diff --git a/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/cluster.rs b/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/cluster.rs
index 223124b..ce3dd53 100644
--- a/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/cluster.rs
+++ b/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/cluster.rs
@@ -25,12 +25,15 @@ pub const CLUSTER_EBTABLES_DEFAULT: bool = false;
 pub const CLUSTER_POLICY_IN_DEFAULT: Verdict = Verdict::Drop;
 /// default setting for [`Config::default_policy()`]
 pub const CLUSTER_POLICY_OUT_DEFAULT: Verdict = Verdict::Accept;
+/// default setting for [`Config::default_policy()`]
+pub const CLUSTER_POLICY_FORWARD_DEFAULT: Verdict = Verdict::Accept;
 
 impl Config {
     pub fn parse<R: io::BufRead>(input: R) -> Result<Self, Error> {
         let parser_config = ParserConfig {
             guest_iface_names: false,
             ipset_scope: Some(IpsetScope::Datacenter),
+            allowed_directions: vec![Direction::In, Direction::Out, Direction::Forward],
         };
 
         Ok(Self {
@@ -86,6 +89,11 @@ impl Config {
                 .options
                 .policy_out
                 .unwrap_or(CLUSTER_POLICY_OUT_DEFAULT),
+            Direction::Forward => self
+                .config
+                .options
+                .policy_forward
+                .unwrap_or(CLUSTER_POLICY_FORWARD_DEFAULT),
         }
     }
 
@@ -121,6 +129,7 @@ pub struct Options {
 
     policy_in: Option<Verdict>,
     policy_out: Option<Verdict>,
+    policy_forward: Option<Verdict>,
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
@@ -148,6 +157,7 @@ log_ratelimit: 1,rate=10/second,burst=20
 ebtables: 0
 policy_in: REJECT
 policy_out: REJECT
+policy_forward: DROP
 
 [ALIASES]
 
@@ -191,6 +201,7 @@ IN BGP(REJECT) -log crit -source 1.2.3.4
                 )),
                 policy_in: Some(Verdict::Reject),
                 policy_out: Some(Verdict::Reject),
+                policy_forward: Some(Verdict::Drop),
             }
         );
 
diff --git a/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/common.rs b/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/common.rs
index a08f19c..3999168 100644
--- a/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/common.rs
+++ b/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/common.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use serde::de::IntoDeserializer;
 
 use crate::firewall::parse::{parse_named_section_tail, split_key_value, SomeString};
 use crate::firewall::types::ipset::{IpsetName, IpsetScope};
+use crate::firewall::types::rule::{Direction, Kind};
 use crate::firewall::types::{Alias, Group, Ipset, Rule};
 
 #[derive(Debug, Default)]
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ pub struct ParserConfig {
     /// Network interfaces must be of the form `netX`.
     pub guest_iface_names: bool,
     pub ipset_scope: Option<IpsetScope>,
+    pub allowed_directions: Vec<Direction>,
 }
 
 impl<O> Config<O>
@@ -150,6 +152,15 @@ where
             }
         }
 
+        if let Kind::Match(rule) = rule.kind() {
+            if !parser_cfg.allowed_directions.contains(&rule.dir) {
+                bail!(
+                    "found not allowed direction in firewall config: {0}",
+                    rule.dir
+                );
+            }
+        }
+
         self.rules.push(rule);
         Ok(())
     }
diff --git a/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/guest.rs b/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/guest.rs
index c7e282f..1e70a67 100644
--- a/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/guest.rs
+++ b/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/guest.rs
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ pub const GUEST_IPFILTER_DEFAULT: bool = false;
 pub const GUEST_POLICY_IN_DEFAULT: Verdict = Verdict::Drop;
 /// default return value for [`Config::default_policy()`]
 pub const GUEST_POLICY_OUT_DEFAULT: Verdict = Verdict::Accept;
+/// default return value for [`Config::default_policy()`]
+pub const GUEST_POLICY_FORWARD_DEFAULT: Verdict = Verdict::Accept;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Deserialize)]
 #[cfg_attr(test, derive(Eq, PartialEq))]
@@ -61,6 +63,8 @@ pub struct Options {
 
     #[serde(rename = "policy_out")]
     policy_out: Option<Verdict>,
+
+    policy_forward: Option<Verdict>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -84,6 +88,7 @@ impl Config {
         let parser_cfg = super::common::ParserConfig {
             guest_iface_names: true,
             ipset_scope: Some(IpsetScope::Guest),
+            allowed_directions: vec![Direction::In, Direction::Out],
         };
 
         let config = super::common::Config::parse(firewall_input, &parser_cfg)?;
@@ -131,6 +136,7 @@ impl Config {
         match dir {
             Direction::In => self.config.options.log_level_in.unwrap_or_default(),
             Direction::Out => self.config.options.log_level_out.unwrap_or_default(),
+            _ => LogLevel::Nolog,
         }
     }
 
@@ -179,6 +185,11 @@ impl Config {
                 .options
                 .policy_out
                 .unwrap_or(GUEST_POLICY_OUT_DEFAULT),
+            Direction::Forward => self
+                .config
+                .options
+                .policy_forward
+                .unwrap_or(GUEST_POLICY_FORWARD_DEFAULT),
         }
     }
 
@@ -211,6 +222,7 @@ ndp:1
 radv:1
 policy_in: REJECT
 policy_out: REJECT
+policy_forward: DROP
 "#;
 
         let config = CONFIG.as_bytes();
@@ -231,6 +243,7 @@ policy_out: REJECT
                 macfilter: Some(false),
                 policy_in: Some(Verdict::Reject),
                 policy_out: Some(Verdict::Reject),
+                policy_forward: Some(Verdict::Drop),
             }
         );
     }
diff --git a/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/host.rs b/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/host.rs
index 3de6fad..394896c 100644
--- a/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/host.rs
+++ b/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/host.rs
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ pub struct Options {
 
     log_level_in: Option<LogLevel>,
     log_level_out: Option<LogLevel>,
+    log_level_forward: Option<LogLevel>,
 
     #[serde(default, with = "parse::serde_option_bool")]
     log_nf_conntrack: Option<bool>,
@@ -94,7 +95,13 @@ impl Config {
     }
 
     pub fn parse<R: io::BufRead>(input: R) -> Result<Self, Error> {
-        let config = super::common::Config::parse(input, &Default::default())?;
+        let parser_cfg = super::common::ParserConfig {
+            guest_iface_names: false,
+            ipset_scope: None,
+            allowed_directions: vec![Direction::In, Direction::Out, Direction::Forward],
+        };
+
+        let config = super::common::Config::parse(input, &parser_cfg)?;
 
         if !config.groups.is_empty() {
             bail!("host firewall config cannot declare groups");
@@ -262,6 +269,7 @@ impl Config {
         match dir {
             Direction::In => self.config.options.log_level_in.unwrap_or_default(),
             Direction::Out => self.config.options.log_level_out.unwrap_or_default(),
+            Direction::Forward => self.config.options.log_level_forward.unwrap_or_default(),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -284,6 +292,7 @@ enable: 1
 nftables: 1
 log_level_in: debug
 log_level_out: emerg
+log_level_forward: warn
 log_nf_conntrack: 0
 ndp: 1
 nf_conntrack_allow_invalid: yes
@@ -316,6 +325,7 @@ IN ACCEPT -p udp -dport 33 -sport 22 -log warning
                 nftables: Some(true),
                 log_level_in: Some(LogLevel::Debug),
                 log_level_out: Some(LogLevel::Emergency),
+                log_level_forward: Some(LogLevel::Warning),
                 log_nf_conntrack: Some(false),
                 ndp: Some(true),
                 nf_conntrack_allow_invalid: Some(true),
diff --git a/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/mod.rs b/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/mod.rs
index 2cf57e2..6ee3c31 100644
--- a/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/mod.rs
+++ b/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/mod.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+pub mod bridge;
 pub mod cluster;
 pub mod common;
 pub mod ct_helper;
diff --git a/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/types/rule.rs b/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/types/rule.rs
index 5374bb0..2c8f49c 100644
--- a/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/types/rule.rs
+++ b/proxmox-ve-config/src/firewall/types/rule.rs
@@ -13,19 +13,24 @@ pub enum Direction {
     #[default]
     In,
     Out,
+    Forward,
 }
 
 impl std::str::FromStr for Direction {
     type Err = Error;
 
     fn from_str(s: &str) -> Result<Self, Error> {
-        for (name, dir) in [("IN", Direction::In), ("OUT", Direction::Out)] {
+        for (name, dir) in [
+            ("IN", Direction::In),
+            ("OUT", Direction::Out),
+            ("FORWARD", Direction::Forward),
+        ] {
             if s.eq_ignore_ascii_case(name) {
                 return Ok(dir);
             }
         }
 
-        bail!("invalid direction: {s:?}, expect 'IN' or 'OUT'");
+        bail!("invalid direction: {s:?}, expect 'IN', 'OUT' or 'FORWARD'");
     }
 }
 
@@ -36,6 +41,7 @@ impl fmt::Display for Direction {
         match self {
             Direction::In => f.write_str("in"),
             Direction::Out => f.write_str("out"),
+            Direction::Forward => f.write_str("forward"),
         }
     }
 }