diff --git a/cmd/subscribe.go b/cmd/subscribe.go
index 2a8d57bff4..a8f16ffb2b 100644
--- a/cmd/subscribe.go
+++ b/cmd/subscribe.go
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 package cmd
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+
 	"github.com/ory/viper"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	fn "knative.dev/func/pkg/functions"
@@ -18,19 +21,19 @@ func NewSubscribeCmd() *cobra.Command {
 		},
 	}
 
-	cmd.Flags().StringP("filter", "f", "", "The event metadata to filter for")
+	cmd.Flags().StringArrayP("filter", "f", []string{}, "Filter for the Cloud Event metadata")
+
 	cmd.Flags().StringP("source", "s", "default", "The source, like a Knative Broker")
 
 	return cmd
 }
 
-// /
 func runSubscribe(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
 	var (
 		cfg subscibeConfig
 		f   fn.Function
 	)
-	cfg = newSubscribeConfig()
+	cfg = newSubscribeConfig(cmd)
 
 	if f, err = fn.NewFunction(""); err != nil {
 		return
@@ -42,12 +45,10 @@ func runSubscribe(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
 		return fn.NewErrNotInitialized(f.Root)
 	}
 
-	// add it
+	// add subscription	to function
 	f.Subscription = append(f.Subscription, fn.SubscriptionSpec{
-		Source: cfg.Source,
-		Filters: map[string]string{
-			"type": cfg.Filter,
-		},
+		Source:  cfg.Source,
+		Filters: extractFilterMap(cfg),
 	})
 
 	// pump it
@@ -55,16 +56,38 @@ func runSubscribe(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
 
 }
 
+func extractFilterMap(cfg subscibeConfig) map[string]string {
+	subscriptionFilters := make(map[string]string)
+	for _, filter := range cfg.Filter {
+		kv := strings.Split(filter, "=")
+		if len(kv) != 2 {
+			fmt.Println("Invalid pair:", filter)
+			continue
+		}
+		key := kv[0]
+		value := kv[1]
+		subscriptionFilters[key] = value
+	}
+	return subscriptionFilters
+}
+
 type subscibeConfig struct {
-	Filter string
+	Filter []string
 	Source string
 }
 
-func newSubscribeConfig() subscibeConfig {
-	c := subscibeConfig{
-		Filter: viper.GetString("filter"),
+func newSubscribeConfig(cmd *cobra.Command) (c subscibeConfig) {
+	c = subscibeConfig{
+		Filter: viper.GetStringSlice("filter"),
 		Source: viper.GetString("source"),
 	}
+	// NOTE: .Filter should be viper.GetStringSlice, but this returns unparsed
+	// results and appears to be an open issue since 2017:
+	// https://github.com/spf13/viper/issues/380
+	var err error
+	if c.Filter, err = cmd.Flags().GetStringArray("filter"); err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(cmd.OutOrStdout(), "error reading filter arguments: %v", err)
+	}
 
-	return c
+	return
 }
diff --git a/docs/reference/func_subscribe.md b/docs/reference/func_subscribe.md
index 5538ec5d8b..d6aea6e946 100644
--- a/docs/reference/func_subscribe.md
+++ b/docs/reference/func_subscribe.md
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ func subscribe
 ### Options
 
 ```
-  -f, --filter string   The event metadata to filter for
-  -h, --help            help for subscribe
-  -s, --source string   The source, like a Knative Broker (default "default")
+  -f, --filter stringArray   Filter for the Cloud Event metadata
+  -h, --help                 help for subscribe
+  -s, --source string        The source, like a Knative Broker (default "default")
 ```
 
 ### SEE ALSO