diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/App.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/App.py
index 6e5d2844..6dc8e4fd 100644
--- a/src/python/jw/pkg/App.py
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/App.py
@@ -232,7 +232,18 @@ class App(Base):
 
     async def __init_async(self) -> None:
         if self.__distro is None:
-            self.__distro = await Distro.instantiate(ec=self.exec_context, id=self.args.distro_id)
+            pkg_filter_str = self.args.pkg_filter
+            if pkg_filter_str is None:
+                pkg_filter_str = os.getenv('JW_DEFAULT_PKG_FILTER')
+            pkg_filter: PackageFilter|None = None
+            if pkg_filter_str is not None:
+                from .lib.PackageFilter import PackageFilterString
+                pkg_filter = PackageFilterString(pkg_filter_str)
+            self.__distro = await Distro.instantiate(
+                    ec = self.exec_context,
+                    id = self.args.distro_id,
+                    default_pkg_filter = pkg_filter,
+                )
 
     async def __aexit__(self, exc_type, exc, tb) -> None:
         if self.__exec_context is not None:
@@ -251,6 +262,7 @@ class App(Base):
         parser.add_argument('--interactive', choices=['true', 'false', 'auto'], default='true', help='Wait for user input or try to proceed unattended')
         parser.add_argument('--verbose', action='store_true', default=False, help='Be verbose on stderr about what\'s being done on the distro level')
         parser.add_argument('--uri', default='local', help='Run commands on this host')
+        parser.add_argument('--pkg-filter', help='Default filter for all distribution package-related operations')
 
     async def _run(self, args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
         self.__topdir = args.topdir