diff --git a/src/host_zome_calls.rs b/src/host_zome_calls.rs
index febf27e..5dcf23e 100644
--- a/src/host_zome_calls.rs
+++ b/src/host_zome_calls.rs
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ pub struct HappBundle {
     pub special_installed_app_id: Option<String>,
     pub jurisdictions: Vec<String>,
     pub exclude_jurisdictions: bool,
+    pub categories: Vec<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
@@ -177,6 +178,7 @@ pub async fn get_all_published_hosted_happs(
                 special_installed_app_id: happ.special_installed_app_id,
                 jurisdictions: happ.jurisdictions,
                 exclude_jurisdictions: happ.exclude_jurisdictions,
+                categories: happ.categories,
             }
         })
         .collect();
diff --git a/src/install_app.rs b/src/install_app.rs
index 8da62fd..e64f477 100644
--- a/src/install_app.rs
+++ b/src/install_app.rs
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ pub async fn install_holo_hosted_happs(
         special_installed_app_id,
         exclude_jurisdictions: _,
         jurisdictions: _,
+        categories: _,
     } in happs
     {
         // Check if special happ is installed and do nothing if it is installed
diff --git a/src/transaction_types.rs b/src/transaction_types.rs
index aa82223..f19e17d 100644
--- a/src/transaction_types.rs
+++ b/src/transaction_types.rs
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ pub struct InvoiceNote {
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone, serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize, Debug)]
-pub struct JurisdictionPreferences {
+pub struct JurisdictionAndCategoryPreferences {
     pub value: Vec<String>,
     pub is_exclusion: bool,
 }
@@ -101,7 +101,8 @@ pub struct HostingPreferences {
     pub price_bandwidth: Fuel,
     pub max_time_before_invoice: Duration,
     pub invoice_due_in_days: u8,
-    pub jurisdiction_prefs: JurisdictionPreferences,
+    pub jurisdiction_prefs: JurisdictionAndCategoryPreferences,
+    pub categories_prefs: JurisdictionAndCategoryPreferences,
 }
 
 #[derive(serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize, Debug)]
diff --git a/src/uninstall_apps.rs b/src/uninstall_apps.rs
index f05c6ca..f8b1c54 100644
--- a/src/uninstall_apps.rs
+++ b/src/uninstall_apps.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use std::collections::HashMap;
+use std::collections::{HashMap, HashSet};
 
 pub use crate::config;
 pub use crate::host_zome_calls::HappBundle;
@@ -103,6 +103,11 @@ pub async fn should_be_installed(
         return true;
     }
 
+    // checks if published happ is still running
+    let published_happ = published_happs
+        .iter()
+        .find(|&happ| happ.happ_id.to_string() == *running_happ_id);
+
     if suspended_happs.contains(running_happ_id) {
         trace!("Disabling suspended happ {}", running_happ_id);
         return false;
@@ -145,10 +150,7 @@ pub async fn should_be_installed(
     // jurisdiction is taken from mongodb and compared against hApps jurisdictions
     match jurisdiction {
         Some(jurisdiction) => {
-            if let Some(happ) = published_happs
-                .iter()
-                .find(|&happ| happ.happ_id.to_string() == *running_happ_id)
-            {
+            if let Some(happ) = published_happ {
                 let mut is_jurisdiction_in_list = false;
                 if let Some(_happ_jurisdiction) = happ
                     .jurisdictions
@@ -172,6 +174,28 @@ pub async fn should_be_installed(
         }
     }
 
+    // verify the happ matches the hosting categories preferences
+    if let Some(happ) = published_happ {
+        let categories_prefs: HashSet<String> = hosting_preferences
+            .categories_prefs
+            .value
+            .iter()
+            .cloned()
+            .collect();
+
+        let contains_category = happ
+            .categories
+            .iter()
+            .any(|category| categories_prefs.contains(category));
+
+        if contains_category && hosting_preferences.categories_prefs.is_exclusion {
+            return false;
+        }
+        if !contains_category && !hosting_preferences.categories_prefs.is_exclusion {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+
     // The running happ is an instance of an expected happ
     let expected_happ = published_happs.iter().find(|published_happ| {
         is_instance_of_happ(&published_happ.happ_id.to_string(), running_happ_id)