diff --git a/ggml/src/ggml-opencl/ggml-opencl.cpp b/ggml/src/ggml-opencl/ggml-opencl.cpp
index d344bde0f..e5a5d42f6 100644
--- a/ggml/src/ggml-opencl/ggml-opencl.cpp
+++ b/ggml/src/ggml-opencl/ggml-opencl.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <memory>
 #include <charconv>
 #include <mutex>
+#include <regex>
 
 #undef MIN
 #undef MAX
@@ -396,6 +397,8 @@ struct ggml_backend_opencl_context {
     bool has_vector_subgroup_broadcast;
     bool disable_fusion;
 
+    std::regex *opfilter = nullptr; // regex of ops to not claim
+
     bool adreno_has_large_buffer;
     bool adreno_use_large_buffer;
     ggml_cl_compiler_version adreno_cl_compiler_version;
@@ -3494,6 +3497,12 @@ static ggml_backend_opencl_context * ggml_cl2_init(ggml_backend_dev_t dev) {
 
     backend_ctx->disable_fusion = getenv("GGML_OPENCL_DISABLE_FUSION") != nullptr;
 
+    const char * str_opfilter = getenv("GGML_OPENCL_OPFILTER");
+    if (str_opfilter) {
+        backend_ctx->opfilter = new std::regex(str_opfilter, std::regex_constants::icase);
+        GGML_LOG_INFO("ggml_opencl: opfilter regex = \"%s\"\n", str_opfilter);
+    }
+
     dev_ctx->backend_ctx = backend_ctx.release();
     return dev_ctx->backend_ctx;
 }
@@ -4143,6 +4152,11 @@ static bool ggml_opencl_supports_op(ggml_backend_dev_t dev, const struct ggml_te
     ggml_backend_opencl_device_context * dev_ctx     = (ggml_backend_opencl_device_context *)dev->context;
     ggml_backend_opencl_context *        backend_ctx = dev_ctx->backend_ctx;
 
+    // reject ops that match the opfilter regex
+    if (backend_ctx->opfilter && std::regex_match(std::string(ggml_op_desc(op)), *backend_ctx->opfilter)) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
     switch (op->op) {
         case GGML_OP_NONE:
             return true;