diff --git a/openbsc/include/openbsc/debug.h b/openbsc/include/openbsc/debug.h
index d851181..bbb3ee6 100644
--- a/openbsc/include/openbsc/debug.h
+++ b/openbsc/include/openbsc/debug.h
@@ -53,8 +53,9 @@
 /* we don't need a header dependency for this... */
 struct gprs_nsvc;
 struct bssgp_bvc_ctx;
+struct gsm_subscriber;
 
-void log_set_imsi_filter(struct log_target *target, const char *imsi);
+void log_set_imsi_filter(struct log_target *target, struct gsm_subscriber *subscr);
 void log_set_nsvc_filter(struct log_target *target,
 			 struct gprs_nsvc *nsvc);
 void log_set_bvc_filter(struct log_target *target,
diff --git a/openbsc/src/libbsc/bsc_vty.c b/openbsc/src/libbsc/bsc_vty.c
index 3e7ac58..2857494 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/libbsc/bsc_vty.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/libbsc/bsc_vty.c
@@ -3183,22 +3183,6 @@
 		osmo_counter_get(net->stats.bts.rsl_fail), VTY_NEWLINE);
 }
 
-DEFUN(logging_fltr_imsi,
-      logging_fltr_imsi_cmd,
-      "logging filter imsi IMSI",
-	LOGGING_STR FILTER_STR
-      "Filter log messages by IMSI\n" "IMSI to be used as filter\n")
-{
-	struct log_target *tgt = osmo_log_vty2tgt(vty);
-
-	if (!tgt)
-		return CMD_WARNING;
-
-	log_set_imsi_filter(tgt, argv[0]);
-	return CMD_SUCCESS;
-}
-
-
 DEFUN(drop_bts,
       drop_bts_cmd,
       "drop bts connection <0-65535> (oml|rsl)",
@@ -3383,13 +3367,11 @@
 	install_element_ve(&show_ts_cmd);
 	install_element_ve(&show_lchan_cmd);
 	install_element_ve(&show_lchan_summary_cmd);
-	install_element_ve(&logging_fltr_imsi_cmd);
 
 	install_element_ve(&show_paging_cmd);
 	install_element_ve(&show_paging_group_cmd);
 
 	logging_vty_add_cmds(cat);
-	install_element(CFG_LOG_NODE, &logging_fltr_imsi_cmd);
 
 	install_element(CONFIG_NODE, &cfg_net_cmd);
 	install_node(&net_node, config_write_net);
diff --git a/openbsc/src/libbsc/paging.c b/openbsc/src/libbsc/paging.c
index 18bb3fe..2d08af7 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/libbsc/paging.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/libbsc/paging.c
@@ -250,12 +250,11 @@
 static void paging_T3113_expired(void *data)
 {
 	struct gsm_paging_request *req = (struct gsm_paging_request *)data;
-	struct gsm_subscriber *subscr = subscr_get(req->subscr);
 	void *cbfn_param;
 	gsm_cbfn *cbfn;
 	int msg;
 
-	log_set_context(BSC_CTX_SUBSCR, subscr);
+	log_set_context(BSC_CTX_SUBSCR, req->subscr);
 
 	LOGP(DPAG, LOGL_INFO, "T3113 expired for request %p (%s)\n",
 		req, req->subscr->imsi);
@@ -275,8 +274,6 @@
 		cbfn(GSM_HOOK_RR_PAGING, msg, NULL, NULL,
 			  cbfn_param);
 
-	log_set_context(BSC_CTX_SUBSCR, NULL);
-	subscr_put(subscr);
 }
 
 static int _paging_request(struct gsm_bts *bts, struct gsm_subscriber *subscr,
diff --git a/openbsc/src/libcommon/debug.c b/openbsc/src/libcommon/debug.c
index b3685e6..ca7ff5d 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/libcommon/debug.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/libcommon/debug.c
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@
 	const struct gprs_nsvc *bvc = ctx->ctx[GPRS_CTX_BVC];
 
 	if ((tar->filter_map & (1 << FLT_IMSI)) != 0
-	    && subscr && strcmp(subscr->imsi, tar->filter_data[FLT_IMSI]) == 0)
+	    && subscr && subscr == tar->filter_data[FLT_IMSI])
 		return 1;
 
 	/* Filter on the NS Virtual Connection */
@@ -199,14 +199,18 @@
 	.num_cat = ARRAY_SIZE(default_categories),
 };
 
-void log_set_imsi_filter(struct log_target *target, const char *imsi)
+void log_set_imsi_filter(struct log_target *target, struct gsm_subscriber *subscr)
 {
-	if (imsi) {
-		target->filter_map |= (1 << FLT_IMSI);
-		target->filter_data[FLT_IMSI] = talloc_strdup(target, imsi);
-	} else if (target->filter_data[FLT_IMSI]) {
-		target->filter_map &= ~(1 << FLT_IMSI);
-		talloc_free(target->filter_data[FLT_IMSI]);
+	/* free the old data */
+	if (target->filter_data[FLT_IMSI]) {
+		subscr_put(target->filter_data[FLT_IMSI]);
 		target->filter_data[FLT_IMSI] = NULL;
 	}
+
+	if (subscr) {
+		target->filter_map |= (1 << FLT_IMSI);
+		target->filter_data[FLT_IMSI] = subscr_get(subscr);
+	} else {
+		target->filter_map &= ~(1 << FLT_IMSI);
+	}
 }
diff --git a/openbsc/src/libmsc/vty_interface_layer3.c b/openbsc/src/libmsc/vty_interface_layer3.c
index 06ef2d1..dec9494 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/libmsc/vty_interface_layer3.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/libmsc/vty_interface_layer3.c
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@
 #include <openbsc/mncc_int.h>
 #include <openbsc/handover.h>
 
+#include <osmocom/vty/logging.h>
+
 #include "meas_feed.h"
 
 extern struct gsm_network *gsmnet_from_vty(struct vty *v);
@@ -1027,6 +1029,30 @@
 	return CMD_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+
+DEFUN(logging_fltr_imsi,
+      logging_fltr_imsi_cmd,
+      "logging filter imsi IMSI",
+	LOGGING_STR FILTER_STR
+      "Filter log messages by IMSI\n" "IMSI to be used as filter\n")
+{
+	struct gsm_subscriber *subscr;
+	struct gsm_network *gsmnet = gsmnet_from_vty(vty);
+	struct log_target *tgt = osmo_log_vty2tgt(vty);
+
+	if (!tgt)
+		return CMD_WARNING;
+
+	subscr = subscr_get_by_imsi(gsmnet->subscr_group, argv[0]);
+	if (!subscr) {
+		vty_out(vty, "%%no subscriber with IMSI(%s)%s",
+			argv[0], VTY_NEWLINE);
+		return CMD_WARNING;
+	}
+
+	log_set_imsi_filter(tgt, subscr);
+	return CMD_SUCCESS;
+}
 int bsc_vty_init_extra(void)
 {
 	osmo_signal_register_handler(SS_SCALL, scall_cbfn, NULL);
@@ -1045,6 +1071,7 @@
 	install_element_ve(&subscriber_update_cmd);
 	install_element_ve(&show_stats_cmd);
 	install_element_ve(&show_smsqueue_cmd);
+	install_element_ve(&logging_fltr_imsi_cmd);
 
 	install_element(ENABLE_NODE, &ena_subscr_delete_cmd);
 	install_element(ENABLE_NODE, &ena_subscr_name_cmd);
@@ -1071,6 +1098,7 @@
 	install_element(MNCC_INT_NODE, &mnccint_meas_feed_cmd);
 
 	install_element(CFG_LOG_NODE, &log_level_sms_cmd);
+	install_element(CFG_LOG_NODE, &logging_fltr_imsi_cmd);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc/osmo_bsc_vty.c b/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc/osmo_bsc_vty.c
index 4d5a55d..ab36e47 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc/osmo_bsc_vty.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc/osmo_bsc_vty.c
@@ -22,8 +22,11 @@
 #include <openbsc/osmo_bsc.h>
 #include <openbsc/osmo_msc_data.h>
 #include <openbsc/vty.h>
+#include <openbsc/gsm_subscriber.h>
+#include <openbsc/debug.h>
 
 #include <osmocom/core/talloc.h>
+#include <osmocom/vty/logging.h>
 
 #include <time.h>
 
@@ -739,6 +742,29 @@
 	return CMD_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+DEFUN(logging_fltr_imsi,
+      logging_fltr_imsi_cmd,
+      "logging filter imsi IMSI",
+	LOGGING_STR FILTER_STR
+      "Filter log messages by IMSI\n" "IMSI to be used as filter\n")
+{
+	struct gsm_subscriber *subscr;
+	struct log_target *tgt = osmo_log_vty2tgt(vty);
+
+	if (!tgt)
+		return CMD_WARNING;
+
+	subscr = subscr_get_or_create(bsc_gsmnet->subscr_group, argv[0]);
+	if (!subscr) {
+		vty_out(vty, "%%no subscriber with IMSI(%s)%s",
+			argv[0], VTY_NEWLINE);
+		return CMD_WARNING;
+	}
+
+	log_set_imsi_filter(tgt, subscr);
+	return CMD_SUCCESS;
+}
+
 int bsc_vty_init_extra(void)
 {
 	install_element(CONFIG_NODE, &cfg_net_msc_cmd);
@@ -789,8 +815,11 @@
 	install_element_ve(&show_statistics_cmd);
 	install_element_ve(&show_mscs_cmd);
 	install_element_ve(&show_pos_cmd);
+	install_element_ve(&logging_fltr_imsi_cmd);
 
 	install_element(ENABLE_NODE, &gen_position_trap_cmd);
 
+	install_element(CFG_LOG_NODE, &logging_fltr_imsi_cmd);
+
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc_mgcp/mgcp_main.c b/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc_mgcp/mgcp_main.c
index bee1276..5f703c2 100644
--- a/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc_mgcp/mgcp_main.c
+++ b/openbsc/src/osmo-bsc_mgcp/mgcp_main.c
@@ -53,9 +53,6 @@
 #include "openbsc/mgcp_transcode.h"
 #endif
 
-/* this is here for the vty... it will never be called */
-void subscr_put() { abort(); }
-
 #define _GNU_SOURCE
 #include <getopt.h>