diff --git a/src/opnsense/scripts/filter/lib/alias/__init__.py b/src/opnsense/scripts/filter/lib/alias/__init__.py
index 75dd3fc55e..5345d2e635 100755
--- a/src/opnsense/scripts/filter/lib/alias/__init__.py
+++ b/src/opnsense/scripts/filter/lib/alias/__init__.py
@@ -396,3 +396,23 @@ class AliasParser(object):
         """
         for alias in self._aliases:
             yield self._aliases[alias]
+
+    def get_affected_aliases(self, alias_names):
+        """ quick impact analysis on aliases to update given a certain list of names (recursive dig)
+            :param alias_names: list of names
+            :return: list Alias objects
+        """
+        dep_lists = {}
+        names = set(alias_names)
+        retval = []
+        has_changed = True
+        while has_changed:
+            has_changed = False
+            for alias in self._aliases.values():
+                if alias.get_name() not in dep_lists:
+                    dep_lists = set(alias.get_deps())
+                if (alias.get_name() in names or len(names.intersection(dep_lists)) > 0) and alias not in retval:
+                    retval.append(alias)
+                    names.add(alias.get_name())
+                    has_changed = True
+        return retval
diff --git a/src/opnsense/scripts/filter/update_tables.py b/src/opnsense/scripts/filter/update_tables.py
index dc686c9e74..b8d9561eeb 100755
--- a/src/opnsense/scripts/filter/update_tables.py
+++ b/src/opnsense/scripts/filter/update_tables.py
@@ -79,8 +79,15 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
                 if alias.get_type() in inputargs.types:
                     to_update.append(alias.get_name())
 
+        query_aliases = aliases.get_affected_aliases(to_update)
+        if len(query_aliases) == 0:
+            # no selected target
+            sys.exit(0)
+    else:
+        query_aliases = list(aliases)
+
     use_cached = lambda x: to_update is not None and x not in to_update
-    for alias in aliases:
+    for alias in query_aliases:
         # determine if an alias has expired or updated and collect full chain of dependencies (so we can resolve them).
         alias_changed_or_expired = max(alias.changed(), alias.expired())
         alias_resolve_list = [alias]