diff --git a/rts/Sim/Misc/ModInfo.cpp b/rts/Sim/Misc/ModInfo.cpp
index 2a4e515ce6..81315eccfe 100644
--- a/rts/Sim/Misc/ModInfo.cpp
+++ b/rts/Sim/Misc/ModInfo.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ void CModInfo::ResetState()
 	description.clear();
 
 	{
+		preferShortestPath         = false;
 		allowDirectionalPathing    = true;
 		allowAircraftToLeaveMap    = true;
 		allowAircraftToHitGround   = true;
@@ -182,6 +183,7 @@ void CModInfo::Init(const std::string& modFileName)
 		// movement
 		const LuaTable& movementTbl = root.SubTable("movement");
 
+		preferShortestPath = movementTbl.GetBool("preferShortestPath", preferShortestPath);
 		allowDirectionalPathing = movementTbl.GetBool("allowDirectionalPathing", allowDirectionalPathing);
 		allowAircraftToLeaveMap = movementTbl.GetBool("allowAirPlanesToLeaveMap", allowAircraftToLeaveMap);
 		allowAircraftToHitGround = movementTbl.GetBool("allowAircraftToHitGround", allowAircraftToHitGround);
diff --git a/rts/Sim/Misc/ModInfo.h b/rts/Sim/Misc/ModInfo.h
index 2fdbe6568f..d2a6651f26 100644
--- a/rts/Sim/Misc/ModInfo.h
+++ b/rts/Sim/Misc/ModInfo.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ class CModInfo
 	std::string description;
 
 	// Movement behaviour
+	bool preferShortestPath;         //< if pathing system supports it, use shortest route instead of fastest route
 	bool allowDirectionalPathing;    //< determines if ground speed going downhill != going uphill
 	bool allowAircraftToLeaveMap;    //< determines if gunships are allowed to leave map boundaries
 	bool allowAircraftToHitGround;   //< determines if aircraft (both types) can collide with terrain
diff --git a/rts/Sim/MoveTypes/MoveDefHandler.cpp b/rts/Sim/MoveTypes/MoveDefHandler.cpp
index 6c568aeb1c..cf925a109a 100644
--- a/rts/Sim/MoveTypes/MoveDefHandler.cpp
+++ b/rts/Sim/MoveTypes/MoveDefHandler.cpp
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ void MoveDefHandler::PostSimInit() {
 	// capabilities of the pathing system.
 	std::for_each(moveDefs.begin(), moveDefs.end(), [](MoveDef& md){
 		md.allowDirectionalPathing &= pathManager->AllowDirectionalPathing();
+		md.preferShortestPath &= pathManager->AllowShortestPath();
 	});
 }
 
@@ -319,7 +320,8 @@ MoveDef::MoveDef(const LuaTable& moveDefTable): MoveDef() {
 
 	height = std::max(1, moveDefTable.GetInt("height", defaultHeight));
 
-	allowDirectionalPathing  = moveDefTable.GetBool("allowDirectionalPathing", allowDirectionalPathing);
+	allowDirectionalPathing = moveDefTable.GetBool("allowDirectionalPathing", allowDirectionalPathing);
+	preferShortestPath = moveDefTable.GetBool("preferShortestPath", preferShortestPath);
 }
 
 bool MoveDef::DoRawSearch(
diff --git a/rts/Sim/MoveTypes/MoveDefHandler.h b/rts/Sim/MoveTypes/MoveDefHandler.h
index 365cfb6814..2d7e8a75d4 100644
--- a/rts/Sim/MoveTypes/MoveDefHandler.h
+++ b/rts/Sim/MoveTypes/MoveDefHandler.h
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ struct MoveDef {
 	bool allowTerrainCollisions = true;
 	bool allowDirectionalPathing = true;
 	bool allowRawMovement = false;
+	bool preferShortestPath = true;
 
 	/// do we leave heat and avoid any left by others?
 	bool heatMapping = true;
diff --git a/rts/Sim/Path/IPathManager.h b/rts/Sim/Path/IPathManager.h
index b5407833aa..a60ce34c0d 100644
--- a/rts/Sim/Path/IPathManager.h
+++ b/rts/Sim/Path/IPathManager.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ class IPathManager {
 	virtual std::int64_t PostFinalizeRefresh() { return 0; }
 
 	virtual bool AllowDirectionalPathing() { return false; }
+	virtual bool AllowShortestPath() { return false; }
 
 	/**
 	 * returns if a path was changed after RequestPath returned its pathID
diff --git a/rts/Sim/Path/QTPFS/Node.cpp b/rts/Sim/Path/QTPFS/Node.cpp
index 6e3adc69c7..f6ddbbfcbf 100644
--- a/rts/Sim/Path/QTPFS/Node.cpp
+++ b/rts/Sim/Path/QTPFS/Node.cpp
@@ -549,7 +549,7 @@ bool QTPFS::QTNode::UpdateMoveCost(
 	assert(speedModSum >= 0.0f);
 
 	float speedModAvg = speedModSum / area();
-	moveCostAvg = (speedModAvg <= 0.001f) ? QTPFS_POSITIVE_INFINITY : (1.0f / speedModAvg);
+	moveCostAvg = (speedModAvg <= 0.001f) ? QTPFS_POSITIVE_INFINITY : (nl.UseShortestPath() ? 1.f : (1.f /  speedModAvg));
 
 	// no node can have ZERO traversal cost
 	assert(moveCostAvg > 0.0f);
@@ -598,6 +598,7 @@ bool QTPFS::QTNode::UpdateMoveCost(
 	needSplit |= (AllSquaresImpassable() && xsize() > 16); // TODO: magic number for size of damage quads
 
 	wantSplit &= (xsize() > 16); // try not to split below 16 if possible.
+	wantSplit &= !(nl.UseShortestPath());
 
 	return (wantSplit || needSplit);
 }
diff --git a/rts/Sim/Path/QTPFS/NodeLayer.cpp b/rts/Sim/Path/QTPFS/NodeLayer.cpp
index 08cd671ae3..c4ab015ea1 100644
--- a/rts/Sim/Path/QTPFS/NodeLayer.cpp
+++ b/rts/Sim/Path/QTPFS/NodeLayer.cpp
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ void QTPFS::NodeLayer::Init(unsigned int layerNum) {
 
 	curSpeedMods.resize(xsize * zsize,  0);
 	curSpeedBins.resize(xsize * zsize, -1);
+
+	MoveDef* md = moveDefHandler.GetMoveDefByPathType(layerNum);
+	useShortestPath = md->preferShortestPath;
 }
 
 void QTPFS::NodeLayer::Clear() {
diff --git a/rts/Sim/Path/QTPFS/NodeLayer.h b/rts/Sim/Path/QTPFS/NodeLayer.h
index a7d64717b5..efbcb546ee 100644
--- a/rts/Sim/Path/QTPFS/NodeLayer.h
+++ b/rts/Sim/Path/QTPFS/NodeLayer.h
@@ -163,6 +163,8 @@ namespace QTPFS {
 		INode* GetNearestNodeInArea(const SRectangle& areaToSearch, int2 referencePoint, std::vector<INode*>& openNodes);
 		INode* GetNodeThatEncasesPowerOfTwoArea(const SRectangle& areaToEncase);
 
+		bool UseShortestPath() { return useShortestPath; }
+
 	private:
 		std::vector<QTNode> poolNodes[16];
 		std::vector<unsigned int> nodeIndcs;
@@ -220,6 +222,7 @@ namespace QTPFS {
 
 		float maxRelSpeedMod = 0.0f; // TODO: Remove these?
 		float avgRelSpeedMod = 0.0f;
+		bool useShortestPath = false;
 	};
 }
 
diff --git a/rts/Sim/Path/QTPFS/PathManager.h b/rts/Sim/Path/QTPFS/PathManager.h
index 4a878424b0..de7babcd8a 100644
--- a/rts/Sim/Path/QTPFS/PathManager.h
+++ b/rts/Sim/Path/QTPFS/PathManager.h
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 #include <vector>
 
+#include "Sim/Misc/ModInfo.h"
 #include "Sim/Path/IPathManager.h"
 #include "NodeLayer.h"
 #include "PathCache.h"
@@ -47,6 +48,8 @@ namespace QTPFS {
 		bool PathUpdated(unsigned int pathID) override;
 		void ClearPathUpdated(unsigned int pathID) override;
 
+		bool AllowShortestPath() override { return modInfo.preferShortestPath; }
+
 		void TerrainChange(unsigned int x1, unsigned int z1,  unsigned int x2, unsigned int z2, unsigned int type) override;
 		void Update() override;
 		void UpdatePath(const CSolidObject* owner, unsigned int pathID) override;