diff --git a/Jenkinsfile b/Jenkinsfile
index 757da78..f0463ff 100644
--- a/Jenkinsfile
+++ b/Jenkinsfile
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ pipeline {
         VERSION = VersionNumber([
             versionNumberString:
                 '${BUILDS_ALL_TIME}',
-            versionPrefix: '1.3.',
+            versionPrefix: '1.4.',
             worstResultForIncrement: 'SUCCESS'
         ])
     }
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1c792bc..ac0932e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # @sapphirecode/utilities
 
-version: 1.3.x
+version: 1.4.x
 
 small utility functions to make much needed features easier to work with
 
@@ -12,34 +12,49 @@ npm:
 
 yarn:
 
-> yarn add  @sapphirecode/utilities
+> yarn add @sapphirecode/utilities
 
 ## Usage
 
 ```js
 const util = require('@sapphirecode/utilities');
+```
 
-// cut off decimal places to a specified point
+cut off decimal places to a specified point
+
+```js
 util.truncate_decimal(12.345678, 2);
 // returns 12.34
+```
 
-// will return null instead of throwing on invalid json
+will return null instead of throwing on invalid json
+
+```js
 util.try_parse_json('{{foo');
+```
 
-// copy an object to prevent modification of the original
-const obj = {foo:'bar'};
+copy an object to prevent modification of the original
+
+```js
+const obj = {foo: 'bar'};
 const copy = util.copy_object(obj);
 copy.foo = 'baz';
 console.log(obj.foo); // bar
+```
 
-// run a regular expression and get a callback for every result
-const data = "foobarfoo";
+run a regular expression and get a callback for every result
+
+```js
+const data = 'foobarfoo';
 const regex = /foo/g;
-util.run_regex(regex, data, res => {
+util.run_regex(regex, data, (res) => {
   console.log(res[0]); // will output 'foo' 2 times
 });
+```
 
-// check if a variable is null, undefined or NaN
+check if a variable is null, undefined or NaN
+
+```js
 console.log(util.is_nil(parseInt('abc'))); // true
 console.log(util.is_nil('foo')); // false
 console.log(util.is_nil(42)); // false
@@ -47,6 +62,54 @@ console.log(util.is_nil(null)); // true
 console.log(util.is_nil(undefined)); // true
 ```
 
+filter an array recursively
+
+```js
+const to_filter = [
+  {name: 'include_foo'},
+  {
+    name: 'include_bar',
+    children: [{name: 'foo'}, {name: 'bar'}],
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'baz',
+    children: [{name: 'include_foo'}, {name: 'bar'}],
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'barbaz',
+    children: [{name: 'foo'}, {name: 'bar'}],
+  },
+];
+const filter = {
+  field: 'name', // the field the filter will apply on
+  filter: /^include_.*/iu, // regex filter
+};
+
+const result = util.recursive_filter(
+  to_filter,
+  [filter], // you can specify multiple filters, they will be connected using AND
+  'children' // specify which field an objects children are stored in ('children' is default)
+);
+
+console.log(JSON.stringify(result, null, 2));
+/* output:
+
+[
+  { name: 'include_foo' },
+  {
+    name:     'include_bar',
+    children: [
+      { name: 'foo' },
+      { name: 'bar' }
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    name:     'baz',
+    children: [ { name: 'include_foo' } ]
+  }
+]*/
+```
+
 ## License
 
 MIT © Timo Hocker <timo@scode.ovh>
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 900861e..12b29e3 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -78,10 +78,46 @@ function is_nil (obj) {
       || (typeof obj === 'number' && isNaN (obj));
 }
 
+/**
+ * filter nested objects
+ *
+ * @param {Array<object>} data
+ * @param {Array<{field: string, filter: RegExp}>} filters
+ * @returns {Array<object>} filtered data
+ */
+function recursive_filter (data, filters, children_key = 'children') {
+  const filtered = [];
+  for (const e of data) {
+    let match = true;
+    for (const filter of filters) {
+      if (!filter.filter.test (e[filter.field])) {
+        match = false;
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+    if (match) {
+      filtered.push (e);
+    }
+    else {
+      if (typeof e[children_key] === 'undefined')
+        continue;
+      e[children_key] = recursive_filter (
+        e[children_key],
+        filters,
+        children_key
+      );
+      if (e[children_key].length > 0)
+        filtered.push (e);
+    }
+  }
+  return filtered;
+}
+
 module.exports = {
   truncate_decimal,
   try_parse_json,
   copy_object,
   run_regex,
-  is_nil
+  is_nil,
+  recursive_filter
 };
diff --git a/test/index.js b/test/index.js
index 16dc628..ee4e56b 100644
--- a/test/index.js
+++ b/test/index.js
@@ -100,3 +100,50 @@ test ('check isnil with nan', (t) => {
 test ('check isnil with int', (t) => {
   t.is (util.is_nil (parseInt ('42')), false);
 });
+
+test ('recursive filter', (t) => {
+  const raw = [
+    { name: 'include_foo' },
+    {
+      name:     'include_bar',
+      children: [
+        { name: 'foo' },
+        { name: 'bar' }
+      ]
+    },
+    {
+      name:     'baz',
+      children: [
+        { name: 'include_foo' },
+        { name: 'bar' }
+      ]
+    },
+    {
+      name:     'barbaz',
+      children: [
+        { name: 'foo' },
+        { name: 'bar' }
+      ]
+    }
+  ];
+  const filtered = [
+    { name: 'include_foo' },
+    {
+      name:     'include_bar',
+      children: [
+        { name: 'foo' },
+        { name: 'bar' }
+      ]
+    },
+    {
+      name:     'baz',
+      children: [ { name: 'include_foo' } ]
+    }
+  ];
+  const filter = {
+    field:  'name',
+    filter: /^include_.*/ui
+  };
+  const result = util.recursive_filter (raw, [ filter ]);
+  t.deepEqual (filtered, result);
+});