diff --git a/extensions/fablabchemnitz_sieve.inx b/extensions/fablabchemnitz_sieve.inx
deleted file mode 100644
index fac2ed7a..00000000
--- a/extensions/fablabchemnitz_sieve.inx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<inkscape-extension xmlns="http://www.inkscape.org/namespace/inkscape/extension">
-    <_name>Small Area Filter</_name>
-    <id>fablabchemnitz.de.small_area_filter</id>
-    <param name="use" type="description" xml:space="preserve">Paths with area smaller than the given area threshold will be deleted</param>
-    <param name="unit" _gui-text="Unit" type="enum">
-        <_item value="mm">mm^2</_item>
-        <_item value="cm">cm^2</_item>
-        <_item value="m">m^2</_item>
-    </param>
-    <param name="area" type="float" min="0.0" max="10000000.0" _gui-text="Area (Unit^2):">1.0</param>
-    <effect>
-        <object-type>all</object-type>
-        <effects-menu>
-            <submenu _name="FabLab Chemnitz">
-                <submenu _name="Nesting/Cut Optimization" />
-            </submenu>
-        </effects-menu>
-    </effect>
-    <script>
-        <command reldir="extensions" interpreter="python">fablabchemnitz_sieve.py</command>
-    </script>
-</inkscape-extension>
diff --git a/extensions/fablabchemnitz_sieve.py b/extensions/fablabchemnitz_sieve.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 6fb47c86..00000000
--- a/extensions/fablabchemnitz_sieve.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,43 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python3
-
-import inkex
-import svgpathtools
-
-def isclosedac(p):
-    return abs(p.start-p.end) < 1e-6
-
-
-class Sieve(inkex.Effect):
-    def __init__(self):
-        inkex.Effect.__init__(self)
-        self.arg_parser.add_argument('--unit')
-        self.arg_parser.add_argument('--area', type=float, help='Remove paths with an area smaller than this value')
-		
-    def effect(self):
-        namedView = self.document.getroot().find(inkex.addNS('namedview', 'sodipodi'))
-        doc_units = namedView.get(inkex.addNS('document-units', 'inkscape'))
-        #inkex.utils.debug("document unit is " + doc_units)
-        self.options.area = self.svg.unittouu(str(self.options.area) + doc_units)
-        unit_factor = 1.0 / self.svg.uutounit(1.0,self.options.unit)
-        #inkex.utils.debug("unit_factor is " + str(unit_factor))
-		
-        if self.options.area == 0:
-            return
-
-        for path in self.document.xpath("//svg:path", namespaces=inkex.NSS):
-            try:
-                parsed_path = svgpathtools.parse_path(path.attrib["d"])
-                
-                if not isclosedac(parsed_path):
-                    continue
-                
-                area = parsed_path.area()
-                #inkex.utils.debug(area) #print calculated area with document units
-                #inkex.utils.debug(str(self.options.area * (unit_factor * unit_factor))) #print threshold area with selected units
-                if area < (self.options.area * (unit_factor * unit_factor)):
-                    path.getparent().remove(path)
-            except:
-                pass
-
-if __name__ == '__main__':
-    Sieve().run()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/extensions/fablabchemnitz_small_things_filter.inx b/extensions/fablabchemnitz_small_things_filter.inx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0997475b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/fablabchemnitz_small_things_filter.inx
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<inkscape-extension xmlns="http://www.inkscape.org/namespace/inkscape/extension">
+    <_name>Filter Small Things</_name>
+    <id>fablabchemnitz.de.small_things_filter</id>
+    <param name="use" type="description" xml:space="preserve">Paths with value smaller than the given threshold will be deleted</param>
+    <param name="unit" _gui-text="Unit" type="enum">
+        <_item value="mm">mm</_item>
+        <_item value="cm">cm</_item>
+        <_item value="m">m</_item>
+    </param>
+    <param name="threshold" type="float" min="0.0" max="10000000.0" _gui-text="Threshold">1.0</param>
+    <param name="measure" type="optiongroup" appearance="minimal" _gui-text="Measure by">
+        <option value="length">Length (Unit)</option>
+        <option value="area">Area (Unit^2)</option>
+    </param>
+    <effect>
+        <object-type>all</object-type>
+        <effects-menu>
+            <submenu _name="FabLab Chemnitz">
+                <submenu _name="Nesting/Cut Optimization" />
+            </submenu>
+        </effects-menu>
+    </effect>
+    <script>
+        <command reldir="extensions" interpreter="python">fablabchemnitz_small_things_filter.py</command>
+    </script>
+</inkscape-extension>
diff --git a/extensions/fablabchemnitz_small_things_filter.py b/extensions/fablabchemnitz_small_things_filter.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..52788e6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/fablabchemnitz_small_things_filter.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import inkex
+import svgpathtools
+
+def isclosedac(p):
+    return abs(p.start-p.end) < 1e-6
+
+
+class Sieve(inkex.Effect):
+    def __init__(self):
+        inkex.Effect.__init__(self)
+        self.arg_parser.add_argument('--unit')
+        self.arg_parser.add_argument('--threshold', type=float, help='Remove paths with an threshold smaller than this value')
+        self.arg_parser.add_argument('--measure', default="length")
+		
+    def effect(self):
+        namedView = self.document.getroot().find(inkex.addNS('namedview', 'sodipodi'))
+        doc_units = namedView.get(inkex.addNS('document-units', 'inkscape'))
+        #inkex.utils.debug("document unit is " + doc_units)
+        self.options.threshold = self.svg.unittouu(str(self.options.threshold) + doc_units)
+        unit_factor = 1.0 / self.svg.uutounit(1.0,self.options.unit)
+        #inkex.utils.debug("unit_factor is " + str(unit_factor))
+		
+        if self.options.threshold == 0:
+            return
+
+        for path in self.document.xpath("//svg:path", namespaces=inkex.NSS):
+            try:
+                parsed_path = svgpathtools.parse_path(path.attrib["d"])
+                
+                #if not isclosedac(parsed_path):
+                #    continue
+                
+                if self.options.measure == "area":      
+                    calc = parsed_path.area()
+                    #inkex.utils.debug(calc) #print calculated area with document units
+                    #inkex.utils.debug(str(self.options.threshold * (unit_factor * unit_factor))) #print threshold area with selected units
+                    if calc < (self.options.threshold * (unit_factor * unit_factor)):
+                        path.getparent().remove(path)
+                else: #length
+                    calc = parsed_path.length()
+                    #inkex.utils.debug(calc) #print calculated area with document units
+                    #inkex.utils.debug(str(self.options.threshold * (unit_factor * unit_factor))) #print threshold area with selected units
+                    if calc < (self.options.threshold * unit_factor):
+                        path.getparent().remove(path)
+            except:
+                pass
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    Sieve().run()
\ No newline at end of file