diff --git a/src/detect-engine-hhd.c b/src/detect-engine-hhd.c
index 2281891356..9523f948a6 100644
--- a/src/detect-engine-hhd.c
+++ b/src/detect-engine-hhd.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 #include "detect-parse.h"
 #include "detect-engine-state.h"
 #include "detect-engine-content-inspection.h"
+#include "detect-engine-prefilter.h"
 
 #include "flow-util.h"
 #include "util-debug.h"
@@ -214,62 +215,102 @@ static uint8_t *DetectEngineHHDGetBufferForTX(htp_tx_t *tx, uint64_t tx_id,
     return headers_buffer;
 }
 
-/**
- * \brief Http header match -- searches for one pattern per signature.
- *
- * \param det_ctx     Detection engine thread ctx.
- * \param headers     Headers to inspect.
- * \param headers_len Headers length.
+/** \brief HTTP Headers Mpm prefilter callback
  *
- *  \retval ret Number of matches.
+ *  \param det_ctx detection engine thread ctx
+ *  \param p packet to inspect
+ *  \param f flow to inspect
+ *  \param txv tx to inspect
+ *  \param pectx inspection context
  */
-static inline uint32_t HttpHeaderPatternSearch(DetectEngineThreadCtx *det_ctx,
-        const uint8_t *headers, const uint32_t headers_len,
-        const uint8_t flags)
+static void PrefilterTxHttpRequestHeaders(DetectEngineThreadCtx *det_ctx,
+        const void *pectx,
+        Packet *p, Flow *f, void *txv,
+        const uint64_t idx, const uint8_t flags)
 {
     SCEnter();
 
-    uint32_t ret = 0;
+    const MpmCtx *mpm_ctx = (MpmCtx *)pectx;
+    htp_tx_t *tx = (htp_tx_t *)txv;
 
-    if (flags & STREAM_TOSERVER) {
-        DEBUG_VALIDATE_BUG_ON(det_ctx->sgh->mpm_hhd_ctx_ts == NULL);
+    if (tx->request_headers == NULL)
+        return;
 
-        if (headers_len >= det_ctx->sgh->mpm_hhd_ctx_ts->minlen) {
-            ret = mpm_table[det_ctx->sgh->mpm_hhd_ctx_ts->mpm_type].
-                Search(det_ctx->sgh->mpm_hhd_ctx_ts, &det_ctx->mtcu,
-                        &det_ctx->pmq, headers, headers_len);
-        }
-    } else {
-        DEBUG_VALIDATE_BUG_ON(det_ctx->sgh->mpm_hhd_ctx_tc == NULL);
+    HtpState *htp_state = f->alstate;
+    uint32_t buffer_len = 0;
+    const uint8_t *buffer = DetectEngineHHDGetBufferForTX(tx, idx,
+                                                    NULL, det_ctx,
+                                                    f, htp_state,
+                                                    flags,
+                                                    &buffer_len);
 
-        if (headers_len >= det_ctx->sgh->mpm_hhd_ctx_tc->minlen) {
-            ret = mpm_table[det_ctx->sgh->mpm_hhd_ctx_tc->mpm_type].
-                Search(det_ctx->sgh->mpm_hhd_ctx_tc, &det_ctx->mtcu,
-                        &det_ctx->pmq, headers, headers_len);
-        }
+    if (buffer_len >= mpm_ctx->minlen) {
+        (void)mpm_table[mpm_ctx->mpm_type].Search(mpm_ctx,
+                &det_ctx->mtcu, &det_ctx->pmq, buffer, buffer_len);
     }
+}
 
-    SCReturnUInt(ret);
+int PrefilterTxHttpRequestHeadersRegister(SigGroupHead *sgh, MpmCtx *mpm_ctx)
+{
+    SCEnter();
+
+    int r = PrefilterAppendTxEngine(sgh, PrefilterTxHttpRequestHeaders,
+        ALPROTO_HTTP, HTP_REQUEST_HEADERS,
+        mpm_ctx, NULL);
+    if (r != 0)
+        return r;
+    return PrefilterAppendTxEngine(sgh, PrefilterTxHttpRequestHeaders,
+        ALPROTO_HTTP, HTP_REQUEST_TRAILER,
+        mpm_ctx, NULL);
 }
 
-int DetectEngineRunHttpHeaderMpm(DetectEngineThreadCtx *det_ctx, Flow *f,
-                                 HtpState *htp_state, uint8_t flags,
-                                 void *tx, uint64_t idx)
+/** \brief HTTP Headers Mpm prefilter callback
+ *
+ *  \param det_ctx detection engine thread ctx
+ *  \param p packet to inspect
+ *  \param f flow to inspect
+ *  \param txv tx to inspect
+ *  \param pectx inspection context
+ */
+static void PrefilterTxHttpResponseHeaders(DetectEngineThreadCtx *det_ctx,
+        const void *pectx,
+        Packet *p, Flow *f, void *txv,
+        const uint64_t idx, const uint8_t flags)
 {
-    uint32_t cnt = 0;
+    SCEnter();
+
+    const MpmCtx *mpm_ctx = (MpmCtx *)pectx;
+    htp_tx_t *tx = (htp_tx_t *)txv;
+
+    if (tx->response_headers == NULL)
+        return;
+
+    HtpState *htp_state = f->alstate;
     uint32_t buffer_len = 0;
-    uint8_t *buffer = DetectEngineHHDGetBufferForTX(tx, idx,
+    const uint8_t *buffer = DetectEngineHHDGetBufferForTX(tx, idx,
                                                     NULL, det_ctx,
                                                     f, htp_state,
                                                     flags,
                                                     &buffer_len);
-    if (buffer_len == 0)
-        goto end;
 
-    cnt = HttpHeaderPatternSearch(det_ctx, buffer, buffer_len, flags);
+    if (buffer_len >= mpm_ctx->minlen) {
+        (void)mpm_table[mpm_ctx->mpm_type].Search(mpm_ctx,
+                &det_ctx->mtcu, &det_ctx->pmq, buffer, buffer_len);
+    }
+}
 
- end:
-    return cnt;
+int PrefilterTxHttpResponseHeadersRegister(SigGroupHead *sgh, MpmCtx *mpm_ctx)
+{
+    SCEnter();
+
+    int r = PrefilterAppendTxEngine(sgh, PrefilterTxHttpResponseHeaders,
+        ALPROTO_HTTP, HTP_RESPONSE_HEADERS,
+        mpm_ctx, NULL);
+    if (r != 0)
+        return r;
+    return PrefilterAppendTxEngine(sgh, PrefilterTxHttpResponseHeaders,
+        ALPROTO_HTTP, HTP_RESPONSE_TRAILER,
+        mpm_ctx, NULL);
 }
 
 int DetectEngineInspectHttpHeader(ThreadVars *tv,
@@ -1979,156 +2020,6 @@ end:
     return result;
 }
 
-/**
- *\test Test that the http_header content matches against a http request
- *      which holds the content.
- */
-static int DetectEngineHttpHeaderTest18(void)
-{
-    TcpSession ssn;
-    Packet *p = NULL;
-    ThreadVars th_v;
-    DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx = NULL;
-    DetectEngineThreadCtx *det_ctx = NULL;
-    Flow f;
-    uint8_t http_buf[] =
-        "Host: www.onetwothreefourfivesixsevenfive.org\r\n\r\n";
-    uint32_t http_len = sizeof(http_buf) - 1;
-    int result = 0;
-
-    memset(&th_v, 0, sizeof(th_v));
-    memset(&f, 0, sizeof(f));
-    memset(&ssn, 0, sizeof(ssn));
-
-    p = UTHBuildPacket(NULL, 0, IPPROTO_TCP);
-
-    FLOW_INITIALIZE(&f);
-    f.protoctx = (void *)&ssn;
-    f.proto = IPPROTO_TCP;
-    f.flags |= FLOW_IPV4;
-    p->flow = &f;
-    p->flowflags |= FLOW_PKT_TOSERVER;
-    p->flowflags |= FLOW_PKT_ESTABLISHED;
-    p->flags |= PKT_HAS_FLOW|PKT_STREAM_EST;
-    f.alproto = ALPROTO_HTTP;
-
-    StreamTcpInitConfig(TRUE);
-
-    de_ctx = DetectEngineCtxInit();
-    if (de_ctx == NULL)
-        goto end;
-
-    de_ctx->flags |= DE_QUIET;
-
-    de_ctx->sig_list = SigInit(de_ctx,"alert http any any -> any any "
-                               "(msg:\"http header test\"; "
-                               "content:\"one\"; http_header; content:\"five\"; http_header; "
-                               "sid:1;)");
-    if (de_ctx->sig_list == NULL)
-        goto end;
-
-    SigGroupBuild(de_ctx);
-    DetectEngineThreadCtxInit(&th_v, (void *)de_ctx, (void *)&det_ctx);
-
-    /* start the search phase */
-    det_ctx->sgh = SigMatchSignaturesGetSgh(de_ctx, det_ctx, p);
-    uint32_t r = HttpHeaderPatternSearch(det_ctx, http_buf, http_len, STREAM_TOSERVER);
-    if (r < 1) {
-        printf("expected result >= 1, got %"PRIu32": ", r);
-        goto end;
-    }
-
-    result = 1;
-
-end:
-    if (de_ctx != NULL)
-        SigGroupCleanup(de_ctx);
-    if (de_ctx != NULL)
-        SigCleanSignatures(de_ctx);
-    if (de_ctx != NULL)
-        DetectEngineCtxFree(de_ctx);
-
-    StreamTcpFreeConfig(TRUE);
-    FLOW_DESTROY(&f);
-    UTHFreePackets(&p, 1);
-    return result;
-}
-
-/**
- *\test Test that the http_header content matches against a http request
- *      which holds the content.
- */
-static int DetectEngineHttpHeaderTest19(void)
-{
-    TcpSession ssn;
-    Packet *p = NULL;
-    ThreadVars th_v;
-    DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx = NULL;
-    DetectEngineThreadCtx *det_ctx = NULL;
-    Flow f;
-    uint8_t http_buf[] =
-        "Host: www.onetwothreefourfivesixsevenfive.org\r\n\r\n";
-    uint32_t http_len = sizeof(http_buf) - 1;
-    int result = 0;
-
-    memset(&th_v, 0, sizeof(th_v));
-    memset(&f, 0, sizeof(f));
-    memset(&ssn, 0, sizeof(ssn));
-
-    p = UTHBuildPacket(NULL, 0, IPPROTO_TCP);
-
-    FLOW_INITIALIZE(&f);
-    f.protoctx = (void *)&ssn;
-    f.proto = IPPROTO_TCP;
-    f.flags |= FLOW_IPV4;
-    p->flow = &f;
-    p->flowflags |= FLOW_PKT_TOSERVER;
-    p->flowflags |= FLOW_PKT_ESTABLISHED;
-    p->flags |= PKT_HAS_FLOW|PKT_STREAM_EST;
-    f.alproto = ALPROTO_HTTP;
-
-    StreamTcpInitConfig(TRUE);
-
-    de_ctx = DetectEngineCtxInit();
-    if (de_ctx == NULL)
-        goto end;
-
-    de_ctx->flags |= DE_QUIET;
-
-    de_ctx->sig_list = SigInit(de_ctx,"alert http any any -> any any "
-                               "(msg:\"http header test\"; "
-                               "content:\"one\"; http_header; fast_pattern; content:\"five\"; http_header; "
-                               "sid:1;)");
-    if (de_ctx->sig_list == NULL)
-        goto end;
-
-    SigGroupBuild(de_ctx);
-    DetectEngineThreadCtxInit(&th_v, (void *)de_ctx, (void *)&det_ctx);
-
-    /* start the search phase */
-    det_ctx->sgh = SigMatchSignaturesGetSgh(de_ctx, det_ctx, p);
-    uint32_t r = HttpHeaderPatternSearch(det_ctx, http_buf, http_len, STREAM_TOSERVER);
-    if (r != 1) {
-        printf("expected result 1, got %"PRIu32": ", r);
-        goto end;
-    }
-
-    result = 1;
-
-end:
-    if (de_ctx != NULL)
-        SigGroupCleanup(de_ctx);
-    if (de_ctx != NULL)
-        SigCleanSignatures(de_ctx);
-    if (de_ctx != NULL)
-        DetectEngineCtxFree(de_ctx);
-
-    StreamTcpFreeConfig(TRUE);
-    FLOW_DESTROY(&f);
-    UTHFreePackets(&p, 1);
-    return result;
-}
-
 static int DetectEngineHttpHeaderTest20(void)
 {
     TcpSession ssn;
@@ -3939,10 +3830,6 @@ void DetectEngineHttpHeaderRegisterTests(void)
                    DetectEngineHttpHeaderTest16);
     UtRegisterTest("DetectEngineHttpHeaderTest17",
                    DetectEngineHttpHeaderTest17);
-    UtRegisterTest("DetectEngineHttpHeaderTest18",
-                   DetectEngineHttpHeaderTest18);
-    UtRegisterTest("DetectEngineHttpHeaderTest19",
-                   DetectEngineHttpHeaderTest19);
     UtRegisterTest("DetectEngineHttpHeaderTest20",
                    DetectEngineHttpHeaderTest20);
     UtRegisterTest("DetectEngineHttpHeaderTest21",
diff --git a/src/detect-engine-hhd.h b/src/detect-engine-hhd.h
index e163000c71..9826dcda5a 100644
--- a/src/detect-engine-hhd.h
+++ b/src/detect-engine-hhd.h
@@ -25,15 +25,15 @@
 
 #include "app-layer-htp.h"
 
+int PrefilterTxHttpRequestHeadersRegister(SigGroupHead *sgh, MpmCtx *mpm_ctx);
+int PrefilterTxHttpResponseHeadersRegister(SigGroupHead *sgh, MpmCtx *mpm_ctx);
+
 int DetectEngineInspectHttpHeader(ThreadVars *tv,
                                   DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx,
                                   DetectEngineThreadCtx *det_ctx,
                                   Signature *s, Flow *f, uint8_t flags,
                                   void *alstate,
                                   void *tx, uint64_t tx_id);
-int DetectEngineRunHttpHeaderMpm(DetectEngineThreadCtx *det_ctx, Flow *f,
-                                 HtpState *htp_state, uint8_t flags,
-                                 void *tx, uint64_t idx);
 void DetectEngineCleanHHDBuffers(DetectEngineThreadCtx *det_ctx);
 
 void DetectEngineHttpHeaderRegisterTests(void);
diff --git a/src/detect-engine-mpm.c b/src/detect-engine-mpm.c
index a231fdcf70..f9776b947c 100644
--- a/src/detect-engine-mpm.c
+++ b/src/detect-engine-mpm.c
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 #include "detect-engine-uri.h"
 #include "detect-engine-hrud.h"
 #include "detect-engine-hmd.h"
+#include "detect-engine-hhd.h"
 #include "detect-engine-hcd.h"
 #include "detect-engine-hua.h"
 #include "detect-engine-hhhd.h"
@@ -96,8 +97,10 @@ AppLayerMpms app_mpms[] = {
     { "http_raw_uri", 0, SIG_FLAG_TOSERVER, DETECT_SM_LIST_HRUDMATCH,
         SIG_GROUP_HEAD_MPM_HRUD, PrefilterTxRawUriRegister, 1 },
 
-    { "http_header", 0, SIG_FLAG_TOSERVER, DETECT_SM_LIST_HHDMATCH, SIG_GROUP_HEAD_MPM_HHD, NULL, 2},
-    { "http_header", 0, SIG_FLAG_TOCLIENT, DETECT_SM_LIST_HHDMATCH, SIG_GROUP_HEAD_MPM_HHD, NULL, 3},
+    { "http_header", 0, SIG_FLAG_TOSERVER, DETECT_SM_LIST_HHDMATCH,
+        SIG_GROUP_HEAD_MPM_HHD, PrefilterTxHttpRequestHeadersRegister, 2},
+    { "http_header", 0, SIG_FLAG_TOCLIENT, DETECT_SM_LIST_HHDMATCH,
+        SIG_GROUP_HEAD_MPM_HHD, PrefilterTxHttpRequestHeadersRegister, 3},
 
     { "http_user_agent", 0, SIG_FLAG_TOSERVER, DETECT_SM_LIST_HUADMATCH,
         SIG_GROUP_HEAD_MPM_HUAD, PrefilterTxUARegister, 4},
diff --git a/src/detect.c b/src/detect.c
index 701eca169c..9bc2adef88 100644
--- a/src/detect.c
+++ b/src/detect.c
@@ -902,14 +902,6 @@ static inline void DetectMpmPrefilter(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx,
                 if (p->flowflags & FLOW_PKT_TOSERVER) {
                     tx_progress = AppLayerParserGetStateProgress(IPPROTO_TCP, ALPROTO_HTTP, tx, flags);
 
-                    if (tx_progress >= HTP_REQUEST_HEADERS) {
-                        if (det_ctx->sgh->flags & SIG_GROUP_HEAD_MPM_HHD) {
-                            PACKET_PROFILING_DETECT_START(p, PROF_DETECT_MPM_HHD);
-                            DetectEngineRunHttpHeaderMpm(det_ctx, p->flow, alstate, flags, tx, idx);
-                            PACKET_PROFILING_DETECT_END(p, PROF_DETECT_MPM_HHD);
-                        }
-                    }
-
                     if (tx_progress > HTP_REQUEST_HEADERS) {
                         if (det_ctx->sgh->flags & SIG_GROUP_HEAD_MPM_HRHD) {
                             PACKET_PROFILING_DETECT_START(p, PROF_DETECT_MPM_HRHD);
@@ -928,14 +920,6 @@ static inline void DetectMpmPrefilter(DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx,
                 } else { /* implied FLOW_PKT_TOCLIENT */
                     tx_progress = AppLayerParserGetStateProgress(IPPROTO_TCP, ALPROTO_HTTP, tx, flags);
 
-                    if (tx_progress >= HTP_RESPONSE_HEADERS) {
-                        if (det_ctx->sgh->flags & SIG_GROUP_HEAD_MPM_HHD) {
-                            PACKET_PROFILING_DETECT_START(p, PROF_DETECT_MPM_HHD);
-                            DetectEngineRunHttpHeaderMpm(det_ctx, p->flow, alstate, flags, tx, idx);
-                            PACKET_PROFILING_DETECT_END(p, PROF_DETECT_MPM_HHD);
-                        }
-                    }
-
                     if (tx_progress > HTP_RESPONSE_HEADERS) {
                         if (det_ctx->sgh->flags & SIG_GROUP_HEAD_MPM_HRHD) {
                             PACKET_PROFILING_DETECT_START(p, PROF_DETECT_MPM_HRHD);