diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 25d9bb0c3..0cbeefdbb 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ Collate:
     'teal.data.R'
     'teal_data-class.R'
     'teal_data-datanames.R'
+    'teal_data-extract.R'
     'teal_data-get_code.R'
     'teal_data-show.R'
     'teal_data.R'
diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index 71db8957b..603ad524e 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
 
 S3method("[",join_keys)
+S3method("[",teal_data)
 S3method("[<-",join_keys)
 S3method("[[<-",join_keys)
 S3method("join_keys<-",join_keys)
diff --git a/R/teal_data-extract.R b/R/teal_data-extract.R
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fb9c856b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/R/teal_data-extract.R
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#'
+#' @section Subsetting:
+#' `x[names]` subsets objects in `teal_data` environment and limit the code to the necessary needed to build limited
+#' objects.
+#'
+#' @param names (`character`) names of objects included in `teal_subset` to subset
+#' @param x (`teal_data`)
+#'
+#' @examples
+#'
+#' # Subsetting
+#' data <- teal_data()
+#' data <- eval_code(data, "a <- 1;b<-2")
+#' data["a"]
+#' data[c("a", "b")]
+#'
+#' join_keys(data) <- join_keys(join_key("a", "b", "x"))
+#' join_keys(data["a"]) # should show empty keys
+#' join_keys(data["b"])
+#' join_keys(data)["a"] # should show empty keys
+#' join_keys(data)["b"]
+#'
+#' @rdname teal_data
+#'
+#' @export
+`[.teal_data` <- function(x, names) {
+  checkmate::assert_class(names, "character")
+  names_in_env <- intersect(names, ls(get_env(x)))
+  if (!length(names_in_env)) {
+    return(teal_data())
+  }
+
+  subset_qenv <- getFromNamespace("[.qenv", "teal.code")
+  x <- subset_qenv(x, names_in_env)
+  x@join_keys <- x@join_keys[names_in_env]
+
+  x
+}
diff --git a/man/teal_data.Rd b/man/teal_data.Rd
index b249aece4..0ac641980 100644
--- a/man/teal_data.Rd
+++ b/man/teal_data.Rd
@@ -1,12 +1,19 @@
 % Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
-% Please edit documentation in R/teal_data.R
-\name{teal_data}
+% Please edit documentation in R/teal_data-extract.R, R/teal_data.R
+\name{[.teal_data}
+\alias{[.teal_data}
 \alias{teal_data}
 \title{Comprehensive data integration function for \code{teal} applications}
 \usage{
+\method{[}{teal_data}(x, names)
+
 teal_data(..., join_keys = teal.data::join_keys(), code = character(0), check)
 }
 \arguments{
+\item{x}{(\code{teal_data})}
+
+\item{names}{(\code{character}) names of objects included in \code{teal_subset} to subset}
+
 \item{...}{any number of objects (presumably data objects) provided as \code{name = value} pairs.}
 
 \item{join_keys}{(\code{join_keys} or single \code{join_key_set})
@@ -27,7 +34,26 @@ A \code{teal_data} object.
 
 Universal function to pass data to teal application.
 }
+\section{Subsetting}{
+
+\code{x[names]} subsets objects in \code{teal_data} environment and limit the code to the necessary needed to build limited
+objects.
+}
+
 \examples{
+
+# Subsetting
+data <- teal_data()
+data <- eval_code(data, "a <- 1;b<-2")
+data["a"]
+data[c("a", "b")]
+
+join_keys(data) <- join_keys(join_key("a", "b", "x"))
+join_keys(data["a"]) # should show empty keys
+join_keys(data["b"])
+join_keys(data)["a"] # should show empty keys
+join_keys(data)["b"]
+
 teal_data(x1 = iris, x2 = mtcars)
 
 }