diff --git a/db/python/tables/participant.py b/db/python/tables/participant.py
index dbe63f21..8ea924e7 100644
--- a/db/python/tables/participant.py
+++ b/db/python/tables/participant.py
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ async def _construct_participant_query(
     ) -> tuple[str, dict[str, Any]]:
         """Construct a participant query"""
         needs_family = False
+        needs_family_eid = False
         needs_participant_eid = True  # always join, query optimiser can figure it out
         needs_sample = False
         needs_sample_eid = False
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@ async def _construct_participant_query(
             },
             exclude=['family', 'sample', 'sequencing_group', 'assay'],
         )
+
         wheres = [_wheres]
 
         if filter_.family:
@@ -75,14 +77,22 @@ async def _construct_participant_query(
             fwheres, fvalues = filter_.family.to_sql(
                 {
                     'id': 'f.id',
-                    'external_id': 'f.external_id',
                     'meta': 'f.meta',
-                }
+                },
+                exclude=['external_id'],
             )
             values.update(fvalues)
             if fwheres:
                 wheres.append(fwheres)
 
+            if filter_.family.external_id:
+                needs_family_eid = True
+                feid_wheres, feid_values = filter_.family.to_sql(
+                    {'external_id': 'feid.external_id'}, only=['external_id']
+                )
+                wheres.append(feid_wheres)
+                values.update(feid_values)
+
         if filter_.sample:
             needs_sample = True
             swheres, svalues = filter_.sample.to_sql(
@@ -169,6 +179,10 @@ async def _construct_participant_query(
                 'INNER JOIN family_participant fp ON fp.participant_id = pp.id\n'
                 'INNER JOIN family f ON f.id = fp.family_id'
             )
+        if needs_family_eid:
+            query_lines.append(
+                'INNER JOIN family_external_id feid ON feid.family_id = f.id'
+            )
 
         if wheres:
             query_lines.append('WHERE \n' + ' AND '.join(wheres))
diff --git a/web/src/pages/project/ValueFilter.tsx b/web/src/pages/project/ValueFilter.tsx
index 3f8302c8..c213164a 100644
--- a/web/src/pages/project/ValueFilter.tsx
+++ b/web/src/pages/project/ValueFilter.tsx
@@ -85,22 +85,19 @@ export const ValueFilter: React.FC<IValueFilter> = ({
     //  So check if the filterKey starts with 'meta.' to determine if it is a meta key, and
     //  then check the [category].meta object for the value
 
+    if (!field.filter_key) return <></>
+
+    /* eslint-disable react-hooks/rules-of-hooks*/
     const [_defaultFilterType, setDefaultFilterType] = React.useState<
         ProjectParticipantGridFilterType | undefined
     >()
-
-    let optionsToCheck = props?.filterValues?.[category] || {}
-    const name = (field.filter_key ?? '').replace(/^meta\./, '')
-
-    // @ts-ignore
-    const _value = optionsToCheck?.[name]?.[operator]
-    const [_tempValue, setTempValue] = React.useState<string | undefined>(_value ?? '')
-    const tempValue = _tempValue ?? _value
-
-    if (!field.filter_key) return <></>
+    /* eslint-enable react-hooks/rules-of-hooks*/
 
     const isMeta = field.filter_key?.startsWith('meta.')
     // set name to the filterKey without the .meta prefix
+    const name = field.filter_key.replace(/^meta\./, '')
+
+    let optionsToCheck = props?.filterValues?.[category] || {}
 
     if (isMeta) {
         // get the meta bit from the filterValues
@@ -146,6 +143,14 @@ export const ValueFilter: React.FC<IValueFilter> = ({
         operator = getOperatorFromFilterType(queryType)
     }
 
+    // @ts-ignore
+    const _value = optionsToCheck?.[name]?.[operator]
+
+    /* eslint-disable react-hooks/rules-of-hooks*/
+    const [_tempValue, setTempValue] = React.useState<string | undefined>(_value ?? '')
+    /* eslint-enable react-hooks/rules-of-hooks*/
+    const tempValue = _tempValue ?? _value
+
     const updateQueryType = (newFilterType: ProjectParticipantGridFilterType) => {
         setDefaultFilterType(newFilterType)
         const newOperator = getOperatorFromFilterType(newFilterType)