ResourceModifiedJsonMessage;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.subscription.model.ResourceModifiedMessage;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.rest.server.TransactionLogMessages;
@@ -50,6 +51,8 @@ public class EmpiMessageHandler implements MessageHandler {
 	private IInterceptorBroadcaster myInterceptorBroadcaster;
 	@Autowired
 	private FhirContext myFhirContext;
+	@Autowired
+	private EmpiMessageFilteringSvc myEmpiResourceFileringSvc;
 
 	@Override
 	public void handleMessage(Message<?> theMessage) throws MessagingException {
@@ -62,13 +65,14 @@ public class EmpiMessageHandler implements MessageHandler {
 
 		ResourceModifiedMessage msg = ((ResourceModifiedJsonMessage) theMessage).getPayload();
 		try {
-			matchEmpiAndUpdateLinks(msg);
+			if (myEmpiResourceFileringSvc.shouldBeProcessed(msg)) {
+				matchEmpiAndUpdateLinks(msg);
+			}
 		} catch (Exception e) {
 			ourLog.error("Failed to handle EMPI Matching Resource:", e);
 			throw e;
 		}
 	}
-
 	public void matchEmpiAndUpdateLinks(ResourceModifiedMessage theMsg) {
 		String resourceType = theMsg.getId(myFhirContext).getResourceType();
 		validateResourceType(resourceType);
diff --git a/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-empi/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/empi/config/EmpiConsumerConfig.java b/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-empi/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/empi/config/EmpiConsumerConfig.java
index 31da550d51a..22914903141 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-empi/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/empi/config/EmpiConsumerConfig.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-empi/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/empi/config/EmpiConsumerConfig.java
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.empi.svc.EmpiLinkSvcImpl;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.empi.svc.EmpiLinkUpdaterSvcImpl;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.empi.svc.EmpiMatchFinderSvcImpl;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.empi.svc.EmpiMatchLinkSvc;
+import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.empi.svc.EmpiMessageFilteringSvc;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.empi.svc.EmpiPersonDeletingSvc;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.empi.svc.EmpiPersonMergerSvcImpl;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.empi.svc.EmpiResetSvcImpl;
@@ -211,4 +212,9 @@ public class EmpiConsumerConfig {
 	EmpiLinkDeleteSvc empiLinkDeleteSvc() {
 		return new EmpiLinkDeleteSvc();
 	}
+
+	@Bean
+	EmpiMessageFilteringSvc empiMessageFilteringSvc() {
+		return new EmpiMessageFilteringSvc();
+	}
 }
diff --git a/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-empi/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/empi/svc/EmpiMessageFilteringSvc.java b/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-empi/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/empi/svc/EmpiMessageFilteringSvc.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..00c1ae0556c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-empi/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/empi/svc/EmpiMessageFilteringSvc.java
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+package ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.empi.svc;
+
+import ca.uhn.fhir.empi.api.IEmpiSettings;
+import ca.uhn.fhir.empi.rules.json.EmpiResourceSearchParamJson;
+import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.subscription.model.ResourceModifiedMessage;
+import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
+import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;
+
+import java.util.List;
+
+@Service
+public class EmpiMessageFilteringSvc {
+
+	@Autowired
+	private IEmpiSettings empiSettings;
+
+	@Autowired
+	EmpiSearchParamSvc myEmpiSearchParamSvc;
+
+	public boolean shouldBeProcessed(ResourceModifiedMessage theMsg) {
+		List<EmpiResourceSearchParamJson> candidateSearchParams = empiSettings.getEmpiRules().getCandidateSearchParams();
+		List<String> valuesFromResourceForSearchParam = myEmpiSearchParamSvc.getValueFromResourceForSearchParam(theResource, searchParam);
+
+	}
+}
diff --git a/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-empi/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/empi/interceptor/EmpiStorageInterceptorIT.java b/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-empi/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/empi/interceptor/EmpiStorageInterceptorIT.java
index c2ac7766a1b..5d8ab026733 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-empi/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/empi/interceptor/EmpiStorageInterceptorIT.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-empi/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/empi/interceptor/EmpiStorageInterceptorIT.java
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ public class EmpiStorageInterceptorIT extends BaseEmpiR4Test {
 
 	@Test
 	public void testCreatingPersonWithInsufficentEMPIAttributesIsNotEMPIProcessed() throws InterruptedException {
-		myEmpiHelper.createWithLatch(new Patient());
+		myEmpiHelper.doCreateResource(new Patient(), true);
 		assertLinkCount(0);
 	}
 
@@ -112,7 +112,6 @@ public class EmpiStorageInterceptorIT extends BaseEmpiR4Test {
 	public void testCreatingPatientWithOneOrMoreMatchingAttributesIsEMPIProcessed() throws InterruptedException {
 		myEmpiHelper.createWithLatch(buildPaulPatient());
 		assertLinkCount(1);
-
 	}
 
 	@Test