diff --git a/sharding/config.go b/sharding/config.go
index 2e803118..e244583b 100644
--- a/sharding/config.go
+++ b/sharding/config.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package sharding
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+
 	"github.com/Shopify/ghostferry"
 )
 
@@ -18,14 +20,22 @@ type Config struct {
 
 	StatsDAddress string
 
-	JoinedTables     map[string][]JoinTable
-	IgnoredTables    []string
+	JoinedTables map[string][]JoinTable
+
+	// IgnoredTables and IncludedTables are mutually exclusive. Specifying both is an error.
+	IgnoredTables  []string
+	IncludedTables []string
+
 	PrimaryKeyTables []string
 
 	Throttle *ghostferry.LagThrottlerConfig
 }
 
 func (c *Config) ValidateConfig() error {
+	if len(c.IgnoredTables) != 0 && len(c.IncludedTables) != 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("IgnoredTables and IncludedTables cannot be defined at the same time.")
+	}
+
 	if c.RunFerryFromReplica && c.SourceReplicationMaster != nil {
 		if err := c.SourceReplicationMaster.Validate(); err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/sharding/filter.go b/sharding/filter.go
index 71cfd20d..e94a7622 100644
--- a/sharding/filter.go
+++ b/sharding/filter.go
@@ -185,21 +185,37 @@ func (f *ShardedCopyFilter) ApplicableEvent(event ghostferry.DMLEvent) (bool, er
 	return false, nil
 }
 
+type ShardedTableFilterType int64
+
+const (
+	IgnoredTablesFilter ShardedTableFilterType = iota
+	IncludedTablesFilter
+)
+
 type ShardedTableFilter struct {
 	SourceShard      string
 	ShardingKey      string
 	JoinedTables     map[string][]JoinTable
-	IgnoredTables    []*regexp.Regexp
+	Type             ShardedTableFilterType
+	Tables           []*regexp.Regexp
 	PrimaryKeyTables map[string]struct{}
 }
 
+func (s *ShardedTableFilter) isIgnoreFilter() bool {
+	return s.Type == IgnoredTablesFilter
+}
+
+func (s *ShardedTableFilter) isIncludeFilter() bool {
+	return s.Type == IncludedTablesFilter
+}
+
 func (s *ShardedTableFilter) ApplicableDatabases(dbs []string) ([]string, error) {
 	return []string{s.SourceShard}, nil
 }
 
 func (s *ShardedTableFilter) ApplicableTables(tables []*ghostferry.TableSchema) (applicable []*ghostferry.TableSchema, err error) {
 	for _, table := range tables {
-		if s.isIgnored(table) {
+		if ((s.isIgnoreFilter() && s.isPresent(table)) || (s.isIncludeFilter() && !s.isPresent(table))) {
 			continue
 		}
 
@@ -225,8 +241,8 @@ func (s *ShardedTableFilter) ApplicableTables(tables []*ghostferry.TableSchema)
 	return
 }
 
-func (s *ShardedTableFilter) isIgnored(table *ghostferry.TableSchema) bool {
-	for _, re := range s.IgnoredTables {
+func (s *ShardedTableFilter) isPresent(table *ghostferry.TableSchema) bool {
+	for _, re := range s.Tables {
 		if re.Match([]byte(table.Name)) {
 			return true
 		}
diff --git a/sharding/sharding.go b/sharding/sharding.go
index e6b831b0..d2d174e0 100644
--- a/sharding/sharding.go
+++ b/sharding/sharding.go
@@ -28,18 +28,38 @@ func NewFerry(config *Config) (*ShardingFerry, error) {
 
 	config.VerifierType = ghostferry.VerifierTypeInline
 
-	ignored, err := compileRegexps(config.IgnoredTables)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to compile ignored tables: %v", err)
-	}
+	var tableFilter ghostferry.TableFilter
 
-	config.TableFilter = &ShardedTableFilter{
-		ShardingKey:   config.ShardingKey,
-		SourceShard:   config.SourceDB,
-		JoinedTables:  config.JoinedTables,
-		IgnoredTables: ignored,
+	if len(config.IncludedTables) != 0 {
+		included, err := compileRegexps(config.IncludedTables)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to compile included tables: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		tableFilter = &ShardedTableFilter{
+			ShardingKey:   config.ShardingKey,
+			SourceShard:   config.SourceDB,
+			JoinedTables:  config.JoinedTables,
+			Type: IncludedTablesFilter,
+			Tables: included,
+		}
+	} else {
+		ignored, err := compileRegexps(config.IgnoredTables)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to compile ignored tables: %v", err)
+		}
+
+		tableFilter = &ShardedTableFilter{
+			ShardingKey:   config.ShardingKey,
+			SourceShard:   config.SourceDB,
+			JoinedTables:  config.JoinedTables,
+			Type: IgnoredTablesFilter,
+			Tables: ignored,
+		}
 	}
 
+	config.TableFilter = tableFilter
+
 	if err := config.ValidateConfig(); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to validate config: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/sharding/test/config_test.go b/sharding/test/config_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1734083b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sharding/test/config_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+package test
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/Shopify/ghostferry"
+	"github.com/Shopify/ghostferry/sharding"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestConfigWithBothIncludedAndIgnoredTablesIsInvalid(t *testing.T)  {
+	config := sharding.Config{
+		IncludedTables: []string{"table_one", "table_two"},
+		IgnoredTables:  []string{"table_one", "table_two"},
+	}
+
+	err := config.ValidateConfig()
+	assert.EqualError(t, err, "IgnoredTables and IncludedTables cannot be defined at the same time.")
+}
+
+
+func TestConfigWithRunFerryFromReplicaWithoutValidSourceReplicationMasterIsInvalid(t *testing.T)  {
+	config := sharding.Config{
+		RunFerryFromReplica: true,
+		SourceReplicationMaster: &ghostferry.DatabaseConfig{},
+	}
+
+	err := config.ValidateConfig()
+	assert.EqualError(t, err, "host is empty")
+}
diff --git a/sharding/test/table_filter_test.go b/sharding/test/table_filter_test.go
index 17a14b6d..6d3d2243 100644
--- a/sharding/test/table_filter_test.go
+++ b/sharding/test/table_filter_test.go
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ func TestShardedTableFilterRejectsIgnoredTables(t *testing.T) {
 	filter := &sharding.ShardedTableFilter{
 		SourceShard: "shard_42",
 		ShardingKey: "tenant_id",
-		IgnoredTables: []*regexp.Regexp{
+		Type: sharding.IgnoredTablesFilter,
+		Tables: []*regexp.Regexp{
 			regexp.MustCompile("^_(.*)_new$"),
 			regexp.MustCompile("^_(.*)_old$"),
 			regexp.MustCompile("^lhm._(.*)"),
@@ -53,6 +54,32 @@ func TestShardedTableFilterRejectsIgnoredTables(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, tables[5:], applicable)
 }
 
+func TestShardedTableFilterSelectsIncludedTables(t *testing.T) {
+	filter := &sharding.ShardedTableFilter{
+		SourceShard: "shard_42",
+		ShardingKey: "tenant_id",
+		Type: sharding.IncludedTablesFilter,
+		Tables: []*regexp.Regexp{
+			regexp.MustCompile("^table_.*"),
+			regexp.MustCompile("ghost"),
+		},
+	}
+
+	tables := []*ghostferry.TableSchema{
+		{Table: &schema.Table{Schema: "shard_42", Name: "_table_name_new", Columns: []schema.TableColumn{{Name: "id"}, {Name: "tenant_id"}}}},
+		{Table: &schema.Table{Schema: "shard_42", Name: "lhma_1234_table_name", Columns: []schema.TableColumn{{Name: "id"}, {Name: "tenant_id"}}}},
+		{Table: &schema.Table{Schema: "shard_42", Name: "new", Columns: []schema.TableColumn{{Name: "id"}, {Name: "tenant_id"}}}},
+		{Table: &schema.Table{Schema: "shard_42", Name: "x_lhmn_table_name", Columns: []schema.TableColumn{{Name: "bar"}, {Name: "tenant_id"}}}},
+		{Table: &schema.Table{Schema: "shard_42", Name: "table_new", Columns: []schema.TableColumn{{Name: "foo"}, {Name: "tenant_id"}}}},
+		{Table: &schema.Table{Schema: "shard_42", Name: "ghost", Columns: []schema.TableColumn{{Name: "foo"}, {Name: "tenant_id"}}}},
+		{Table: &schema.Table{Schema: "shard_42", Name: "table_name", Columns: []schema.TableColumn{{Name: "bar"}, {Name: "tenant_id"}}}},
+	}
+
+	applicable, err := filter.ApplicableTables(tables)
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, tables[4:], applicable)
+}
+
 func TestShardedTableFilterSelectsTablesWithShardingKey(t *testing.T) {
 	filter := &sharding.ShardedTableFilter{SourceShard: "shard_42", ShardingKey: "tenant_id"}