diff --git a/Modules/ImageExtraction/mitkExtractImageFilter.cpp b/Modules/ImageExtraction/mitkExtractImageFilter.cpp
index 4300630..6584c00 100644
--- a/Modules/ImageExtraction/mitkExtractImageFilter.cpp
+++ b/Modules/ImageExtraction/mitkExtractImageFilter.cpp
@@ -22,12 +22,11 @@ See LICENSE.txt or http://www.mitk.org for details.
 
 #include <mitkImageAccessByItk.h>
 
-#include <itkExtractImageFilter.h>
-
 mitk::ExtractImageFilter::ExtractImageFilter()
 :m_SliceIndex(0),
  m_SliceDimension(0),
- m_TimeStep(0)
+ m_TimeStep(0),
+ m_DirectionCollapseToStrategy( itk::ExtractImageFilter::DIRECTIONCOLLAPSETOGUESS )
 {
   MITK_WARN << "Class ExtractImageFilter is deprecated! Use ExtractSliceFilter instead.";
 }
@@ -116,7 +115,7 @@ void mitk::ExtractImageFilter::ItkImageProcessing( itk::Image<TPixel,VImageDimen
   typedef itk::ExtractImageFilter<ImageType3D, ImageType2D> ExtractImageFilterType;
 
   typename ExtractImageFilterType::Pointer sliceExtractor = ExtractImageFilterType::New();
-  sliceExtractor->SetDirectionCollapseToSubmatrix();
+  sliceExtractor->SetDirectionCollapseToStrategy( m_DirectionCollapseToStrategy );
   sliceExtractor->SetInput( itkImage );
 
   inSliceRegion.SetIndex( m_SliceDimension, m_SliceIndex );
diff --git a/Modules/ImageExtraction/mitkExtractImageFilter.h b/Modules/ImageExtraction/mitkExtractImageFilter.h
index 125c719..11c09cb 100644
--- a/Modules/ImageExtraction/mitkExtractImageFilter.h
+++ b/Modules/ImageExtraction/mitkExtractImageFilter.h
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ See LICENSE.txt or http://www.mitk.org for details.
 
 #include "itkImage.h"
 
+#include <itkExtractImageFilter.h>
+
 namespace mitk
 {
 
@@ -76,6 +78,13 @@ class ImageExtraction_EXPORT ExtractImageFilter : public ImageToImageFilter
     itkSetMacro(TimeStep, unsigned int);
     itkGetConstMacro(TimeStep, unsigned int);
 
+    /**
+      \brief Collapse strategy to be used.
+     */
+    itkSetMacro(DirectionCollapseToStrategy, itk::ExtractImageFilter::DIRECTIONCOLLAPSESTRATEGY);
+    itkGetConstMacro(DirectionCollapseToStrategy, itk::ExtractImageFilter::DIRECTIONCOLLAPSESTRATEGY);
+
+
   protected:
 
     ExtractImageFilter(); // purposely hidden
@@ -92,6 +101,7 @@ class ImageExtraction_EXPORT ExtractImageFilter : public ImageToImageFilter
     unsigned int m_SliceIndex;
     unsigned int m_SliceDimension;
     unsigned int m_TimeStep;
+    itk::ExtractImageFilter::DIRECTIONCOLLAPSESTRATEGY m_DirectionCollapseToStrategy;
 };
 
 } // namespace