A method and an apparatus are provided for improving a carrier to noise density ratio (CNO) of a matched filter. A signal is received at a signal register of the matched filter. A local code is received at a local code register and a nulling register of the matched filter. An adder tree of the matched filter correlates the signal register and the local code register with respect to the nulling register to obtain a correlation result. The nulling register prevents high frequency samples of the signal register from affecting the correlation result.