diff --git a/src/examples/periodic/CMakeLists.txt b/src/examples/periodic/CMakeLists.txt
index 92c9ea76e9c..0361c169bea 100644
--- a/src/examples/periodic/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/examples/periodic/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 # src/examples/periodic
 
 set(EXAMPLE_SOURCES
-    testpercoul)
+    testpercoul
+    testfilter)
  
 # Create executables for example applications
 foreach(example ${EXAMPLE_SOURCES})
diff --git a/src/examples/periodic/testfilter.cc b/src/examples/periodic/testfilter.cc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0ddd58098c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/examples/periodic/testfilter.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+#include <madness/mra/mra.h>
+#include <madness/mra/operator.h>
+
+const double L = 10;
+
+static double gaussian_3d(const madness::coord_3d& r, const double expnt) {
+    const double x=r[0], y=r[1], z=r[2];
+    const double coeff = pow(expnt/M_PI, 1.5);
+    return coeff * exp(-expnt * (x*x + y*y + z*z));
+}
+
+static double rho_electronic_3d(const madness::coord_3d& r) { return gaussian_3d(r, 1); }
+static double rho_nuclear_3d(const madness::coord_3d& r) { return -gaussian_3d(r, 10000); }
+
+static double rho_gaussian_func_3d(const madness::coord_3d& r) {
+    return rho_electronic_3d(r) + rho_nuclear_3d(r);
+}
+
+template<typename T, std::size_t NDIM>
+void filter_moments_inplace(madness::Function<T,NDIM>& f, const int k, const bool fence=true) {
+    auto filter_op = [&](madness::Tensor<T> &coeff) {
+        if constexpr (NDIM == 3) {
+            if (k >= 0) {
+                coeff(0, 0, 0) = 0.;
+            }
+            if (k >= 1) {
+                coeff(1, 0, 0) = 0.;
+                coeff(0, 1, 0) = 0.;
+                coeff(0, 0, 1) = 0.;
+            }
+            if (k >= 2) {
+                coeff(2, 0, 0) = 0.;
+                coeff(0, 2, 0) = 0.;
+                coeff(0, 0, 2) = 0.;
+                coeff(1, 1, 0) = 0.;
+                coeff(1, 0, 1) = 0.;
+                coeff(0, 1, 1) = 0.;
+            }
+            if (k >= 3)
+                abort();// TODO implement support for higher moments
+        } else
+            static_assert("filter_moments_inplace at the moment is implemented for NDIM=3");
+    };
+
+    // on [-L,L] normalized scaling function k is Sqrt[(2 k + 1)/(2 L)] LegendreP[k, x/L]
+    // the coefficient of x^k in LegendreP[k, x] is 2^(-k) Binomial[2 k, k], hence
+    // coefficient of x^k in scaling function k is Sqrt[(2 k + 1)/(2 L)] Binomial[2 k, k]/(2 L)^k
+    // thus if all moments of up to k-1 vanish, k-th moment (=expectation value of x^k) of
+    // scaling function k is its coefficient times Sqrt[(2 L)/ (2 k + 1)] (2 L)^k / Binomial[2 k, k]
+    f.unaryop_coeff([&](const madness::Key<NDIM> &key, madness::Tensor<T> &coeff) {
+        if (f.is_reconstructed()) {
+            filter_op(coeff);
+        } else if (f.is_compressed()) {
+            // for compressed form only need 1 node, but public interface does not allow mutable access to the data
+            if (key == f.get_impl()->key0()) {
+                filter_op(coeff);
+            }
+        } else {
+            MADNESS_EXCEPTION("filter_moments_inplace(f): f must be either compressed or reconstructed", 1);
+        }
+    },
+                    fence);
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char**argv) {
+    using namespace madness;
+    {
+      auto &world = initialize(argc, argv);
+      startup(world, argc, argv, true);
+      
+      // Function defaults
+      int k = 11;
+      double thresh = 1e-9;
+      double eps = 1e-9;
+      FunctionDefaults<3>::set_k(k);
+      FunctionDefaults<3>::set_cubic_cell(-L / 2, L / 2);
+      FunctionDefaults<3>::set_thresh(thresh);
+      FunctionDefaults<3>::set_refine(true);
+      FunctionDefaults<3>::set_initial_level(2);
+      FunctionDefaults<3>::set_truncate_mode(1);
+      
+      Function<double, 3> rho, rhoE, rhoN, V_periodic, V_periodicE, V_periodicN;
+      
+      {
+        constexpr double filter_level = 0;
+	printf("building gaussian diff charge distribution ...\n\n");
+	std::vector<coord_3d> special_pt{coord_3d(std::array<double,3>{0.0, 0.0, 0.0})};
+	rho = FunctionFactory<double, 3>(world).special_points(special_pt).initial_level(4).f(rho_gaussian_func_3d);
+        filter_moments_inplace(rho, filter_level);
+	rho.truncate();
+	rhoE = FunctionFactory<double, 3>(world).special_points(special_pt).initial_level(4).f(rho_electronic_3d);
+        filter_moments_inplace(rhoE, filter_level);
+	rhoE.truncate();
+	rhoN = FunctionFactory<double, 3>(world).special_points(special_pt).initial_level(4).f(rho_nuclear_3d);
+        filter_moments_inplace(rhoN, filter_level);
+	rhoN.truncate();
+	
+	BoundaryConditions<3> bc_periodic(BC_PERIODIC);
+	SeparatedConvolution<double, 3> pop = CoulombOperator(world, 1e-4, eps, bc_periodic);
+	printf("applying periodic operator ...\n\n");
+	V_periodic = apply(pop, rho);
+	V_periodic.truncate();
+	V_periodicE = apply(pop, rhoE);
+	V_periodicE.truncate();
+	V_periodicN = apply(pop, rhoN);
+	V_periodicN.truncate();
+	
+	V_periodic.reconstruct();
+	V_periodicE.reconstruct();
+	V_periodicN.reconstruct();
+      }
+      
+      double bstep = L / 1000.0;
+      printf("   z\t\tV_(E+N)[z]\tV_E[z]\t\tV_N[z]\t\tV_E[z]+V_n[z]\trho\t\terror\n");
+      for (int i = 0; i < 1001; i++) {
+	double x = -L / 2 + i * bstep;
+        coord_3d p(std::array<double, 3>{0,0,x});
+        printf("%.3f\t\t%.8f\t%.8f\t%.8f\t%.8f\t%.8f\t%.8f\n", p[2], V_periodic(p), V_periodicE(p), V_periodicN(p), V_periodicE(p) + V_periodicN(p), rho(p), V_periodic(p) - V_periodicN(p) - V_periodicE(p));
+      }
+    }
+    madness::finalize();
+}