diff --git a/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/active-item/useActiveItemState.ts b/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/active-item/useActiveItemState.ts
index f0e3f3626f..54988da75d 100644
--- a/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/active-item/useActiveItemState.ts
+++ b/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/active-item/useActiveItemState.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { parseMaybeNumericString } from "@app/utils/utils";
-import { IFeaturePersistenceArgs } from "../types";
+import { IFeaturePersistenceArgs, isPersistenceProvider } from "../types";
 import { usePersistentState } from "@app/hooks/usePersistentState";
 
 /**
@@ -76,7 +76,13 @@ export const useActiveItemState = <
           persistTo,
           key: "activeItem",
         }
-      : { persistTo }),
+      : isPersistenceProvider(persistTo)
+      ? {
+          persistTo: "provider",
+          serialize: persistTo.write,
+          deserialize: () => persistTo.read() as string | number | null,
+        }
+      : { persistTo: "state" }),
   });
   return { activeItemId, setActiveItemId };
 };
diff --git a/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/expansion/useExpansionState.ts b/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/expansion/useExpansionState.ts
index ac3a873bbf..848e62d12b 100644
--- a/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/expansion/useExpansionState.ts
+++ b/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/expansion/useExpansionState.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { usePersistentState } from "@app/hooks/usePersistentState";
 import { objectKeys } from "@app/utils/utils";
-import { IFeaturePersistenceArgs } from "../types";
+import { IFeaturePersistenceArgs, isPersistenceProvider } from "../types";
 import { DiscriminatedArgs } from "@app/utils/type-utils";
 
 /**
@@ -93,7 +93,9 @@ export const useExpansionState = <
       ? {
           persistTo,
           keys: ["expandedCells"],
-          serialize: (expandedCellsObj) => {
+          serialize: (
+            expandedCellsObj: Partial<TExpandedCells<TColumnKey>>
+          ) => {
             if (!expandedCellsObj || objectKeys(expandedCellsObj).length === 0)
               return { expandedCells: null };
             return { expandedCells: JSON.stringify(expandedCellsObj) };
@@ -111,7 +113,13 @@ export const useExpansionState = <
           persistTo,
           key: "expandedCells",
         }
-      : { persistTo }),
+      : isPersistenceProvider(persistTo)
+      ? {
+          persistTo: "provider",
+          serialize: persistTo.write,
+          deserialize: () => persistTo.read() as TExpandedCells<TColumnKey>,
+        }
+      : { persistTo: "state" }),
   });
   return { expandedCells, setExpandedCells };
 };
diff --git a/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/filtering/useFilterState.ts b/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/filtering/useFilterState.ts
index 2de43e1f7c..e52a43c28f 100644
--- a/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/filtering/useFilterState.ts
+++ b/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/filtering/useFilterState.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { FilterCategory, IFilterValues } from "@app/components/FilterToolbar";
-import { IFeaturePersistenceArgs } from "../types";
+import { IFeaturePersistenceArgs, isPersistenceProvider } from "../types";
 import { usePersistentState } from "@app/hooks/usePersistentState";
 import { serializeFilterUrlParams } from "./helpers";
 import { deserializeFilterUrlParams } from "./helpers";
@@ -90,7 +90,6 @@ export const useFilterState = <
     "filters"
   >({
     isEnabled: !!isFilterEnabled,
-    defaultValue: initialFilterValues,
     persistenceKeyPrefix,
     // Note: For the discriminated union here to work without TypeScript getting confused
     //       (e.g. require the urlParams-specific options when persistTo === "urlParams"),
@@ -99,12 +98,21 @@ export const useFilterState = <
       ? {
           persistTo,
           keys: ["filters"],
+          defaultValue: initialFilterValues,
           serialize: serializeFilterUrlParams,
           deserialize: deserializeFilterUrlParams,
         }
       : persistTo === "localStorage" || persistTo === "sessionStorage"
-      ? { persistTo, key: "filters" }
-      : { persistTo }),
+      ? { persistTo, key: "filters", defaultValue: initialFilterValues }
+      : isPersistenceProvider(persistTo)
+      ? {
+          persistTo: "provider",
+          serialize: persistTo.write,
+          deserialize: () =>
+            persistTo.read() as IFilterValues<TFilterCategoryKey>,
+          defaultValue: isFilterEnabled ? args?.initialFilterValues ?? {} : {},
+        }
+      : { persistTo: "state", defaultValue: initialFilterValues }),
   });
   return { filterValues, setFilterValues };
 };
diff --git a/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/pagination/usePaginationState.ts b/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/pagination/usePaginationState.ts
index 6fd87c84b1..61f8b6e981 100644
--- a/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/pagination/usePaginationState.ts
+++ b/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/pagination/usePaginationState.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { usePersistentState } from "@app/hooks/usePersistentState";
-import { IFeaturePersistenceArgs } from "../types";
+import { IFeaturePersistenceArgs, isPersistenceProvider } from "../types";
 import { DiscriminatedArgs } from "@app/utils/type-utils";
 
 /**
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ export const usePaginationState = <
       ? {
           persistTo,
           keys: ["pageNumber", "itemsPerPage"],
-          serialize: (state) => {
+          serialize: (state: Partial<IActivePagination>) => {
             const { pageNumber, itemsPerPage } = state || {};
             return {
               pageNumber: pageNumber ? String(pageNumber) : undefined,
@@ -116,7 +116,13 @@ export const usePaginationState = <
           persistTo,
           key: "pagination",
         }
-      : { persistTo }),
+      : isPersistenceProvider(persistTo)
+      ? {
+          persistTo: "provider",
+          serialize: persistTo.write,
+          deserialize: () => persistTo.read() as IActivePagination,
+        }
+      : { persistTo: "state" }),
   });
   const { pageNumber, itemsPerPage } = paginationState || defaultValue;
   const setPageNumber = (num: number) =>
diff --git a/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/sorting/useSortState.ts b/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/sorting/useSortState.ts
index fc583142e9..91d2840a1b 100644
--- a/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/sorting/useSortState.ts
+++ b/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/sorting/useSortState.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { DiscriminatedArgs } from "@app/utils/type-utils";
-import { IFeaturePersistenceArgs } from "..";
+import { IFeaturePersistenceArgs, isPersistenceProvider } from "..";
 import { usePersistentState } from "@app/hooks/usePersistentState";
 
 /**
@@ -96,7 +96,9 @@ export const useSortState = <
       ? {
           persistTo,
           keys: ["sortColumn", "sortDirection"],
-          serialize: (activeSort) => ({
+          serialize: (
+            activeSort: Partial<IActiveSort<TSortableColumnKey> | null>
+          ) => ({
             sortColumn: activeSort?.columnKey || null,
             sortDirection: activeSort?.direction || null,
           }),
@@ -113,7 +115,14 @@ export const useSortState = <
           persistTo,
           key: "sort",
         }
-      : { persistTo }),
+      : isPersistenceProvider(persistTo)
+      ? {
+          persistTo: "provider",
+          serialize: persistTo.write,
+          deserialize: () =>
+            persistTo.read() as IActiveSort<TSortableColumnKey> | null,
+        }
+      : { persistTo: "state" }),
   });
   return { activeSort, setActiveSort };
 };
diff --git a/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/types.ts b/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/types.ts
index d2293c2348..38b8e00b8a 100644
--- a/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/types.ts
+++ b/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/types.ts
@@ -64,6 +64,17 @@ export type TableFeature =
   | "activeItem"
   | "columns";
 
+export interface PersistenceProvider<T> {
+  write: (value: T) => void;
+  read: () => T;
+}
+
+export const isPersistenceProvider = (
+  persistTo?: PersistTarget | PersistenceProvider<unknown>
+): persistTo is PersistenceProvider<unknown> =>
+  !!(persistTo as PersistenceProvider<unknown>)?.write &&
+  !!(persistTo as PersistenceProvider<unknown>)?.read;
+
 /**
  * Identifier for where to persist state for a single table feature or for all table features.
  * - "state" (default) - Plain React state. Resets on component unmount or page reload.
@@ -106,7 +117,7 @@ export type IFeaturePersistenceArgs<
   /**
    * Where to persist state for this feature.
    */
-  persistTo?: PersistTarget;
+  persistTo?: PersistTarget | PersistenceProvider<unknown>;
 };
 
 export interface ColumnSetting {
@@ -131,7 +142,9 @@ export type ITablePersistenceArgs<
    */
   persistTo?:
     | PersistTarget
-    | Partial<Record<TableFeature | "default", PersistTarget>>;
+    | Partial<
+        Record<TableFeature, PersistTarget | PersistenceProvider<unknown>>
+      >;
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/useTableControlState.ts b/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/useTableControlState.ts
index 7e9d1ca651..85b36543e2 100644
--- a/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/useTableControlState.ts
+++ b/client/src/app/hooks/table-controls/useTableControlState.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 import {
+  IFeaturePersistenceArgs,
   ITableControlState,
+  ITablePersistenceArgs,
   IUseTableControlStateArgs,
-  PersistTarget,
   TableFeature,
 } from "./types";
 import { useFilterState } from "./filtering";
@@ -11,6 +12,21 @@ import { useActiveItemState } from "./active-item";
 import { useExpansionState } from "./expansion";
 import { useColumnState } from "./column/useColumnState";
 
+const getPersistTo = ({
+  feature,
+  persistTo,
+}: {
+  feature: TableFeature;
+  persistTo: ITablePersistenceArgs["persistTo"];
+}): {
+  persistTo: IFeaturePersistenceArgs["persistTo"];
+} => ({
+  persistTo:
+    !persistTo || typeof persistTo === "string"
+      ? persistTo
+      : persistTo[feature],
+});
+
 /**
  * Provides the "source of truth" state for all table features.
  * - State can be persisted in one or more configurable storage targets, either the same for the entire table or different targets per feature.
@@ -41,31 +57,29 @@ export const useTableControlState = <
   TFilterCategoryKey,
   TPersistenceKeyPrefix
 > => {
-  const getPersistTo = (feature: TableFeature): PersistTarget | undefined =>
-    !args.persistTo || typeof args.persistTo === "string"
-      ? args.persistTo
-      : args.persistTo[feature] || args.persistTo.default;
-
   const filterState = useFilterState<
     TItem,
     TFilterCategoryKey,
     TPersistenceKeyPrefix
-  >({ ...args, persistTo: getPersistTo("filter") });
+  >({
+    ...args,
+    ...getPersistTo({ feature: "filter", persistTo: args.persistTo }),
+  });
   const sortState = useSortState<TSortableColumnKey, TPersistenceKeyPrefix>({
     ...args,
-    persistTo: getPersistTo("sort"),
+    ...getPersistTo({ feature: "sort", persistTo: args.persistTo }),
   });
   const paginationState = usePaginationState<TPersistenceKeyPrefix>({
     ...args,
-    persistTo: getPersistTo("pagination"),
+    ...getPersistTo({ persistTo: args.persistTo, feature: "pagination" }),
   });
   const expansionState = useExpansionState<TColumnKey, TPersistenceKeyPrefix>({
     ...args,
-    persistTo: getPersistTo("expansion"),
+    ...getPersistTo({ persistTo: args.persistTo, feature: "expansion" }),
   });
   const activeItemState = useActiveItemState<TPersistenceKeyPrefix>({
     ...args,
-    persistTo: getPersistTo("activeItem"),
+    ...getPersistTo({ persistTo: args.persistTo, feature: "activeItem" }),
   });
 
   const { columnNames, tableName, initialColumns } = args;
diff --git a/client/src/app/hooks/usePersistentState.ts b/client/src/app/hooks/usePersistentState.ts
index ccd50c452a..5dd6045fac 100644
--- a/client/src/app/hooks/usePersistentState.ts
+++ b/client/src/app/hooks/usePersistentState.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,15 @@ import { DisallowCharacters } from "@app/utils/type-utils";
 
 type PersistToStateOptions = { persistTo?: "state" };
 
-type PersistToUrlParamsOptions<
+type PersistToProvider<TValue> = {
+  persistTo: "provider";
+  defaultValue: TValue;
+  isEnabled?: boolean;
+  serialize: (params: TValue) => void;
+  deserialize: () => TValue;
+};
+
+export type PersistToUrlParamsOptions<
   TValue,
   TPersistenceKeyPrefix extends string,
   TURLParamKey extends string,
@@ -33,6 +41,7 @@ export type UsePersistentStateOptions<
   | PersistToStateOptions
   | PersistToUrlParamsOptions<TValue, TPersistenceKeyPrefix, TURLParamKey>
   | PersistToStorageOptions<TValue>
+  | PersistToProvider<TValue>
 );
 
 export const usePersistentState = <
@@ -92,7 +101,37 @@ export const usePersistentState = <
         ? { ...options, key: prefixKey(options.key) }
         : { ...options, isEnabled: false, key: "" }
     ),
+    provider: usePersistenceProvider<TValue>(
+      isPersistenceProviderOptions(options)
+        ? options
+        : {
+            serialize: () => {},
+            deserialize: () => defaultValue,
+            defaultValue,
+            isEnabled: false,
+            persistTo: "provider",
+          }
+    ),
   };
   const [value, setValue] = persistence[persistTo || "state"];
   return isEnabled ? [value, setValue] : [defaultValue, () => {}];
 };
+
+const usePersistenceProvider = <TValue>({
+  serialize,
+  deserialize,
+  defaultValue,
+}: PersistToProvider<TValue>): [TValue, (val: TValue) => void] => {
+  // use default value if nulish value was deserialized
+  return [deserialize() ?? defaultValue, serialize];
+};
+
+export const isPersistenceProviderOptions = <
+  TValue,
+  TPersistenceKeyPrefix extends string,
+  TURLParamKey extends string,
+>(
+  o: Partial<
+    UsePersistentStateOptions<TValue, TPersistenceKeyPrefix, TURLParamKey>
+  >
+): o is PersistToProvider<TValue> => o.persistTo === "provider";
diff --git a/client/src/app/pages/applications/analysis-wizard/analysis-wizard.tsx b/client/src/app/pages/applications/analysis-wizard/analysis-wizard.tsx
index a432b85be9..05541b89b1 100644
--- a/client/src/app/pages/applications/analysis-wizard/analysis-wizard.tsx
+++ b/client/src/app/pages/applications/analysis-wizard/analysis-wizard.tsx
@@ -166,6 +166,8 @@ export const AnalysisWizard: React.FC<IAnalysisWizard> = ({
       mode: "source-code-deps",
       formLabels: [],
       selectedTargets: [],
+      // defaults will be passed as initialFilterValues to the table hook
+      targetFilters: undefined,
       selectedSourceLabels: [],
       withKnownLibs: "app",
       includedPackages: [],
diff --git a/client/src/app/pages/applications/analysis-wizard/schema.ts b/client/src/app/pages/applications/analysis-wizard/schema.ts
index 770dbff5a2..a1294e7f23 100644
--- a/client/src/app/pages/applications/analysis-wizard/schema.ts
+++ b/client/src/app/pages/applications/analysis-wizard/schema.ts
@@ -57,12 +57,14 @@ const useModeStepSchema = ({
 export interface TargetsStepValues {
   formLabels: TargetLabel[];
   selectedTargets: Target[];
+  targetFilters?: Record<string, string[]>;
 }
 
 const useTargetsStepSchema = (): yup.SchemaOf<TargetsStepValues> => {
   return yup.object({
     formLabels: yup.array(),
     selectedTargets: yup.array(),
+    targetFilters: yup.object(),
   });
 };
 
diff --git a/client/src/app/pages/applications/analysis-wizard/set-targets.tsx b/client/src/app/pages/applications/analysis-wizard/set-targets.tsx
index 75d5730647..3b255d375e 100644
--- a/client/src/app/pages/applications/analysis-wizard/set-targets.tsx
+++ b/client/src/app/pages/applications/analysis-wizard/set-targets.tsx
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ interface SetTargetsInternalProps {
   isLoading: boolean;
   isError: boolean;
   languageProviders: string[];
-  initialFilters: string[];
+  applicationProviders: string[];
 }
 
 const SetTargetsInternal: React.FC<SetTargetsInternalProps> = ({
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ const SetTargetsInternal: React.FC<SetTargetsInternalProps> = ({
   isLoading,
   isError,
   languageProviders,
-  initialFilters = [],
+  applicationProviders = [],
 }) => {
   const { t } = useTranslation();
 
@@ -177,13 +177,23 @@ const SetTargetsInternal: React.FC<SetTargetsInternalProps> = ({
     tableName: "target-cards",
     items: targets,
     idProperty: "name",
-    initialFilterValues: { name: initialFilters },
+    initialFilterValues: { name: applicationProviders },
     columnNames: {
       name: "name",
     },
     isFilterEnabled: true,
     isPaginationEnabled: false,
     isLoading,
+    persistTo: {
+      filter: {
+        write(value) {
+          setValue("targetFilters", value as Record<string, string[]>);
+        },
+        read() {
+          return getValues().targetFilters;
+        },
+      },
+    },
     filterCategories: [
       {
         selectOptions: languageProviders?.map((language) => ({
@@ -281,7 +291,7 @@ export const SetTargets: React.FC<SetTargetsProps> = ({ applications }) => {
   return (
     <SetTargetsInternal
       {...{
-        initialFilters: applicationProviders,
+        applicationProviders,
         targets,
         isError,
         isLoading,