diff --git a/privacy-profile-composer/pkg/envoyfilter/filter.go b/privacy-profile-composer/pkg/envoyfilter/filter.go
index cde70984..7eec84b8 100644
--- a/privacy-profile-composer/pkg/envoyfilter/filter.go
+++ b/privacy-profile-composer/pkg/envoyfilter/filter.go
@@ -52,7 +52,9 @@ type Filter struct {
 	// Runtime state of the filter
 	parentSpanContext model.SpanContext
 	headerMetadata    common.HeaderMetadata
+	processDecodeBody bool
 	decodeDataBuffer  string
+	processEncodeBody bool
 	encodeDataBuffer  string
 }
 
@@ -72,12 +74,47 @@ func (f *Filter) DecodeHeaders(header api.RequestHeaderMap, endStream bool) api.
 
 	common.LogDecodeHeaderData(header)
 
-	// when `endStream` is true, we have a header-only request
-	if !endStream {
-		return api.StopAndBuffer
-	} else {
+	if endStream {
+		// here we have a header-only request
 		return api.Continue
 	}
+
+	switch f.config.direction {
+	case common.Inbound:
+		// If it is an inbound sidecar, then do process the body
+		// run PII Analysis + OPA directly
+		f.processDecodeBody = true
+
+	case common.Outbound:
+		// If it is an outbound sidecar, then check if it's a request to a third party
+		// and only process the body in this case
+		destinationAddress, err := f.callbacks.GetProperty("destination.address")
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Println(err)
+			return api.Continue
+		}
+
+		isInternalDestination, err := f.checkInternalAddress(destinationAddress)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Println(err)
+			return api.Continue
+		}
+
+		if isInternalDestination {
+			log.Printf("outbound sidecar processed a request to another sidecar in the mesh" +
+				"Prose will process it through the inbound decode function\n")
+			return api.Continue
+		}
+
+		//thirdPartyURL := header.Host()
+		f.processDecodeBody = true
+
+	default:
+		log.Printf("unexpected filter direction: %s\n", f.config.direction)
+		return api.Continue
+	}
+
+	return api.StopAndBuffer
 }
 
 func (f *Filter) DecodeData(buffer api.BufferInstance, endStream bool) api.StatusType {
@@ -103,41 +140,7 @@ func (f *Filter) DecodeData(buffer api.BufferInstance, endStream bool) api.Statu
 
 	span.Tag("buffer-value", f.decodeDataBuffer)
 
-	// TODO: move the entire decision to process body or not into DecodeHeaders/EncodeHeaders
-	processBody := false
-	// If it is an inbound sidecar, then do process the body
-	// run PII Analysis + OPA directly
-	if f.config.direction == common.Inbound {
-		processBody = true
-	}
-
-	//  If it is an outbound sidecar, then check if it's a request to a third party
-	//  and only process the body in this case
-	if f.config.direction == common.Outbound {
-		destinationAddress, err := f.callbacks.GetProperty("destination.address")
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Println(err)
-			return api.Continue
-		}
-
-		isInternalDestination, err := f.checkInternalAddress(destinationAddress)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Println(err)
-			return api.Continue
-		}
-
-		if isInternalDestination {
-			log.Printf("outbound sidecar processed a request to another sidecar in the mesh" +
-				"Prose will process it through the inbound decode function\n")
-			return api.Continue
-		}
-
-		// this can be obtained in DecodeHeader()
-		// thirdPartyURL := header.Host()
-		processBody = true
-	}
-
-	if processBody {
+	if f.processDecodeBody {
 		sendLocalReply, err, proseTags := f.processBody(ctx, f.decodeDataBuffer, true)
 		// Some of these tags may include error info,
 		// so need to add them irrespective of the error
@@ -175,11 +178,30 @@ func (f *Filter) EncodeHeaders(header api.ResponseHeaderMap, endStream bool) api
 	span := f.tracer.StartSpan("test span in encode headers", zipkin.Parent(f.parentSpanContext))
 	defer span.Finish()
 
-	if !endStream {
-		return api.StopAndBuffer
-	} else {
+	if endStream {
+		// here we have a header-only request
+		return api.Continue
+	}
+
+	switch f.config.direction {
+	case common.Inbound:
+		// if inbound then ignore
+		// we will just address them in the inbound call to the caller svc
+		f.processEncodeBody = false
+
+	case common.Outbound:
+		// if outbound then indirect purpose of use violation
+		// TODO: This is usually data obtained from another service
+		//  but it could also be data obtained from a third party. I.e. a kind of join violation.
+		//  Not sure if we'll run into those cases in the examples we look at.
+		f.processEncodeBody = true
+
+	default:
+		log.Printf("unexpected filter direction: %s\n", f.config.direction)
 		return api.Continue
 	}
+
+	return api.StopAndBuffer
 }
 
 // Callbacks which are called in response path
@@ -206,11 +228,7 @@ func (f *Filter) EncodeData(buffer api.BufferInstance, endStream bool) api.Statu
 
 	span.Tag("buffer-value", f.encodeDataBuffer)
 
-	// if outbound then indirect purpose of use violation
-	// TODO: This is usually data obtained from another service
-	//  but it could also be data obtained from a third party. I.e. a kind of join violation.
-	//  Not sure if we'll run into those cases in the examples we look at.
-	if f.config.direction == common.Outbound {
+	if f.processEncodeBody {
 		sendLocalReply, err, proseTags := f.processBody(ctx, f.encodeDataBuffer, false)
 		for k, v := range proseTags {
 			span.Tag(k, v)
@@ -229,8 +247,6 @@ func (f *Filter) EncodeData(buffer api.BufferInstance, endStream bool) api.Statu
 		}
 	}
 
-	// if inbound then ignore
-	// we will just address them in the inbound call to the caller svc
 	return api.Continue
 }