diff --git a/broker/src/asapo_broker/database/mongodb.go b/broker/src/asapo_broker/database/mongodb.go
index 7af62697c5909510e4436ac32afa1e87385e764d..ce7dfbc01799da5297753a7ad3ac4695f2aba5d0 100644
--- a/broker/src/asapo_broker/database/mongodb.go
+++ b/broker/src/asapo_broker/database/mongodb.go
@@ -381,7 +381,12 @@ func (db *Mongodb) queryImages(dbname string, query string) ([]byte, error) {
 
 	log_str := "processed query " + query + " for " + dbname + " ,found" + strconv.Itoa(len(res)) + " records"
 	logger.Debug(log_str)
-	return utils.MapToJson(&res)
+	if res != nil {
+		return utils.MapToJson(&res)
+	} else {
+		return []byte("[]"), nil
+	}
+
 }
 
 func (db *Mongodb) ProcessRequest(db_name string, group_id string, op string, extra_param string) (answer []byte, err error) {
diff --git a/broker/src/asapo_broker/database/mongodb_test.go b/broker/src/asapo_broker/database/mongodb_test.go
index 7c537a36a7d2575fb34e7c71a3fec413d2a74dd2..8d9f50151b2d0c5d24fb9f4cb401a2ee10f05744 100644
--- a/broker/src/asapo_broker/database/mongodb_test.go
+++ b/broker/src/asapo_broker/database/mongodb_test.go
@@ -356,6 +356,7 @@ var tests = []struct {
 	ok    bool
 }{
 	{"meta.counter = 10", []TestRecordMeta{recq1, recq3}, true},
+	{"meta.counter = 18", []TestRecordMeta{}, true},
 	{"meta.counter = 11", []TestRecordMeta{recq2}, true},
 	{"meta.counter > 11", []TestRecordMeta{recq4}, true},
 	{"meta.counter < 11", []TestRecordMeta{recq1, recq3}, true},
diff --git a/common/cpp/src/json_parser/rapid_json.cpp b/common/cpp/src/json_parser/rapid_json.cpp
index cc33e937c6d8cb15cca739ff4e444467441b1562..34e0ce74e0cb9dea06c4e4ca3f7c87f35fabb2f2 100644
--- a/common/cpp/src/json_parser/rapid_json.cpp
+++ b/common/cpp/src/json_parser/rapid_json.cpp
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ asapo::Error RapidJson::CheckValueType(const std::string& name, ValueType type,
         break;
     }
     if (!res) {
-        return TextError("wrong type: " + name + " in: " + json_);
+        return TextError("wrong type for: " + name + " in: " + json_);
     }
 
     return nullptr;
diff --git a/examples/producer/dummy-data-producer/dummy_data_producer.cpp b/examples/producer/dummy-data-producer/dummy_data_producer.cpp
index 39c80543b6c572b4a3ca9ccdb9d5ae520ecdf835..49bf28341180e6afbe3635d8cf0b9dad8be060b0 100644
--- a/examples/producer/dummy-data-producer/dummy_data_producer.cpp
+++ b/examples/producer/dummy-data-producer/dummy_data_producer.cpp
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ bool SendDummyData(asapo::Producer* producer, size_t number_of_byte, uint64_t it
     for(uint64_t i = 0; i < iterations; i++) {
         auto buffer = CreateMemoryBuffer(number_of_byte);
         asapo::EventHeader event_header{i + 1, number_of_byte, std::to_string(i + 1)};
-        std::string meta = "{\"dummy_meta\":\"test" + std::to_string(i + 1) + "\"}";
+        std::string meta = "{\"user_meta\":\"test" + std::to_string(i + 1) + "\"}";
         auto err = producer->SendData(event_header, std::move(buffer), std::move(meta), &ProcessAfterSend);
         if (err) {
             std::cerr << "Cannot send file: " << err << std::endl;
diff --git a/tests/automatic/full_chain/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/automatic/full_chain/CMakeLists.txt
index 35c1e00165fbc6880dd9988907e659978ce95b04..035c7a4da4e7bc2d3914ed30b0d22e0aacc4cf89 100644
--- a/tests/automatic/full_chain/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/automatic/full_chain/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 add_subdirectory(simple_chain)
+if (UNIX OR CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "Release")
+    add_subdirectory(simple_chain_usermeta_python)
+endif()
 add_subdirectory(simple_chain_metadata)
 add_subdirectory(two_beamlines)
 add_subdirectory(simple_chain_filegen)
diff --git a/tests/automatic/full_chain/simple_chain/check_linux.sh b/tests/automatic/full_chain/simple_chain/check_linux.sh
index c410fcf2869157b2f3657e5231f9acda572985e5..fa3fb0d06791a27a1e6606ecc30c826368cf790b 100644
--- a/tests/automatic/full_chain/simple_chain/check_linux.sh
+++ b/tests/automatic/full_chain/simple_chain/check_linux.sh
@@ -48,4 +48,4 @@ $1 localhost:8400 ${beamtime_id} 100 1000 4 0 100 &
 $2 ${proxy_address} ${receiver_folder} ${beamtime_id} 2 $token 5000 1 > out
 cat out
 cat out   | grep "Processed 1000 file(s)"
-cat out | grep "Cannot get metadata"
\ No newline at end of file
+cat out | grep "Cannot get metadata"
diff --git a/tests/automatic/full_chain/simple_chain_usermeta_python/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/automatic/full_chain/simple_chain_usermeta_python/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..e11f1a5e978ed7649333954ca20860c58bc825f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/automatic/full_chain/simple_chain_usermeta_python/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+set(TARGET_NAME full_chain_usermeta_python)
+
+################################
+# Testing
+################################
+prepare_asapo()
+
+if (UNIX)
+    get_target_property(PYTHON_LIBS python-lib2 BINARY_DIR)
+else()
+    get_target_property(PYTHON_LIBS asapo_worker BINARY_DIR)
+endif()
+
+
+add_script_test("${TARGET_NAME}" "$<TARGET_FILE:dummy-data-producer> $<TARGET_PROPERTY:asapo,EXENAME> ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} ${PYTHON_LIBS}" nomem)
diff --git a/tests/automatic/full_chain/simple_chain_usermeta_python/check_linux.sh b/tests/automatic/full_chain/simple_chain_usermeta_python/check_linux.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..b6209b156287f32c879e69a33d62288ecc8e643c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/automatic/full_chain/simple_chain_usermeta_python/check_linux.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+set -e
+
+trap Cleanup EXIT
+
+beamtime_id=asapo_test
+token=`$2 token -secret broker_secret.key $beamtime_id`
+
+monitor_database_name=db_test
+proxy_address=127.0.0.1:8400
+
+beamline=test
+receiver_root_folder=/tmp/asapo/receiver/files
+receiver_folder=${receiver_root_folder}/${beamline}/${beamtime_id}
+
+Cleanup() {
+    echo cleanup
+    rm -rf ${receiver_root_folder}
+    nomad stop nginx
+    nomad stop receiver
+    nomad stop discovery
+    nomad stop broker
+    nomad stop authorizer
+    rm -rf out
+    echo "db.dropDatabase()" | mongo ${beamtime_id}
+    influx -execute "drop database ${monitor_database_name}"
+}
+
+influx -execute "create database ${monitor_database_name}"
+echo "db.${beamtime_id}.insert({dummy:1})" | mongo ${beamtime_id}
+
+nomad run nginx.nmd
+nomad run authorizer.nmd
+nomad run receiver.nmd
+nomad run discovery.nmd
+nomad run broker.nmd
+
+sleep 1
+
+#producer
+mkdir -p ${receiver_folder}
+$1 localhost:8400 ${beamtime_id} 100 100 1 0 100
+
+export PYTHONPATH=$4:${PYTHONPATH}
+
+
+python $3/get_user_meta.py $proxy_address $receiver_folder $beamtime_id $token new > out
+cat out
+cat out | grep "found images: 100"
+#cat out | grep "test100"
diff --git a/tests/automatic/full_chain/simple_chain_usermeta_python/check_windows.bat b/tests/automatic/full_chain/simple_chain_usermeta_python/check_windows.bat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..3cfc352e7b8bcedc077a2063f269ece07c68efec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/automatic/full_chain/simple_chain_usermeta_python/check_windows.bat
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+SET mongo_exe="c:\Program Files\MongoDB\Server\3.6\bin\mongo.exe"
+SET beamtime_id=asapo_test
+SET beamline=test
+SET receiver_root_folder=c:\tmp\asapo\receiver\files
+SET receiver_folder="%receiver_root_folder%\%beamline%\%beamtime_id%"
+
+
+"%2" token -secret broker_secret.key %beamtime_id% > token
+set /P token=< token
+
+set proxy_address="127.0.0.1:8400"
+
+echo db.%beamtime_id%.insert({dummy:1}) | %mongo_exe% %beamtime_id%
+
+c:\opt\consul\nomad run receiver.nmd
+c:\opt\consul\nomad run authorizer.nmd
+c:\opt\consul\nomad run discovery.nmd
+c:\opt\consul\nomad run broker.nmd
+c:\opt\consul\nomad run nginx.nmd
+
+ping 1.0.0.0 -n 10 -w 100 > nul
+
+REM producer
+mkdir %receiver_folder%
+"%1" %proxy_address% %beamtime_id% 100 100 4 0 100
+
+REM worker
+set PYTHONPATH=%4
+
+python3 %3/get_user_meta.py %proxy_address%  %receiver_folder% %beamtime_id%  %token% new > out
+type out
+type out | findstr /c:"found images: 100" || goto :error
+rem todo: implement orderby
+rem type out | findstr /c:"test100" || goto :error
+
+goto :clean
+
+:error
+call :clean
+exit /b 1
+
+:clean
+c:\opt\consul\nomad stop receiver
+c:\opt\consul\nomad stop discovery
+c:\opt\consul\nomad stop broker
+c:\opt\consul\nomad stop authorizer
+c:\opt\consul\nomad stop nginx
+rmdir /S /Q %receiver_root_folder%
+del /f token
+echo db.dropDatabase() | %mongo_exe% %beamtime_id%
+
+
diff --git a/tests/automatic/full_chain/simple_chain_usermeta_python/get_user_meta.py b/tests/automatic/full_chain/simple_chain_usermeta_python/get_user_meta.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..fc7c6193ccaf23c44b0328f407add0c5bf49d7c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/automatic/full_chain/simple_chain_usermeta_python/get_user_meta.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+from __future__ import print_function
+
+import asapo_worker
+import json
+import sys
+
+source, path, beamtime, token, group_id = sys.argv[1:]
+
+broker, err = asapo_worker.create_server_broker(source,path, beamtime,token,1000)
+
+
+images,err = broker.query_images("meta.user_meta regexp 'test*'")
+
+if err != None:
+    print ('err: ', err)
+else:
+    print ('found images:',len(images))
+    print (images[99]['meta']['user_meta'])
+
+
+
diff --git a/tests/automatic/worker/worker_api/worker_api.cpp b/tests/automatic/worker/worker_api/worker_api.cpp
index 2a29082e49b9f462fe05e4ed26b613447d2a23b0..820c2afb6b42b03b219ba6cf3aff14313869ff27 100644
--- a/tests/automatic/worker/worker_api/worker_api.cpp
+++ b/tests/automatic/worker/worker_api/worker_api.cpp
@@ -76,6 +76,27 @@ void GetAllFromBroker(const Args& args) {
     M_AssertTrue(err == nullptr, "GetNext5 no error");
     M_AssertTrue(fi.name == "1", "GetNext5  filename");
 
+    auto images = broker->QueryImages("meta.test = 10", &err);
+    M_AssertTrue(err == nullptr, "query1");
+    M_AssertTrue(images.size() == 10, "size of query answer 1");
+
+    images = broker->QueryImages("meta.test = 10 AND name='1'", &err);
+    M_AssertTrue(err == nullptr, "query2");
+    M_AssertTrue(images.size() == 1, "size of query answer 2");
+    M_AssertTrue(fi.name == "1", "GetNext5  filename");
+
+
+    images = broker->QueryImages("meta.test = 11", &err);
+    M_AssertTrue(err == nullptr, "query3");
+    M_AssertTrue(images.size() == 0, "size of query answer 3");
+
+    images = broker->QueryImages("meta.test = 18", &err);
+    M_AssertTrue(err == nullptr, "query4");
+    M_AssertTrue(images.size() == 0, "size of query answer 4");
+
+    images = broker->QueryImages("bla", &err);
+    M_AssertTrue(err != nullptr, "query5");
+    M_AssertTrue(images.size() == 0, "size of query answer 5");
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
diff --git a/tests/automatic/worker/worker_api_python/worker_api.py b/tests/automatic/worker/worker_api_python/worker_api.py
index c37876803873ac91ed48e177ffcb4be0b60b3d98..8f3e1bf0f2b0e22b95e6e80859be1f41f4aee760 100644
--- a/tests/automatic/worker/worker_api_python/worker_api.py
+++ b/tests/automatic/worker/worker_api_python/worker_api.py
@@ -4,12 +4,12 @@ import asapo_worker
 import json
 import sys
 
-def assert_err(err,name):
+def assert_noterr(err, name):
     if err != None:
         print (name + ' err: ', err)
         sys.exit(1)
 
-def assert_noterr(err,name):
+def assert_err(err, name):
     if err == None:
         print (name + ' err: ', err)
         sys.exit(1)
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ def assert_metaname(meta,compare,name):
         sys.exit(1)
 
 def assert_usermetadata(meta,name):
-    if meta['user_metadata']['test'] != 10:
+    if meta['meta']['test'] != 10:
         print ('meta: ', json.dumps(meta, indent=4, sort_keys=True))
         print ("error at "+name)
         print ('meta: ', json.dumps(meta, indent=4, sort_keys=True))
@@ -41,47 +41,70 @@ source, path, beamtime, token = sys.argv[1:]
 broker, err = asapo_worker.create_server_broker(source,path, beamtime,token,1000)
 
 group_id_new, err = broker.generate_group_id()
-assert_err(err,"generate_group")
+assert_noterr(err, "generate_group")
 
 _, meta, err = broker.get_next(group_id_new, meta_only=True)
-assert_err(err,"get_next")
+assert_noterr(err, "get_next")
 assert_metaname(meta,"1","get next1")
 assert_usermetadata(meta,"get next1")
 
 
 _, meta, err = broker.get_next(group_id_new, meta_only=True)
-assert_err(err,"get_next2")
+assert_noterr(err, "get_next2")
 assert_metaname(meta,"2","get next2")
 assert_usermetadata(meta,"get next2")
 
 _, meta, err = broker.get_last(group_id_new, meta_only=True)
-assert_err(err,"get_last1")
+assert_noterr(err, "get_last1")
 assert_metaname(meta,"5","get last1")
 assert_usermetadata(meta,"get last1")
 
 _, meta, err = broker.get_next(group_id_new, meta_only=True)
-assert_noterr(err,"get_next3")
+assert_err(err, "get_next3")
 
 size,err = broker.get_ndatasets()
-assert_err(err,"get_ndatasets")
+assert_noterr(err, "get_ndatasets")
 assert_eq(size,5,"get_ndatasets")
 
 
 err = broker.reset_counter(group_id_new)
-assert_err(err,"reset_counter")
+assert_noterr(err, "reset_counter")
 
 _, meta, err = broker.get_next(group_id_new, meta_only=True)
-assert_err(err,"get_next4")
+assert_noterr(err, "get_next4")
 assert_metaname(meta,"1","get next4")
 assert_usermetadata(meta,"get next4")
 
 
 _, meta, err = broker.get_by_id(3, group_id_new, meta_only=True)
-assert_err(err,"get_by_id")
+assert_noterr(err, "get_by_id")
 assert_metaname(meta,"3","get get_by_id")
 assert_usermetadata(meta,"get get_by_id")
 
 _, meta, err = broker.get_next(group_id_new, meta_only=True)
-assert_err(err,"get_next5")
+assert_noterr(err, "get_next5")
 assert_metaname(meta,"4","get next5")
 assert_usermetadata(meta,"get next5")
+
+
+images,err = broker.query_images("meta.test = 10")
+assert_noterr(err, "query1")
+assert_eq(len(images),5,"size of query answer 1")
+for image in images:
+    assert_usermetadata(image,"query_images")
+
+
+images,err = broker.query_images("meta.test = 10 AND name='1'")
+assert_eq(len(images),1,"size of query answer 2 ")
+assert_noterr(err, "query2")
+
+for image in images:
+    assert_usermetadata(image,"query_images")
+
+images,err = broker.query_images("meta.test = 11")
+assert_eq(len(images),0,"size of query answer 3 ")
+assert_noterr(err, "query3")
+
+images,err = broker.query_images("bla")
+assert_err(err, "wrong query")
+
diff --git a/worker/api/python/asapo_worker.pxd b/worker/api/python/asapo_worker.pxd
index 0cd548ea26769f1b699895c2cc94fb037c220e91..4b12bb5e14230ac6bc4d7733dd03968399a634f0 100644
--- a/worker/api/python/asapo_worker.pxd
+++ b/worker/api/python/asapo_worker.pxd
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from libcpp.memory cimport unique_ptr
 from libcpp.string cimport string
+from libcpp.vector cimport vector
 
 
 ctypedef unsigned char uint8_t
@@ -21,6 +22,9 @@ cdef extern from "asapo_worker.h" namespace "asapo":
 cdef extern from "asapo_worker.h" namespace "asapo":
   cppclass FileInfo:
     string Json()
+  cppclass FileInfos:
+    vector[FileInfo].iterator begin()
+    vector[FileInfo].iterator end()
 
 
 
@@ -35,6 +39,7 @@ cdef extern from "asapo_worker.h" namespace "asapo":
         Error ResetCounter(string group_id)
         string GenerateNewGroupId(Error* err)
         string GetBeamtimeMeta(Error* err)
+        FileInfos QueryImages(string query, Error* err)
 
 
 cdef extern from "asapo_worker.h" namespace "asapo":
diff --git a/worker/api/python/asapo_worker.pyx.in b/worker/api/python/asapo_worker.pyx.in
index 6f66135190b183058305b851bed2ca52a3ea52b1..46b1f7845784068410bef088ccc74cd6558c1e26 100644
--- a/worker/api/python/asapo_worker.pyx.in
+++ b/worker/api/python/asapo_worker.pyx.in
@@ -45,8 +45,6 @@ cdef class PyDataBroker:
         del meta['buf_id']
         del meta['source']
         del meta['lastchange']
-        if 'meta' in meta:
-            meta['user_metadata'] = meta.pop('meta')
         if meta_only:
             return None,meta,None
         cdef char* ptr = <char*> data.release()
@@ -84,6 +82,20 @@ cdef class PyDataBroker:
             return None, err_str
         else:
             return _str(group_id), None
+    def query_images(self,query):
+        cdef Error err
+        cdef FileInfos file_infos
+        file_infos = self.c_broker.QueryImages(_bytes(query),&err)
+        err_str = _str(GetErrorString(&err))
+        if err_str.strip():
+            return None, err_str
+        else:
+            json_list = []
+            for fi in file_infos:
+                json_list.append(json.loads(_str(fi.Json())))
+            return json_list, None
+
+
     def get_beamtime_meta(self):
             cdef Error err
             cdef string meta_str
diff --git a/worker/tools/folder_to_db/unittests/test_folder_to_db.cpp b/worker/tools/folder_to_db/unittests/test_folder_to_db.cpp
index 5ff035dddf9e61938eaac7295ebdcb8486bf8bf7..c8afc46141d2c3bf2a7d0f68735bc83bf60c57e1 100644
--- a/worker/tools/folder_to_db/unittests/test_folder_to_db.cpp
+++ b/worker/tools/folder_to_db/unittests/test_folder_to_db.cpp
@@ -249,8 +249,8 @@ TEST_F(FolderDBConverterTests, ComputesStatistics) {
 
     asapo::FolderImportStatistics statistics;
 
-    statistics.time_read_folder = std::chrono::nanoseconds{-1};
-    statistics.time_import_files = std::chrono::nanoseconds{-1};
+    statistics.time_read_folder = std::chrono::nanoseconds{ -1};
+    statistics.time_import_files = std::chrono::nanoseconds{ -1};
 
     auto error = converter.Convert(uri, folder, db_name, &statistics);