diff --git a/smmapdfw/smmapd/smmapd.c b/smmapdfw/smmapd/smmapd.c
index 6a048d5..e36f202 100644
--- a/smmapdfw/smmapd/smmapd.c
+++ b/smmapdfw/smmapd/smmapd.c
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ count_t thread_counter;
 cfg_t *cfg;
 
 int netstring_disabled = 0;
-
+int force_netstring_disabled = 0;
 
 
 void * statser(void * arg) {
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ int server() {
   char *cfg_address, *cfg_port;
 
 
-  netstring_disabled = atoi(findcfgx(cfg, CFG_SECTION_GLOBAL, CFG_NETSTRING_DISABLED, "0"));
+  netstring_disabled = atoi(findcfgx(cfg, CFG_SECTION_GLOBAL, CFG_NETSTRING_DISABLED, "0")) || force_netstring_disabled;
 
 
   serverSock = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
@@ -439,6 +439,7 @@ int server() {
 void usage() {
   printf("smmapd [-F] [-p pidfile] [-f cfgfile] [-h]\n");
   printf("  -F   run in foreground, overwrite smmapd.ini setting\n");
+  printf("  -n   force netstring disable, overwrite smmapd.ini setting\n");
   printf("  -p   pidfile, overwrite smmapd.ini setting\n");
   printf("  -f   cfgfile\n");
   printf("  -v   version and release info\n");
@@ -451,7 +452,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
   
   FILE *f;
 
-  while ((c = getopt(argc, argv,"Fp:f:hv")) != -1)
+  while ((c = getopt(argc, argv,"Fp:f:hvn")) != -1)
      switch (c) {
      case 'F': 
        foreground = 1;
@@ -462,6 +463,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
      case 'p': 
        pid_file = htstrdup(optarg);
        break;
+     case 'n':
+       force_netstring_disabled = 1;
+       break;
      case 'v': 
        printf("\nsmmapd - Wolfgang Hottgenroth <woho@hottis.de>\n");
        printf("  cvs_id: %s\n", CVS_ID);