diff --git a/capepy/aws/dynamodb.py b/capepy/aws/dynamodb.py
index ed032f9..f9fe661 100644
--- a/capepy/aws/dynamodb.py
+++ b/capepy/aws/dynamodb.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import os
 
+from boto3.dynamodb.conditions import ConditionExpressionBuilder, Key
 from botocore.exceptions import ClientError
 
 from capepy.aws.meta import Boto3Object
@@ -68,10 +69,55 @@ def get_item(self, key):
 
         return ret
 
+    def query_items(self, index_name, key_cond_exp):
+        """Retrieve items from the loaded table using a secondary index.
+
+        Args:
+            index_name: The name of the index to query.
+            key_cond_exp: The key condition expression to use in the query.
+
+        Returns:
+            The items value from the DyamoDB table. Any valid query results
+            will come back as a list (including an empty list for no match),
+            None is returned if there is an error.
+        """
+        ret = None
+
+        try:
+            response = self.table.query(
+                IndexName=index_name, KeyConditionExpression=key_cond_exp
+            )
+            ret = response.get("Items")
+
+        except ClientError as err:
+            code, message = decode_error(err)
+
+            # the key condition is not real easy to print in a good way, but we
+            # do our best.
+            ceb = ConditionExpressionBuilder()
+            kce = ceb.build_expression(key_cond_exp, is_key_condition=True)
+
+            kce_str = (
+                f"Expression: {kce.condition_expression} "
+                f"Expression Attr Names: {kce.attribute_name_placeholders} "
+                f"Expression Attr Values: {kce.attribute_value_placeholders} "
+            )
+
+            self.logger.error(
+                f"Couldn't get DynamoDB entries for in index '{index_name}' "
+                f"with key condition expression '{kce_str}' in table {self.name}. "
+                f"{code} {message}"
+            )
+
+        return ret
+
 
 class PipelineTable(Table):
     """A DynamoDB table with specific structure for organizing analysis pipelines."""
 
+    # name of the index that we query with name and version
+    NAME_VER_GSI = "PipelineNameVerIndex"
+
     def __init__(self, table_name=None):
         """Constructor to fetch and initialize a DynamoDB analysis pipeline table.
 
@@ -82,22 +128,25 @@ def __init__(self, table_name=None):
             table_name = os.getenv("DAP_REG_DDB_TABLE")
         super().__init__(table_name)
 
-    def get_pipeline(self, pipeline_name, pipeline_version):
-        """Retrieve a specific pipeline from the table.
+    def get_pipelines_by_name(self, pipeline_name, pipeline_version=None):
+        """Retrieve pipelines from the table matching name and optional version.
 
         Args:
             pipeline_name: The name of the pipeline.
-            pipeline_version: The version of the pipeline.
+            pipeline_version: The optional version of the pipeline.
 
         Returns:
-            The retrieved pipeline item.
+            The retrieved pipeline item(s) in a list (which will be empty in the
+            case of no match) or None on error.
         """
-        key = {"pipeline_name": pipeline_name}
+        kce = Key("pipeline_name").eq(pipeline_name)
+
         if pipeline_version is not None:
-            key["version"] = pipeline_version
-        return self.get_item(key)
+            kce = kce & Key("version").eq(pipeline_version)
+
+        return self.query_items(self.NAME_VER_GSI, kce)
 
-    def get_pipeline_by_id(self, pipeline_id):
+    def get_pipeline(self, pipeline_id):
         """Retrieve a specific pipeline from the table.
 
         Args: