diff --git a/aliby/pipeline.py b/aliby/pipeline.py
index 73cd003e2859e486ced0434a31c9a85ff2dea3bd..b1d75dae31e11f0a2a583eb027497293e4c6c57d 100644
--- a/aliby/pipeline.py
+++ b/aliby/pipeline.py
@@ -145,7 +145,10 @@ class Pipeline(ProcessABC):
         config["general"]["directory"] = directory
 
         # Filter TODO integrate filter onto class and add regex
-        image_ids = {k: v for k, v in image_ids.items() if k.startswith(strain_filter)}
+        if isinstance(strain_filter, str):
+            image_ids = {k: v for k, v in image_ids.items() if k.startswith(strain_filter)}
+        elif isinstance(strain_filter, int):
+            image_ids = {k:v for i,( k,v ) in enumerate( image_ids.items() ) if i==0}
 
         if distributed != 0:  # Gives the number of simultaneous processes
             with Pool(distributed) as p: