diff --git a/src/utils_ignorelist.c b/src/utils_ignorelist.c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils_ignorelist.c
@@ -0,0 +1,364 @@
+/**
+ * collectd - src/utils_ignorelist.c
+ * Copyright (C) 2006 Lubos Stanek <lubek at users.sourceforge.net>
+ * Copyright (C) 2008 Florian Forster <octo at collectd.org>
+ *
+ * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/
+ * or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public Li-
+ * cence as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2 of the Licence, or any later version.
+ *
+ * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be use-
+ * ful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied war-
+ * ranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
+ * See the GNU General Public Licence for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public
+ * Licence along with this program; if not, write to the Free
+ * Software Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139,
+ * USA.
+ *
+ * Authors:
+ * Lubos Stanek <lubek at users.sourceforge.net>
+ * Florian Forster <octo at collectd.org>
+ **/
+/**
+ * ignorelist handles plugin's list of configured collectable
+ * entries with global ignore action
+ **/
+/**
+ * Usage:
+ *
+ * Define plugin's global pointer variable of type ignorelist_t:
+ * ignorelist_t *myconfig_ignore;
+ * If you know the state of the global ignore (IgnoreSelected),
+ * allocate the variable with:
+ * myconfig_ignore = ignorelist_create (YourKnownIgnore);
+ * If you do not know the state of the global ignore,
+ * initialize the global variable and set the ignore flag later:
+ * myconfig_ignore = ignorelist_init ();
+ * Append single entries in your cf_register'ed callback function:
+ * ignorelist_add (myconfig_ignore, newentry);
+ * When you hit the IgnoreSelected config option,
+ * offer it to the list:
+ * ignorelist_ignore (myconfig_ignore, instantly_got_value_of_ignore);
+ * That is all for the ignorelist initialization.
+ * Later during read and write (plugin's registered functions) get
+ * the information whether this entry would be collected or not:
+ * if (ignorelist_match (myconfig_ignore, thisentry))
+ * return;
+ **/
+
+#if HAVE_CONFIG_H
+# include "config.h"
+#endif
+
+#include "common.h"
+#include "plugin.h"
+#include "utils_ignorelist.h"
+
+/*
+ * private prototypes
+ */
+struct ignorelist_item_s
+{
+#if HAVE_REGEX_H
+ regex_t *rmatch; /* regular expression entry identification */
+#endif
+ char *smatch; /* string entry identification */
+ struct ignorelist_item_s *next;
+};
+typedef struct ignorelist_item_s ignorelist_item_t;
+
+struct ignorelist_s
+{
+ int ignore; /* ignore entries */
+ ignorelist_item_t *head; /* pointer to the first entry */
+};
+
+/* *** *** *** ********************************************* *** *** *** */
+/* *** *** *** *** *** *** private functions *** *** *** *** *** *** */
+/* *** *** *** ********************************************* *** *** *** */
+
+static inline void ignorelist_append (ignorelist_t *il, ignorelist_item_t *item)
+{
+ assert ((il != NULL) && (item != NULL));
+
+ item->next = il->head;
+ il->head = item;
+}
+
+#if HAVE_REGEX_H
+static int ignorelist_append_regex(ignorelist_t *il, const char *entry)
+{
+ int rcompile;
+ regex_t *regtemp;
+ int errsize;
+ char *regerr = NULL;
+ ignorelist_item_t *new;
+
+ /* create buffer */
+ if ((regtemp = malloc(sizeof(regex_t))) == NULL)
+ {
+ ERROR ("cannot allocate new config entry");
+ return (1);
+ }
+ memset (regtemp, '\0', sizeof(regex_t));
+
+ /* compile regex */
+ if ((rcompile = regcomp (regtemp, entry, REG_EXTENDED)) != 0)
+ {
+ /* prepare message buffer */
+ errsize = regerror(rcompile, regtemp, NULL, 0);
+ if (errsize)
+ regerr = smalloc(errsize);
+ /* get error message */
+ if (regerror (rcompile, regtemp, regerr, errsize))
+ {
+ fprintf (stderr, "Cannot compile regex %s: %i/%s",
+ entry, rcompile, regerr);
+ ERROR ("Cannot compile regex %s: %i/%s",
+ entry, rcompile, regerr);
+ }
+ else
+ {
+ fprintf (stderr, "Cannot compile regex %s: %i",
+ entry, rcompile);
+ ERROR ("Cannot compile regex %s: %i",
+ entry, rcompile);
+ }
+
+ if (errsize)
+ sfree (regerr);
+ regfree (regtemp);
+ return (1);
+ }
+ DEBUG("regex compiled: %s - %i", entry, rcompile);
+
+ /* create new entry */
+ if ((new = malloc(sizeof(ignorelist_item_t))) == NULL)
+ {
+ ERROR ("cannot allocate new config entry");
+ regfree (regtemp);
+ return (1);
+ }
+ memset (new, '\0', sizeof(ignorelist_item_t));
+ new->rmatch = regtemp;
+
+ /* append new entry */
+ ignorelist_append (il, new);
+
+ return (0);
+} /* int ignorelist_append_regex(ignorelist_t *il, const char *entry) */
+#endif
+
+static int ignorelist_append_string(ignorelist_t *il, const char *entry)
+{
+ ignorelist_item_t *new;
+
+ /* create new entry */
+ if ((new = malloc(sizeof(ignorelist_item_t))) == NULL )
+ {
+ ERROR ("cannot allocate new entry");
+ return (1);
+ }
+ memset (new, '\0', sizeof(ignorelist_item_t));
+ new->smatch = sstrdup(entry);
+
+ /* append new entry */
+ ignorelist_append (il, new);
+
+ return (0);
+} /* int ignorelist_append_string(ignorelist_t *il, const char *entry) */
+
+#if HAVE_REGEX_H
+/*
+ * check list for entry regex match
+ * return 1 if found
+ */
+static int ignorelist_match_regex (ignorelist_item_t *item, const char *entry)
+{
+ assert ((item != NULL) && (item->rmatch != NULL)
+ && (entry != NULL) && (strlen (entry) > 0));
+
+ /* match regex */
+ if (regexec (item->rmatch, entry, 0, NULL, 0) == 0)
+ return (1);
+
+ return (0);
+} /* int ignorelist_match_regex (ignorelist_item_t *item, const char *entry) */
+#endif
+
+/*
+ * check list for entry string match
+ * return 1 if found
+ */
+static int ignorelist_match_string (ignorelist_item_t *item, const char *entry)
+{
+ assert ((item != NULL) && (item->smatch != NULL)
+ && (entry != NULL) && (strlen (entry) > 0));
+
+ if (strcmp (entry, item->smatch) == 0)
+ return (1);
+
+ return (0);
+} /* int ignorelist_match_string (ignorelist_item_t *item, const char *entry) */
+
+
+/* *** *** *** ******************************************** *** *** *** */
+/* *** *** *** *** *** *** public functions *** *** *** *** *** *** */
+/* *** *** *** ******************************************** *** *** *** */
+
+/*
+ * create the ignorelist_t with known ignore state
+ * return pointer to ignorelist_t
+ */
+ignorelist_t *ignorelist_create (int invert)
+{
+ ignorelist_t *il;
+
+ /* smalloc exits if it failes */
+ il = (ignorelist_t *) smalloc (sizeof (ignorelist_t));
+ memset (il, '\0', sizeof (ignorelist_t));
+
+ /*
+ * ->ignore == 0 => collect
+ * ->ignore == 1 => ignore
+ */
+ il->ignore = invert ? 0 : 1;
+
+ return (il);
+} /* ignorelist_t *ignorelist_create (int ignore) */
+
+/*
+ * free memory used by ignorelist_t
+ */
+void ignorelist_free (ignorelist_t *il)
+{
+ ignorelist_item_t *this;
+ ignorelist_item_t *next;
+
+ if (il == NULL)
+ return;
+
+ for (this = il->head; this != NULL; this = next)
+ {
+ next = this->next;
+#if HAVE_REGEX_H
+ if (this->rmatch != NULL)
+ {
+ regfree (this->rmatch);
+ this->rmatch = NULL;
+ }
+#endif
+ if (this->smatch != NULL)
+ {
+ sfree (this->smatch);
+ this->smatch = NULL;
+ }
+ sfree (this);
+ }
+
+ sfree (il);
+ il = NULL;
+} /* void ignorelist_destroy (ignorelist_t *il) */
+
+/*
+ * set ignore state of the ignorelist_t
+ */
+void ignorelist_set_invert (ignorelist_t *il, int invert)
+{
+ if (il == NULL)
+ {
+ DEBUG("ignore call with ignorelist_t == NULL");
+ return;
+ }
+
+ il->ignore = invert ? 0 : 1;
+} /* void ignorelist_set_invert (ignorelist_t *il, int ignore) */
+
+/*
+ * append entry into ignorelist_t
+ * return 1 for success
+ */
+int ignorelist_add (ignorelist_t *il, const char *entry)
+{
+ int ret;
+ size_t entry_len;
+
+ if (il == NULL)
+ {
+ DEBUG ("add called with ignorelist_t == NULL");
+ return (1);
+ }
+
+ entry_len = strlen (entry);
+
+ /* append nothing */
+ if (entry_len == 0)
+ {
+ DEBUG("not appending: empty entry");
+ return (1);
+ }
+
+#if HAVE_REGEX_H
+ /* regex string is enclosed in "/.../" */
+ if ((entry_len > 2) && (entry[0] == '/') && entry[entry_len - 1] == '/')
+ {
+ char *entry_copy;
+ size_t entry_copy_size;
+
+ /* We need to copy `entry' since it's const */
+ entry_copy_size = entry_len - 1;
+ entry_copy = smalloc (entry_copy_size);
+ sstrncpy (entry_copy, entry + 1, entry_copy_size);
+
+ DEBUG("I'm about to add regex entry: %s", entry_copy);
+ ret = ignorelist_append_regex(il, entry_copy);
+ sfree (entry_copy);
+ }
+ else
+#endif
+ {
+ DEBUG("to add entry: %s", entry);
+ ret = ignorelist_append_string(il, entry);
+ }
+
+ return (ret);
+} /* int ignorelist_add (ignorelist_t *il, const char *entry) */
+
+/*
+ * check list for entry
+ * return 1 for ignored entry
+ */
+int ignorelist_match (ignorelist_t *il, const char *entry)
+{
+ ignorelist_item_t *traverse;
+
+ /* if no entries, collect all */
+ if ((il == NULL) || (il->head == NULL))
+ return (0);
+
+ if ((entry == NULL) || (strlen (entry) == 0))
+ return (0);
+
+ /* traverse list and check entries */
+ for (traverse = il->head; traverse != NULL; traverse = traverse->next)
+ {
+#if HAVE_REGEX_H
+ if (traverse->rmatch != NULL)
+ {
+ if (ignorelist_match_regex (traverse, entry))
+ return (il->ignore);
+ }
+ else
+#endif
+ {
+ if (ignorelist_match_string (traverse, entry))
+ return (il->ignore);
+ }
+ } /* for traverse */
+
+ return (1 - il->ignore);
+} /* int ignorelist_match (ignorelist_t *il, const char *entry) */
+