diff --git a/docs/references/configuration.rst b/docs/references/configuration.rst
index 4237d55bcc..426bb8b4b5 100644
--- a/docs/references/configuration.rst
+++ b/docs/references/configuration.rst
@@ -628,7 +628,12 @@ jwt-role-claim-key
     # the DSL accepts characters that are alphanumerical or one of "_$@" as keys
     jwt-role-claim-key = ".postgrest.roles[1]"
 
-    # {"https://www.example.com/role": { "key": "author }}
+    # {"postgrest":{"roles": ["other", "author"]}}
+    # accepts string comparison operators, supported operators are "==", "!=", "^==", "$==", "*=="
+    # see: https://github.com/dfilatov/jspath#comparison-operators
+    jwt-role-claim-key = ".postgrest.roles[?(@ == "author")]"
+
+    # {"https://www.example.com/role": { "key": "author" }}
     # non-alphanumerical characters can go inside quotes(escaped in the config value)
     jwt-role-claim-key = ".\"https://www.example.com/role\".key"
 
diff --git a/src/PostgREST/Auth.hs b/src/PostgREST/Auth.hs
index 46afa801c2..c8c3b720cb 100644
--- a/src/PostgREST/Auth.hs
+++ b/src/PostgREST/Auth.hs
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import qualified Data.ByteString                 as BS
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy.Char8      as LBS
 import qualified Data.Cache                      as C
 import qualified Data.Scientific                 as Sci
+import qualified Data.Text                       as T
 import qualified Data.Vault.Lazy                 as Vault
 import qualified Data.Vector                     as V
 import qualified Jose.Jwk                        as JWT
@@ -46,7 +47,8 @@ import System.TimeIt           (timeItT)
 
 import PostgREST.AppState (AppState, AuthResult (..), getConfig,
                            getJwtCache, getTime)
-import PostgREST.Config   (AppConfig (..), JSPath, JSPathExp (..))
+import PostgREST.Config   (AppConfig (..), FilterExp (..), JSPath,
+                           JSPathExp (..))
 import PostgREST.Error    (Error (..))
 
 import Protolude
@@ -121,8 +123,20 @@ parseClaims AppConfig{..} jclaims@(JSON.Object mclaims) = do
     walkJSPath x                      []                = x
     walkJSPath (Just (JSON.Object o)) (JSPKey key:rest) = walkJSPath (KM.lookup (K.fromText key) o) rest
     walkJSPath (Just (JSON.Array ar)) (JSPIdx idx:rest) = walkJSPath (ar V.!? idx) rest
+    walkJSPath (Just (JSON.Array ar)) [JSPFilter (EqualsCond txt)] = findFirstMatch (==) txt ar
+    walkJSPath (Just (JSON.Array ar)) [JSPFilter (NotEqualsCond txt)] = findFirstMatch (/=) txt ar
+    walkJSPath (Just (JSON.Array ar)) [JSPFilter (StartsWithCond txt)] = findFirstMatch T.isPrefixOf txt ar
+    walkJSPath (Just (JSON.Array ar)) [JSPFilter (EndsWithCond txt)] = findFirstMatch T.isSuffixOf txt ar
+    walkJSPath (Just (JSON.Array ar)) [JSPFilter (ContainsCond txt)] = findFirstMatch T.isInfixOf txt ar
     walkJSPath _                      _                 = Nothing
 
+    findFirstMatch matchWith pattern = foldr checkMatch Nothing
+      where
+        checkMatch (JSON.String txt) acc
+            | pattern `matchWith` txt = Just $ JSON.String txt
+            | otherwise = acc
+        checkMatch _ acc = acc
+
     unquoted :: JSON.Value -> BS.ByteString
     unquoted (JSON.String t) = encodeUtf8 t
     unquoted v               = LBS.toStrict $ JSON.encode v
diff --git a/src/PostgREST/Config.hs b/src/PostgREST/Config.hs
index 57276ef659..8f90f2b1f3 100644
--- a/src/PostgREST/Config.hs
+++ b/src/PostgREST/Config.hs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ module PostgREST.Config
   , Environment
   , JSPath
   , JSPathExp(..)
+  , FilterExp(..)
   , LogLevel(..)
   , OpenAPIMode(..)
   , Proxy(..)
@@ -54,8 +55,9 @@ import System.Posix.Types      (FileMode)
 
 import PostgREST.Config.Database         (RoleIsolationLvl,
                                           RoleSettings)
-import PostgREST.Config.JSPath           (JSPath, JSPathExp (..),
-                                          dumpJSPath, pRoleClaimKey)
+import PostgREST.Config.JSPath           (FilterExp (..), JSPath,
+                                          JSPathExp (..), dumpJSPath,
+                                          pRoleClaimKey)
 import PostgREST.Config.Proxy            (Proxy (..),
                                           isMalformedProxyUri, toURI)
 import PostgREST.SchemaCache.Identifiers (QualifiedIdentifier, dumpQi,
diff --git a/src/PostgREST/Config/JSPath.hs b/src/PostgREST/Config/JSPath.hs
index 97405654f4..42cd065d0d 100644
--- a/src/PostgREST/Config/JSPath.hs
+++ b/src/PostgREST/Config/JSPath.hs
@@ -1,31 +1,50 @@
+{-# OPTIONS_GHC -Wno-unused-do-bind #-}
 module PostgREST.Config.JSPath
   ( JSPath
   , JSPathExp(..)
+  , FilterExp(..)
   , dumpJSPath
   , pRoleClaimKey
   ) where
 
 import qualified Text.ParserCombinators.Parsec as P
 
-import Data.Either.Combinators       (mapLeft)
-import Text.ParserCombinators.Parsec ((<?>))
-import Text.Read                     (read)
+import Data.Either.Combinators (mapLeft)
+import Text.Read               (read)
 
 import Protolude
 
 
--- | full jspath, e.g. .property[0].attr.detail
+-- | full jspath, e.g. .property[0].attr.detail[?(@ == "role1")]
 type JSPath = [JSPathExp]
 
--- | jspath expression, e.g. .property, .property[0] or ."property-dash"
+-- | jspath expression
 data JSPathExp
-  = JSPKey Text
-  | JSPIdx Int
+  = JSPKey Text         -- .property or ."property-dash"
+  | JSPIdx Int          -- [0]
+  | JSPFilter FilterExp -- [?(@ == "match")], [?(@ ^== "match-prefix")], etc
+
+data FilterExp
+  = EqualsCond Text
+  | NotEqualsCond Text
+  | StartsWithCond Text
+  | EndsWithCond Text
+  | ContainsCond Text
 
 dumpJSPath :: JSPathExp -> Text
 -- TODO: this needs to be quoted properly for special chars
 dumpJSPath (JSPKey k) = "." <> show k
 dumpJSPath (JSPIdx i) = "[" <> show i <> "]"
+dumpJSPath (JSPFilter cond) = "[?(@" <> expr <> "]"
+  where
+    expr =
+      case cond of
+        EqualsCond text     -> " == " <> text
+        NotEqualsCond text  -> " != " <> text
+        StartsWithCond text -> " ^== " <> text
+        EndsWithCond text   -> " $== " <> text
+        ContainsCond text   -> " *== " <> text
+
 
 -- Used for the config value "role-claim-key"
 pRoleClaimKey :: Text -> Either Text JSPath
@@ -33,19 +52,47 @@ pRoleClaimKey selStr =
   mapLeft show $ P.parse pJSPath ("failed to parse role-claim-key value (" <> toS selStr <> ")") (toS selStr)
 
 pJSPath :: P.Parser JSPath
-pJSPath = toJSPath <$> (period *> pPath `P.sepBy` period <* P.eof)
-  where
-    toJSPath :: [(Text, Maybe Int)] -> JSPath
-    toJSPath = concatMap (\(key, idx) -> JSPKey key : maybeToList (JSPIdx <$> idx))
-    period = P.char '.' <?> "period (.)"
-    pPath :: P.Parser (Text, Maybe Int)
-    pPath = (,) <$> pJSPKey <*> P.optionMaybe pJSPIdx
+pJSPath = P.many1 pJSPathExp <* P.eof
+
+pJSPathExp :: P.Parser JSPathExp
+pJSPathExp = pJSPKey <|> pJSPFilter <|> pJSPIdx
+
+pJSPKey :: P.Parser JSPathExp
+pJSPKey = do
+  P.char '.'
+  val <- toS <$> P.many1 (P.alphaNum <|> P.oneOf "_$@") <|> pQuotedValue
+  return $ JSPKey val
+
+pJSPIdx :: P.Parser JSPathExp
+pJSPIdx = do
+  P.char '['
+  num <- read <$> P.many1 P.digit
+  P.char ']'
+  return $ JSPIdx num
 
-pJSPKey :: P.Parser Text
-pJSPKey = toS <$> P.many1 (P.alphaNum <|> P.oneOf "_$@") <|> pQuotedValue <?> "attribute name [a..z0..9_$@])"
+pJSPFilter :: P.Parser JSPathExp
+pJSPFilter = do
+  P.try $ P.string "[?("
+  condition <- pFilterConditionParser
+  P.char ')'
+  P.char ']'
+  P.eof -- this should be the last jspath expression
+  return $ JSPFilter condition
 
-pJSPIdx :: P.Parser Int
-pJSPIdx = P.char '[' *> (read <$> P.many1 P.digit) <* P.char ']' <?> "array index [0..n]"
+pFilterConditionParser :: P.Parser FilterExp
+pFilterConditionParser = do
+  P.char '@'
+  P.spaces
+  condOp <- P.choice $ map P.string ["==", "!=", "^==", "$==", "*=="]
+  P.spaces
+  value <- pQuotedValue
+  return $ case condOp of
+     "=="  -> EqualsCond value
+     "!="  -> NotEqualsCond value
+     "^==" -> StartsWithCond value
+     "$==" -> EndsWithCond value
+     "*==" -> ContainsCond value
+     _     -> EqualsCond value -- Impossible case
 
 pQuotedValue :: P.Parser Text
 pQuotedValue = toS <$> (P.char '"' *> P.many (P.noneOf "\"") <* P.char '"')
diff --git a/test/io/fixtures.yaml b/test/io/fixtures.yaml
index 5c738d7c14..d644e70ea6 100644
--- a/test/io/fixtures.yaml
+++ b/test/io/fixtures.yaml
@@ -153,6 +153,41 @@ roleclaims:
       role: postgrest_test_author
       other: true
     expected_status: 401
+  - key: '.realm_access.roles[?(@ == "postgrest_test_author")]'
+    data:
+      realm_access:
+        roles:
+          - other
+          - postgrest_test_author
+    expected_status: 200
+  - key: '.realm_access.roles[?(@ != "other")]'
+    data:
+      realm_access:
+        roles:
+          - other
+          - postgrest_test_author
+    expected_status: 200
+  - key: '.realm_access.roles[?(@ ^== "postgrest_te")]'
+    data:
+      realm_access:
+        roles:
+          - other
+          - postgrest_test_author
+    expected_status: 200
+  - key: '.realm_access.roles[?(@ $== "st_test_author")]'
+    data:
+      realm_access:
+        roles:
+          - other
+          - postgrest_test_author
+    expected_status: 200
+  - key: '.realm_access.roles[?(@ *== "_test_")]'
+    data:
+      realm_access:
+        roles:
+          - other
+          - postgrest_test_author
+    expected_status: 200
 
 invalidroleclaimkeys:
   - 'role.other'