diff --git a/db/batchlog_manager.cc b/db/batchlog_manager.cc
index 74b109ee86..17a1ee5e15 100644
--- a/db/batchlog_manager.cc
+++ b/db/batchlog_manager.cc
@@ -22,19 +22,23 @@
  */
 
 #include <chrono>
+#include <core/future-util.hh>
+#include <core/do_with.hh>
+#include <boost/range/adaptor/map.hpp>
+#include <boost/range/adaptor/sliced.hpp>
+
 #include "batchlog_manager.hh"
 #include "service/storage_service.hh"
 #include "service/storage_proxy.hh"
 #include "system_keyspace.hh"
 #include "utils/rate_limiter.hh"
-#include "core/future-util.hh"
-#include "core/do_with.hh"
 #include "log.hh"
 #include "serializer.hh"
 #include "db_clock.hh"
 #include "database.hh"
 #include "unimplemented.hh"
 #include "db/config.hh"
+#include "gms/failure_detector.hh"
 
 static logging::logger logger("BatchLog Manager");
 
@@ -43,6 +47,7 @@ const uint32_t db::batchlog_manager::page_size;
 
 db::batchlog_manager::batchlog_manager(cql3::query_processor& qp)
         : _qp(qp)
+        , _e1(_rd())
 {}
 
 future<> db::batchlog_manager::start() {
@@ -239,3 +244,73 @@ future<> db::batchlog_manager::replay_all_failed_batches() {
         _sem.signal();
     });
 }
+
+std::unordered_set<gms::inet_address> db::batchlog_manager::endpoint_filter(const sstring& local_rack, const std::unordered_map<sstring, std::unordered_set<gms::inet_address>>& endpoints) {
+    // special case for single-node data centers
+    if (endpoints.size() == 1 && endpoints.begin()->second.size() == 1) {
+        return endpoints.begin()->second;
+    }
+
+    // strip out dead endpoints and localhost
+    std::unordered_multimap<sstring, gms::inet_address> validated;
+
+    auto is_valid = [](gms::inet_address input) {
+        return input != utils::fb_utilities::get_broadcast_address()
+            && gms::get_local_failure_detector().is_alive(input)
+            ;
+    };
+
+    for (auto& e : endpoints) {
+        for (auto& a : e.second) {
+            if (is_valid(a)) {
+                validated.emplace(e.first, a);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    typedef std::unordered_set<gms::inet_address> return_type;
+
+    if (validated.size() <= 2) {
+        return boost::copy_range<return_type>(validated | boost::adaptors::map_values);
+    }
+
+    if (validated.size() - validated.count(local_rack) >= 2) {
+        // we have enough endpoints in other racks
+        validated.erase(local_rack);
+    }
+
+    if (validated.bucket_count() == 1) {
+        // we have only 1 `other` rack
+        auto res = validated | boost::adaptors::map_values;
+        if (validated.size() > 2) {
+            return boost::copy_range<return_type>(
+                    boost::copy_range<std::vector<gms::inet_address>>(res)
+                            | boost::adaptors::sliced(0, 2));
+        }
+        return boost::copy_range<return_type>(res);
+    }
+
+    // randomize which racks we pick from if more than 2 remaining
+
+    std::vector<sstring> racks = boost::copy_range<std::vector<sstring>>(validated | boost::adaptors::map_keys);
+
+    if (validated.bucket_count() > 2) {
+        std::shuffle(racks.begin(), racks.end(), _e1);
+        racks.resize(2);
+    }
+
+    std::unordered_set<gms::inet_address> result;
+
+    // grab a random member of up to two racks
+    for (auto& rack : racks) {
+        auto rack_members = validated.bucket(rack);
+        auto n = validated.bucket_size(rack_members);
+        auto cpy = boost::copy_range<std::vector<gms::inet_address>>(validated.equal_range(rack) | boost::adaptors::map_values);
+        std::uniform_int_distribution<size_t> rdist(0, n - 1);
+        result.emplace(cpy[rdist(_e1)]);
+    }
+
+    return result;
+}
+
+
diff --git a/db/batchlog_manager.hh b/db/batchlog_manager.hh
index 71544eb5cd..0e956963aa 100644
--- a/db/batchlog_manager.hh
+++ b/db/batchlog_manager.hh
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ private:
     semaphore _sem;
     bool _stop = false;
 
+    std::random_device _rd;
+    std::default_random_engine _e1;
+
     future<> replay_all_failed_batches();
 public:
     // Takes a QP, not a distributes. Because this object is supposed
@@ -72,18 +75,7 @@ public:
     mutation get_batch_log_mutation_for(std::vector<mutation>, const utils::UUID&, int32_t, db_clock::time_point);
     db_clock::duration get_batch_log_timeout() const;
 
-    class endpoint_filter {
-    private:
-        const sstring _local_rack;
-        const std::unordered_map<sstring, std::vector<gms::inet_address>> _endpoints;
-
-    public:
-        endpoint_filter(sstring, std::unordered_map<sstring, std::vector<gms::inet_address>>);
-        /**
-         * @return list of candidates for batchlog hosting. If possible these will be two nodes from different racks.
-         */
-        std::vector<gms::inet_address> filter() const;
-    };
+    std::unordered_set<gms::inet_address> endpoint_filter(const sstring&, const std::unordered_map<sstring, std::unordered_set<gms::inet_address>>&);
 };
 
 }