A method, apparatus, and program product for reducing unwanted host wake-up messages. A host computer finds a port in use by a host application, selects program information based on the port in use by the application, and sends the program information to a port filter. The port filter receives a packet that contains a port identifier. The port-filter uses the program information to decide whether there is a host application associated with the port identifier and sends a wake-up message to the host computer only when there is an associated host application.