diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1ccd7f9a79383..7c89cec00ad25 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -78,6 +78,8 @@ if you don't have it already. You also must build with golang version 1.4+
 ### How to use it:
 
 * Run `telegraf -sample-config > telegraf.conf` to create an initial configuration
+* Run `telegraf -sample-config -filter cpu:mem -outputfilter influxdb`
+to create a config file with only CPU and memory plugins, and InfluxDB output defined
 * Edit the configuration to match your needs
 * Run `telegraf -config telegraf.conf -test` to output one full measurement sample to STDOUT
 * Run `telegraf -config telegraf.conf` to gather and send metrics to configured outputs.
diff --git a/agent.go b/agent.go
index a8ee44207f34a..b63aee48f0e5f 100644
--- a/agent.go
+++ b/agent.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"log"
 	"os"
 	"sort"
-	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -113,7 +112,7 @@ func (a *Agent) Close() error {
 }
 
 // LoadOutputs loads the agent's outputs
-func (a *Agent) LoadOutputs() ([]string, error) {
+func (a *Agent) LoadOutputs(filters []string) ([]string, error) {
 	var names []string
 
 	for _, name := range a.Config.OutputsDeclared() {
@@ -122,15 +121,17 @@ func (a *Agent) LoadOutputs() ([]string, error) {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Undefined but requested output: %s", name)
 		}
 
-		output := creator()
+		if sliceContains(name, filters) || len(filters) == 0 {
+			output := creator()
 
-		err := a.Config.ApplyOutput(name, output)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+			err := a.Config.ApplyOutput(name, output)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
 
-		a.outputs = append(a.outputs, &runningOutput{name, output})
-		names = append(names, name)
+			a.outputs = append(a.outputs, &runningOutput{name, output})
+			names = append(names, name)
+		}
 	}
 
 	sort.Strings(names)
@@ -139,14 +140,8 @@ func (a *Agent) LoadOutputs() ([]string, error) {
 }
 
 // LoadPlugins loads the agent's plugins
-func (a *Agent) LoadPlugins(pluginsFilter string) ([]string, error) {
+func (a *Agent) LoadPlugins(filters []string) ([]string, error) {
 	var names []string
-	var filters []string
-
-	pluginsFilter = strings.TrimSpace(pluginsFilter)
-	if pluginsFilter != "" {
-		filters = strings.Split(":"+pluginsFilter+":", ":")
-	}
 
 	for _, name := range a.Config.PluginsDeclared() {
 		creator, ok := plugins.Plugins[name]
@@ -154,22 +149,9 @@ func (a *Agent) LoadPlugins(pluginsFilter string) ([]string, error) {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Undefined but requested plugin: %s", name)
 		}
 
-		isPluginEnabled := false
-		if len(filters) > 0 {
-			for _, runeValue := range filters {
-				if runeValue != "" && strings.ToLower(runeValue) == strings.ToLower(name) {
-					fmt.Printf("plugin [%s] is enabled (filter options)\n", name)
-					isPluginEnabled = true
-					break
-				}
-			}
-		} else {
-			// if no filter, we ALWAYS accept the plugin
-			isPluginEnabled = true
-		}
-
-		if isPluginEnabled {
+		if sliceContains(name, filters) || len(filters) == 0 {
 			plugin := creator()
+
 			config, err := a.Config.ApplyPlugin(name, plugin)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
diff --git a/cmd/telegraf/telegraf.go b/cmd/telegraf/telegraf.go
index f28a81bd44af5..7080f76715eed 100644
--- a/cmd/telegraf/telegraf.go
+++ b/cmd/telegraf/telegraf.go
@@ -21,8 +21,10 @@ var fVersion = flag.Bool("version", false, "display the version")
 var fSampleConfig = flag.Bool("sample-config", false,
 	"print out full sample configuration")
 var fPidfile = flag.String("pidfile", "", "file to write our pid to")
-var fPLuginsFilter = flag.String("filter", "",
+var fPLuginFilters = flag.String("filter", "",
 	"filter the plugins to enable, separator is :")
+var fOutputFilters = flag.String("outputfilter", "",
+	"filter the outputs to enable, separator is :")
 var fUsage = flag.String("usage", "",
 	"print usage for a plugin, ie, 'telegraf -usage mysql'")
 
@@ -33,6 +35,18 @@ var Version string
 func main() {
 	flag.Parse()
 
+	var pluginFilters []string
+	if *fPLuginFilters != "" {
+		pluginsFilter := strings.TrimSpace(*fPLuginFilters)
+		pluginFilters = strings.Split(":"+pluginsFilter+":", ":")
+	}
+
+	var outputFilters []string
+	if *fOutputFilters != "" {
+		outputFilter := strings.TrimSpace(*fOutputFilters)
+		outputFilters = strings.Split(":"+outputFilter+":", ":")
+	}
+
 	if *fVersion {
 		v := fmt.Sprintf("Telegraf - Version %s", Version)
 		fmt.Println(v)
@@ -40,7 +54,7 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	if *fSampleConfig {
-		telegraf.PrintSampleConfig()
+		telegraf.PrintSampleConfig(pluginFilters, outputFilters)
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -76,7 +90,7 @@ func main() {
 		ag.Debug = true
 	}
 
-	outputs, err := ag.LoadOutputs()
+	outputs, err := ag.LoadOutputs(outputFilters)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -85,7 +99,7 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
 
-	plugins, err := ag.LoadPlugins(*fPLuginsFilter)
+	plugins, err := ag.LoadPlugins(pluginFilters)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/config.go b/config.go
index fae445e8cec1e..d9724e65f857b 100644
--- a/config.go
+++ b/config.go
@@ -384,15 +384,16 @@ var header2 = `
 ###############################################################################
 `
 
-// PrintSampleConfig prints the sample config!
-func PrintSampleConfig() {
+// PrintSampleConfig prints the sample config
+func PrintSampleConfig(pluginFilters []string, outputFilters []string) {
 	fmt.Printf(header)
 
 	// Print Outputs
 	var onames []string
-
 	for oname := range outputs.Outputs {
-		onames = append(onames, oname)
+		if len(outputFilters) == 0 || sliceContains(oname, outputFilters) {
+			onames = append(onames, oname)
+		}
 	}
 	sort.Strings(onames)
 
@@ -414,9 +415,10 @@ func PrintSampleConfig() {
 
 	// Print Plugins
 	var pnames []string
-
 	for pname := range plugins.Plugins {
-		pnames = append(pnames, pname)
+		if len(pluginFilters) == 0 || sliceContains(pname, pluginFilters) {
+			pnames = append(pnames, pname)
+		}
 	}
 	sort.Strings(pnames)
 
@@ -435,6 +437,15 @@ func PrintSampleConfig() {
 	}
 }
 
+func sliceContains(name string, list []string) bool {
+	for _, b := range list {
+		if b == name {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 // PrintPluginConfig prints the config usage of a single plugin.
 func PrintPluginConfig(name string) error {
 	if creator, ok := plugins.Plugins[name]; ok {