diff --git a/source/server/http_filter_config_base.cc b/source/server/http_filter_config_base.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cd1d52e14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/server/http_filter_config_base.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#include "server/http_filter_config_base.h"
+
+namespace Nighthawk {
+namespace Server {
+
+FilterConfigurationBase::FilterConfigurationBase(
+    const nighthawk::server::ResponseOptions& proto_config, absl::string_view filter_name)
+    : filter_name_(filter_name),
+      server_config_(std::make_shared<nighthawk::server::ResponseOptions>(std::move(proto_config))),
+      effective_config_(server_config_) {}
+
+void FilterConfigurationBase::computeEffectiveConfiguration(
+    const Envoy::Http::RequestHeaderMap& headers) {
+  const auto* request_config_header = headers.get(TestServer::HeaderNames::get().TestServerConfig);
+  if (request_config_header) {
+    nighthawk::server::ResponseOptions response_options = *server_config_;
+    std::string error_message;
+    if (Configuration::mergeJsonConfig(request_config_header->value().getStringView(),
+                                       response_options, error_message)) {
+      effective_config_ =
+          std::make_shared<const nighthawk::server::ResponseOptions>(std::move(response_options));
+    } else {
+      effective_config_ = absl::InvalidArgumentError(error_message);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+bool FilterConfigurationBase::maybeSendErrorReply(
+    Envoy::Http::StreamDecoderFilterCallbacks& decoder_callbacks) const {
+  if (!effective_config_.ok()) {
+    decoder_callbacks.sendLocalReply(static_cast<Envoy::Http::Code>(500),
+                                     fmt::format("{} didn't understand the request: {}",
+                                                 filter_name_,
+                                                 effective_config_.status().message()),
+                                     nullptr, absl::nullopt, "");
+    return true;
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
+} // namespace Server
+} // namespace Nighthawk
diff --git a/source/server/http_filter_config_base.h b/source/server/http_filter_config_base.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..88d20405e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/server/http_filter_config_base.h
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <string>
+
+#include "envoy/server/filter_config.h"
+
+#include "external/envoy/source/common/common/statusor.h"
+
+#include "api/server/response_options.pb.h"
+
+#include "server/configuration.h"
+#include "server/well_known_headers.h"
+
+#include "absl/status/status.h"
+
+namespace Nighthawk {
+namespace Server {
+
+/**
+ * Canonical representation of the effective filter configuration.
+ * We use a shared pointer to avoid copying in the static configuration flow.
+ */
+using EffectiveFilterConfigurationPtr = std::shared_ptr<const nighthawk::server::ResponseOptions>;
+
+/**
+ * Provides functionality for parsing and merging request-header based configuration, as well as
+ * generating a common error response accross all extensions.
+ */
+class FilterConfigurationBase {
+public:
+  /**
+   * @brief Construct a new Filter Configuration Base object
+   *
+   * @param proto_config the static disk-based response options configuration
+   * @param filter_name name of the extension that is consuming this. Used during error response
+   * generation.
+   */
+  FilterConfigurationBase(const nighthawk::server::ResponseOptions& proto_config,
+                          absl::string_view filter_name);
+
+  /**
+   * Copmute the effective configuration, based on considering the static configuration as well as
+   * any configuration provided via request headers.
+   *
+   * @param request_headers Full set of request headers to be inspected for configuration.
+   */
+  void computeEffectiveConfiguration(const Envoy::Http::RequestHeaderMap& request_headers);
+
+  /**
+   * Send an error reply based on status of the effective configuration. For example, when dynamic
+   * configuration delivered via request headers could not be parsed or was out of spec.
+   *
+   * @param decoder_callbacks Decoder used to generate the reply.
+   * @return true iff an error reply was generated.
+   */
+  bool maybeSendErrorReply(Envoy::Http::StreamDecoderFilterCallbacks& decoder_callbacks) const;
+
+  /**
+   * @brief Get the effective configuration. Depending on state ,this could be one of static
+   * configuration, dynamic configuration, or an error status.
+   *
+   * @return const absl::StatusOr<EffectiveFilterConfigurationPtr> The effective configuration, or
+   * an error status.
+   */
+  const absl::StatusOr<EffectiveFilterConfigurationPtr> getEffectiveConfiguration() const {
+    return effective_config_;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @return absl::string_view Name of the filter that constructed this instance.
+   */
+  absl::string_view filter_name() const { return filter_name_; }
+
+private:
+  const std::string filter_name_;
+  const std::shared_ptr<nighthawk::server::ResponseOptions> server_config_;
+  absl::StatusOr<EffectiveFilterConfigurationPtr> effective_config_;
+};
+
+} // namespace Server
+} // namespace Nighthawk