diff --git a/cmd/cmd.go b/cmd/cmd.go
index d5bdff25..27240a9b 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"text/template"
 	"time"
+	"bufio"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/aptly-dev/aptly/aptly"
 	"github.com/aptly-dev/aptly/deb"
@@ -129,3 +132,35 @@ package environment to new version.`,
 	}
 	return cmd
 }
+
+// Reads the content of a file. If the file is "-", reads from stdin.
+func getContent(filterarg string) (string, error) {
+	var err error
+	// Check if filterarg starts with '@'
+	if strings.HasPrefix(filterarg, "@") {
+		// Remove the '@' character from filterarg
+		filterarg = strings.TrimPrefix(filterarg, "@")
+        if filterarg == "-" {
+			// If filterarg is "-", read from stdin
+			scanner := bufio.NewScanner(os.Stdin)
+			scanner.Split(bufio.ScanLines)
+			scanner.Buffer(make([]byte, 1024*1024), 1024*1024)
+			var content strings.Builder
+			for scanner.Scan() {
+				content.WriteString(scanner.Text() + "\n")
+			}
+			err = scanner.Err()
+			if err == nil {
+				filterarg = content.String()
+			}
+		} else {
+			// Read the file content into a byte slice
+			var data []byte
+			data, err = ioutil.ReadFile(filterarg)
+			if err == nil {
+				filterarg = string(data)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return filterarg, err
+}
diff --git a/cmd/mirror_create.go b/cmd/mirror_create.go
index 022a5cf2..fba190be 100644
--- a/cmd/mirror_create.go
+++ b/cmd/mirror_create.go
@@ -46,12 +46,15 @@ func aptlyMirrorCreate(cmd *commander.Command, args []string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("unable to create mirror: %s", err)
 	}
 
-	repo.Filter = context.Flags().Lookup("filter").Value.String()
+	repo.Filter, err = getContent(context.Flags().Lookup("filter").Value.String())
 	repo.FilterWithDeps = context.Flags().Lookup("filter-with-deps").Value.Get().(bool)
 	repo.SkipComponentCheck = context.Flags().Lookup("force-components").Value.Get().(bool)
 	repo.SkipArchitectureCheck = context.Flags().Lookup("force-architectures").Value.Get().(bool)
 
 	if repo.Filter != "" {
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unable to read package query from file %s: %w", context.Flags().Lookup("filter").Value.String(), err)
+		}
 		_, err = query.Parse(repo.Filter)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("unable to create mirror: %s", err)
diff --git a/cmd/mirror_edit.go b/cmd/mirror_edit.go
index 27c2cfbf..e3e1d5b3 100644
--- a/cmd/mirror_edit.go
+++ b/cmd/mirror_edit.go
@@ -2,10 +2,6 @@ package cmd
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-        "bufio"
-        "io/ioutil"
-        "os"
-        "strings"
 
 	"github.com/aptly-dev/aptly/pgp"
 	"github.com/aptly-dev/aptly/query"
@@ -13,37 +9,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/smira/flag"
 )
 
-func getContent(filterarg string) (string, error) {
-	var err error
-        // Check if filterarg starts with '@'
-        if strings.HasPrefix(filterarg, "@") {
-                // Remove the '@' character from filterarg
-                filterarg = strings.TrimPrefix(filterarg, "@")
-                if filterarg == "-" {
-                	// If filterarg is "-", read from stdin
-                        scanner := bufio.NewScanner(os.Stdin)
-						scanner.Split(bufio.ScanLines)
-						scanner.Buffer(make([]byte, 1024*1024), 1024*1024)
-                        var content strings.Builder
-                        for scanner.Scan() {
-                                content.WriteString(scanner.Text() + "\n")
-                        }
-                        err = scanner.Err()
-			if err == nil {
-                                filterarg = content.String()
-                        }
-                } else {
-                	// Read the file content into a byte slice
-			var data []byte
-                	data, err = ioutil.ReadFile(filterarg)
-                	if err == nil {
-                        	filterarg = string(data)
-                	}
-		}
-        }
-        return filterarg, err
-}
-
 func aptlyMirrorEdit(cmd *commander.Command, args []string) error {
 	var err error
 	if len(args) != 1 {
@@ -63,13 +28,13 @@ func aptlyMirrorEdit(cmd *commander.Command, args []string) error {
 	}
 
 	fetchMirror := false
-	filter := false
 	ignoreSignatures := context.Config().GpgDisableVerify
+	var f string
 	context.Flags().Visit(func(flag *flag.Flag) {
 		switch flag.Name {
 		case "filter":
 			repo.Filter, err = getContent(flag.Value.String())
-			filter = true
+			f = flag.Value.String()
 		case "filter-with-deps":
 			repo.FilterWithDeps = flag.Value.Get().(bool)
 		case "with-installer":
@@ -86,8 +51,8 @@ func aptlyMirrorEdit(cmd *commander.Command, args []string) error {
 		}
 	})
 
-	if filter && err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("unable to read package query from file %s: %w", repo.Filter, err)
+	if repo.Filter != "" && err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to read package query from file %s: %w", f, err)
 	}
 
 	if repo.IsFlat() && repo.DownloadUdebs {
diff --git a/cmd/snapshot_filter.go b/cmd/snapshot_filter.go
index c712ae67..095f8661 100644
--- a/cmd/snapshot_filter.go
+++ b/cmd/snapshot_filter.go
@@ -60,7 +60,12 @@ func aptlySnapshotFilter(cmd *commander.Command, args []string) error {
 	// Initial queries out of arguments
 	queries := make([]deb.PackageQuery, len(args)-2)
 	for i, arg := range args[2:] {
-		queries[i], err = query.Parse(arg)
+		var q string
+		q, err = getContent(arg)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unable to read package query from file %s: %w", arg, err)
+		}
+		queries[i], err = query.Parse(q)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("unable to parse query: %s", err)
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/snapshot_pull.go b/cmd/snapshot_pull.go
index 27593b77..3e9b99b5 100644
--- a/cmd/snapshot_pull.go
+++ b/cmd/snapshot_pull.go
@@ -88,7 +88,12 @@ func aptlySnapshotPull(cmd *commander.Command, args []string) error {
 	// Initial queries out of arguments
 	queries := make([]deb.PackageQuery, len(args)-3)
 	for i, arg := range args[3:] {
-		queries[i], err = query.Parse(arg)
+		var q string
+		q, err = getContent(arg)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unable to read package query from file %s: %w", arg, err)
+		}
+		queries[i], err = query.Parse(q)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("unable to parse query: %s", err)
 		}