diff --git a/server/core/filter.c b/server/core/filter.c
index aef124331..837e204c9 100644
--- a/server/core/filter.c
+++ b/server/core/filter.c
@@ -304,6 +304,40 @@ int     i;
         spinlock_release(&filter->spin);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Load a filter module for use and create an instance of it for a service.
+ * @param filter Filter definition
+ * @return True if module was successfully loaded, false if an error occurred
+ */
+bool filter_load(FILTER_DEF* filter)
+{
+    bool rval = false;
+    if (filter)
+    {
+        if (filter->obj == NULL)
+        {
+            /* Filter not yet loaded */
+            if ((filter->obj = load_module(filter->module, MODULE_FILTER)) == NULL)
+            {
+                MXS_ERROR("Failed to load filter module '%s'.", filter->module);
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+
+        if ((filter->filter = (filter->obj->createInstance)(filter->options,
+                                                            filter->parameters)))
+        {
+            rval = true;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            MXS_ERROR("Failed to create filter '%s' instance.", filter->name);
+        }
+
+    }
+    return rval;
+}
+
 /**
  * Connect the downstream filter chain for a filter.
  *
@@ -319,29 +353,8 @@ int     i;
 DOWNSTREAM *
 filterApply(FILTER_DEF *filter, SESSION *session, DOWNSTREAM *downstream)
 {
-DOWNSTREAM	*me;
+    DOWNSTREAM	*me;
 
-	if (filter == NULL)
-		return NULL;
-
-	if (filter->obj == NULL)
-	{
-		/* Filter not yet loaded */
-		if ((filter->obj = load_module(filter->module,
-					MODULE_FILTER)) == NULL)
-		{
-			return NULL;
-		}
-	}
-
-	if (filter->filter == NULL)
-	{
-		if ((filter->filter = (filter->obj->createInstance)(filter->options,
-					filter->parameters)) == NULL)
-		{
-			return NULL;
-		}
-	}
 	if ((me = (DOWNSTREAM *)calloc(1, sizeof(DOWNSTREAM))) == NULL)
 	{
                 char errbuf[STRERROR_BUFLEN];
diff --git a/server/core/service.c b/server/core/service.c
index e22484c99..4f2453a90 100644
--- a/server/core/service.c
+++ b/server/core/service.c
@@ -1092,12 +1092,19 @@ int		n = 0;
                     MXS_ERROR("Out of memory adding filters to service.");
                     return;
 		}
-		if ((flist[n-1] = filter_find(trim(ptr))) == NULL)
+		char *filter_name = trim(ptr);
+		if ((flist[n-1] = filter_find(filter_name)) == NULL)
 		{
                     MXS_WARNING("Unable to find filter '%s' for service '%s'\n",
-                                trim(ptr), service->name);
+                                filter_name, service->name);
                     n--;
 		}
+		else if (!filter_load(flist[n - 1]))
+		{
+			MXS_ERROR("Failed to load filter '%s' for service '%s'.",
+					  filter_name, service->name);
+		}
+
 		flist[n] = NULL;
 		ptr = strtok_r(NULL, "|", &brkt);
 	}
diff --git a/server/include/filter.h b/server/include/filter.h
index ad0b9a21a..853e1628c 100644
--- a/server/include/filter.h
+++ b/server/include/filter.h
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ typedef struct filter_def {
 
 FILTER_DEF	*filter_alloc(char *, char *);
 void		filter_free(FILTER_DEF *);
+bool        filter_load(FILTER_DEF* filter);
 FILTER_DEF	*filter_find(char *);
 void		filterAddOption(FILTER_DEF *, char *);
 void		filterAddParameter(FILTER_DEF *, char *, char *);