diff --git a/Detectors/ITSMFT/ITS/tracking/include/ITStracking/Tracklet.h b/Detectors/ITSMFT/ITS/tracking/include/ITStracking/Tracklet.h
index 5bdceca64303b..4996caa05d5da 100644
--- a/Detectors/ITSMFT/ITS/tracking/include/ITStracking/Tracklet.h
+++ b/Detectors/ITSMFT/ITS/tracking/include/ITStracking/Tracklet.h
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ GPUhdi() Tracklet::Tracklet(const int idx0, const int idx1, float tanL, float ph
   // Nothing to do
 }
 
-GPUhdi() unsigned char Tracklet::operator<(const Tracklet & t) const
+GPUhdi() unsigned char Tracklet::operator<(const Tracklet& t) const
 {
   if (isEmpty()) {
     return false;
diff --git a/Detectors/ITSMFT/common/reconstruction/include/ITSMFTReconstruction/RawPixelDecoder.h b/Detectors/ITSMFT/common/reconstruction/include/ITSMFTReconstruction/RawPixelDecoder.h
index 683292221a62d..b10f60c749f7c 100644
--- a/Detectors/ITSMFT/common/reconstruction/include/ITSMFTReconstruction/RawPixelDecoder.h
+++ b/Detectors/ITSMFT/common/reconstruction/include/ITSMFTReconstruction/RawPixelDecoder.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Copyright 2019-2020 CERN and copyright holders of ALICE O2.
+// Copyright 2019-2026 CERN and copyright holders of ALICE O2.
 // See https://alice-o2.web.cern.ch/copyright for details of the copyright holders.
 // All rights not expressly granted are reserved.
 //
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #ifndef ALICEO2_ITSMFT_RAWPIXELDECODER_H_
 #define ALICEO2_ITSMFT_RAWPIXELDECODER_H_
 
+#include <unordered_map>
 #include <array>
 #include <TStopwatch.h>
 #include "Framework/Logger.h"
@@ -30,7 +31,6 @@
 #include "DataFormatsITSMFT/ROFRecord.h"
 #include "ITSMFTReconstruction/PixelData.h"
 #include "ITSMFTReconstruction/GBTWord.h"
-#include <unordered_map>
 
 namespace o2
 {
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class RawPixelDecoder final : public PixelReader
   bool getNextChipData(ChipPixelData& chipData) final;
   ChipPixelData* getNextChipData(std::vector<ChipPixelData>& chipDataVec) final;
   void ensureChipOrdering() {}
-  void startNewTF(o2::framework::InputRecord& inputs, const std::vector<o2::framework::InputSpec>& filter);
+  void startNewTF(o2::framework::InputRecord& inputs);
   void collectROFCableData(int iru);
   int decodeNextTrigger() final;
 
@@ -92,6 +92,9 @@ class RawPixelDecoder final : public PixelReader
   void setVerbosity(int v);
   int getVerbosity() const { return mVerbosity; }
 
+  void setInputFilter(std::vector<o2::framework::InputSpec> filter) { mInputFilter = std::move(filter); }
+  const auto& getInputFilter() const noexcept { return mInputFilter; }
+
   void setAlwaysParseTrigger(bool v) { mAlwaysParseTrigger = v; }
   bool getAlwaysParseTrigger() const { return mAlwaysParseTrigger; }
 
@@ -139,7 +142,7 @@ class RawPixelDecoder final : public PixelReader
   void reset();
 
  private:
-  void setupLinks(o2::framework::InputRecord& inputsm, const std::vector<o2::framework::InputSpec>& filter);
+  void setupLinks(o2::framework::InputRecord& inputsm);
   int getRUEntrySW(int ruSW) const { return mRUEntry[ruSW]; }
   RUDecodeData* getRUDecode(int ruSW) { return &mRUDecodeVec[mRUEntry[ruSW]]; }
   GBTLink* getGBTLink(int i) { return i < 0 ? nullptr : &mGBTLinks[i]; }
@@ -147,6 +150,7 @@ class RawPixelDecoder final : public PixelReader
 
   static constexpr uint16_t NORUDECODED = 0xffff; // this must be > than max N RUs
 
+  std::vector<o2::framework::InputSpec> mInputFilter;                                 //  input spec filter
   std::vector<GBTLink> mGBTLinks;                                                     // active links pool
   std::unordered_map<uint32_t, LinkEntry> mSubsSpec2LinkID;                           // link subspec to link entry in the pool mapping
   std::vector<RUDecodeData> mRUDecodeVec;                                             // set of active RUs
diff --git a/Detectors/ITSMFT/common/reconstruction/src/RawPixelDecoder.cxx b/Detectors/ITSMFT/common/reconstruction/src/RawPixelDecoder.cxx
index b61045b3b9f4e..5680986594991 100644
--- a/Detectors/ITSMFT/common/reconstruction/src/RawPixelDecoder.cxx
+++ b/Detectors/ITSMFT/common/reconstruction/src/RawPixelDecoder.cxx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Copyright 2019-2020 CERN and copyright holders of ALICE O2.
+// Copyright 2019-2026 CERN and copyright holders of ALICE O2.
 // See https://alice-o2.web.cern.ch/copyright for details of the copyright holders.
 // All rights not expressly granted are reserved.
 //
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ RawPixelDecoder<Mapping>::RawPixelDecoder()
   mTimerDecode.Stop();
   mTimerFetchData.Stop();
   mSelfName = o2::utils::Str::concat_string(Mapping::getName(), "Decoder");
-  DPLRawParser<>::setCheckIncompleteHBF(false); // Disable incomplete HBF checking, see ErrPacketCounterJump check in GBTLink.cxx
+  DPLRawParser<>::setCheckIncompleteHBF(false);                                                                             // Disable incomplete HBF checking, see ErrPacketCounterJump check in GBTLink.cxx
+  mInputFilter = {InputSpec{"filter", ConcreteDataTypeMatcher{Mapping::getOrigin(), o2::header::gDataDescriptionRawData}}}; // by default take all raw data
 }
 
 ///______________________________________________________________
@@ -102,8 +103,7 @@ int RawPixelDecoder<Mapping>::decodeNextTrigger()
     }
 
 #ifdef WITH_OPENMP
-#pragma omp parallel for schedule(dynamic) num_threads(mNThreads) reduction(+ \
-                                                                            : mNChipsFiredROF, mNPixelsFiredROF)
+#pragma omp parallel for schedule(dynamic) num_threads(mNThreads) reduction(+ : mNChipsFiredROF, mNPixelsFiredROF)
 #endif
     for (int iru = 0; iru < nru; iru++) {
       auto& ru = mRUDecodeVec[iru];
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ int RawPixelDecoder<Mapping>::decodeNextTrigger()
 ///______________________________________________________________
 /// prepare for new TF
 template <class Mapping>
-void RawPixelDecoder<Mapping>::startNewTF(InputRecord& inputs, const std::vector<InputSpec>& filter)
+void RawPixelDecoder<Mapping>::startNewTF(InputRecord& inputs)
 {
   mTimerTFStart.Start(false);
   for (auto& link : mGBTLinks) {
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ void RawPixelDecoder<Mapping>::startNewTF(InputRecord& inputs, const std::vector
     ru.linkHBFToDump.clear();
     ru.nLinksDone = 0;
   }
-  setupLinks(inputs, filter);
+  setupLinks(inputs);
   mNLinksDone = 0;
   mExtTriggers.clear();
   mTimerTFStart.Stop();
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ bool RawPixelDecoder<Mapping>::doIRMajorityPoll()
 ///______________________________________________________________
 /// Setup links checking the very RDH of every input
 template <class Mapping>
-void RawPixelDecoder<Mapping>::setupLinks(InputRecord& inputs, const std::vector<InputSpec>& filter)
+void RawPixelDecoder<Mapping>::setupLinks(InputRecord& inputs)
 {
   constexpr uint32_t ROF_RAMP_FLAG = 0x1 << 4;
   constexpr uint32_t LINK_RECOVERY_FLAG = 0x1 << 5;
@@ -235,6 +235,9 @@ void RawPixelDecoder<Mapping>::setupLinks(InputRecord& inputs, const std::vector
   auto nLinks = mGBTLinks.size();
   auto origin = (mUserDataOrigin == o2::header::gDataOriginInvalid) ? mMAP.getOrigin() : mUserDataOrigin;
   auto datadesc = (mUserDataDescription == o2::header::gDataDescriptionInvalid) ? o2::header::gDataDescriptionRawData : mUserDataDescription;
+  if (mUserDataDescription != o2::header::gDataDescriptionInvalid) {                 // overwrite data filter descriptions with user
+    mInputFilter = {InputSpec{"filter", ConcreteDataTypeMatcher{origin, datadesc}}}; // TODO: for now assume all are requested and no explicit filter was set
+  }
 
   // if we see requested data type input with 0xDEADBEEF subspec and 0 payload this means that the "delayed message"
   // mechanism created it in absence of real data from upstream. Processor should send empty output to not block the workflow
@@ -257,7 +260,7 @@ void RawPixelDecoder<Mapping>::setupLinks(InputRecord& inputs, const std::vector
     contDeadBeef = 0; // if good data, reset the counter
   }
   mROFRampUpStage = false;
-  DPLRawParser parser(inputs, filter, o2::conf::VerbosityConfig::Instance().rawParserSeverity);
+  DPLRawParser parser(inputs, mInputFilter, o2::conf::VerbosityConfig::Instance().rawParserSeverity);
   parser.setMaxFailureMessages(o2::conf::VerbosityConfig::Instance().maxWarnRawParser);
   static size_t cntParserFailures = 0;
   parser.setExtFailureCounter(&cntParserFailures);
diff --git a/Detectors/ITSMFT/common/workflow/include/ITSMFTWorkflow/STFDecoderSpec.h b/Detectors/ITSMFT/common/workflow/include/ITSMFTWorkflow/STFDecoderSpec.h
index 93b6f04ede0e6..29b9f75bcbc4e 100644
--- a/Detectors/ITSMFT/common/workflow/include/ITSMFTWorkflow/STFDecoderSpec.h
+++ b/Detectors/ITSMFT/common/workflow/include/ITSMFTWorkflow/STFDecoderSpec.h
@@ -109,7 +109,6 @@ class STFDecoder : public Task
   std::vector<std::unique_ptr<RawPixelDecoder<Mapping>>> mDecoder;
   std::unique_ptr<Clusterer> mClusterer;
   std::shared_ptr<o2::base::GRPGeomRequest> mGGCCDBRequest;
-  std::vector<std::vector<InputSpec>> mRawFilter;
 };
 
 using STFDecoderITS = STFDecoder<ChipMappingITS>;
diff --git a/Detectors/ITSMFT/common/workflow/src/STFDecoderSpec.cxx b/Detectors/ITSMFT/common/workflow/src/STFDecoderSpec.cxx
index 6666ac71bb27f..34c1d511a3def 100644
--- a/Detectors/ITSMFT/common/workflow/src/STFDecoderSpec.cxx
+++ b/Detectors/ITSMFT/common/workflow/src/STFDecoderSpec.cxx
@@ -135,13 +135,12 @@ void STFDecoder<Mapping>::init(InitContext& ic)
   if (mDoStaggering) {
     Mapping map;
     for (uint32_t iLayer{0}; iLayer < mLayers; ++iLayer) {
-      auto& filter = mRawFilter.emplace_back();
+      std::vector<o2::framework::InputSpec> filter;
       for (const auto feeID : map.getLayer2FEEIDs(iLayer)) {
         filter.emplace_back("filter", ConcreteDataMatcher{Mapping::getOrigin(), o2::header::gDataDescriptionRawData, (o2::header::DataHeader::SubSpecificationType)feeID});
       }
+      mDecoder[iLayer]->setInputFilter(filter);
     }
-  } else {
-    mRawFilter.push_back({InputSpec{"filter", ConcreteDataTypeMatcher{Mapping::getOrigin(), o2::header::gDataDescriptionRawData}}});
   }
 }
 
@@ -201,9 +200,9 @@ void STFDecoder<Mapping>::run(ProcessingContext& pc)
     }
 
     try {
-      mDecoder[iLayer]->startNewTF(pc.inputs(), mRawFilter[iLayer]);
-
+      mDecoder[iLayer]->startNewTF(pc.inputs());
       mDecoder[iLayer]->setDecodeNextAuto(false);
+
       o2::InteractionRecord lastIR{};
       int nTriggersProcessed = mDecoder[iLayer]->getNROFsProcessed();
       static long lastErrReportTS = 0;