diff --git a/configure.py b/configure.py
index ba35c14420..fc801b0f19 100755
--- a/configure.py
+++ b/configure.py
@@ -718,6 +718,7 @@ scylla_core = (['database.cc',
                 'db/data_listeners.cc',
                 'db/hints/manager.cc',
                 'db/hints/resource_manager.cc',
+                'db/hints/host_filter.cc',
                 'db/config.cc',
                 'db/extensions.cc',
                 'db/heat_load_balance.cc',
diff --git a/db/hints/host_filter.cc b/db/hints/host_filter.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7754bfe5a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/hints/host_filter.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2020 ScyllaDB
+ */
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of Scylla.
+ *
+ * Scylla is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * Scylla is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with Scylla.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#include <string_view>
+#include <boost/algorithm/string.hpp>
+#include "to_string.hh"
+#include "host_filter.hh"
+
+namespace db {
+namespace hints {
+
+host_filter::host_filter(host_filter::enabled_for_all_tag)
+        : _enabled_kind(host_filter::enabled_kind::enabled_for_all) {
+}
+
+host_filter::host_filter(host_filter::disabled_for_all_tag)
+        : _enabled_kind(host_filter::enabled_kind::disabled_for_all) {
+}
+
+host_filter::host_filter(std::unordered_set<sstring> allowed_dcs)
+        : _enabled_kind(allowed_dcs.empty() ? enabled_kind::disabled_for_all : enabled_kind::enabled_selectively)
+        , _dcs(std::move(allowed_dcs)) {
+}
+
+bool host_filter::can_hint_for(locator::snitch_ptr& snitch, gms::inet_address ep) const {
+    switch (_enabled_kind) {
+    case enabled_kind::enabled_for_all:
+        return true;
+    case enabled_kind::enabled_selectively:
+        return _dcs.count(snitch->get_datacenter(ep));
+    case enabled_kind::disabled_for_all:
+        return false;
+    }
+    throw std::logic_error("Uncovered variant of enabled_kind");
+}
+
+host_filter host_filter::parse_from_config_string(sstring opt) {
+    if (boost::iequals(opt, "false") || opt == "0") {
+        return host_filter(disabled_for_all_tag());
+    } else if (boost::iequals(opt, "true") || opt == "1") {
+        return host_filter(enabled_for_all_tag());
+    }
+
+    return parse_from_dc_list(std::move(opt));
+}
+
+host_filter host_filter::parse_from_dc_list(sstring opt) {
+    using namespace boost::algorithm;
+
+    std::vector<sstring> dcs;
+    split(dcs, opt, is_any_of(","));
+
+    std::for_each(dcs.begin(), dcs.end(), [] (sstring& dc) {
+        trim(dc);
+        if (dc.empty()) {
+            throw hints_configuration_parse_error("hinted_handoff_enabled: DC name may not be an empty string");
+        }
+    });
+
+    return host_filter(std::unordered_set<sstring>(dcs.begin(), dcs.end()));
+}
+
+std::istream& operator>>(std::istream& is, host_filter& f) {
+    sstring tmp;
+    is >> tmp;
+    f = host_filter::parse_from_config_string(std::move(tmp));
+    return is;
+}
+
+sstring host_filter::to_configuration_string() const {
+    switch (_enabled_kind) {
+    case enabled_kind::enabled_for_all:
+        return "true";
+    case enabled_kind::enabled_selectively:
+        return ::join(",", _dcs);
+    case enabled_kind::disabled_for_all:
+        return "false";
+    }
+    throw std::logic_error("Uncovered variant of enabled_kind");
+}
+
+
+std::string_view host_filter::enabled_kind_to_string(host_filter::enabled_kind ek) {
+    switch (ek) {
+    case host_filter::enabled_kind::enabled_for_all:
+        return "enabled_for_all";
+    case host_filter::enabled_kind::enabled_selectively:
+        return "enabled_selectively";
+    case host_filter::enabled_kind::disabled_for_all:
+        return "disabled_for_all";
+    }
+    throw std::logic_error("Uncovered variant of enabled_kind");
+}
+
+std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const host_filter& f) {
+    os << "host_filter{enabled_kind="
+        << host_filter::enabled_kind_to_string(f._enabled_kind);
+    if (f._enabled_kind == host_filter::enabled_kind::enabled_selectively) {
+        os << ", dcs={" << ::join(",", f._dcs);
+    }
+    os << "}";
+    return os;
+}
+
+}
+}
+
diff --git a/db/hints/host_filter.hh b/db/hints/host_filter.hh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2618d1d5a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/hints/host_filter.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2020 ScyllaDB
+ */
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of Scylla.
+ *
+ * Scylla is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ * it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published by
+ * the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+ * (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * Scylla is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+ * GNU General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ * along with Scylla.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <functional>
+#include <unordered_set>
+#include <exception>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <string_view>
+
+#include <seastar/core/sstring.hh>
+#include "gms/inet_address.hh"
+#include "locator/snitch_base.hh"
+#include "seastarx.hh"
+
+namespace db {
+namespace hints {
+
+// host_filter tells hints_manager towards which endpoints it is allowed to generate hints.
+class host_filter final {
+private:
+    enum class enabled_kind {
+        enabled_for_all,
+        enabled_selectively,
+        disabled_for_all,
+    };
+
+    enabled_kind _enabled_kind;
+    std::unordered_set<sstring> _dcs;
+
+    static std::string_view enabled_kind_to_string(host_filter::enabled_kind ek);
+
+public:
+    struct enabled_for_all_tag {};
+    struct disabled_for_all_tag {};
+
+    // Creates a filter that allows hints to all endpoints (default)
+    host_filter(enabled_for_all_tag tag = {});
+
+    // Creates a filter that does not allow any hints.
+    host_filter(disabled_for_all_tag);
+
+    // Creates a filter that allows sending hints to specified DCs.
+    explicit host_filter(std::unordered_set<sstring> allowed_dcs);
+
+    // Parses hint filtering configuration from the hinted_handoff_enabled option.
+    static host_filter parse_from_config_string(sstring opt);
+
+    // Parses hint filtering configuration from a list of DCs.
+    static host_filter parse_from_dc_list(sstring opt);
+
+    bool can_hint_for(locator::snitch_ptr& snitch, gms::inet_address ep) const;
+
+    inline const std::unordered_set<sstring>& get_dcs() const {
+        return _dcs;
+    }
+
+    bool operator==(const host_filter& other) const noexcept {
+        return _enabled_kind == other._enabled_kind
+                && _dcs == other._dcs;
+    }
+
+    inline bool is_enabled_for_all() const noexcept {
+        return _enabled_kind == enabled_kind::enabled_for_all;
+    }
+
+    inline bool is_disabled_for_all() const noexcept {
+        return _enabled_kind == enabled_kind::disabled_for_all;
+    }
+
+    sstring to_configuration_string() const;
+
+    friend std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const host_filter& f);
+};
+
+std::istream& operator>>(std::istream& is, host_filter& f);
+
+class hints_configuration_parse_error : public std::runtime_error {
+public:
+    using std::runtime_error::runtime_error;
+};
+
+}
+}