diff --git a/src/public/app/dialogs/options/other.js b/src/public/app/dialogs/options/other.js
index ff97a0bcdb..dde89b6ad9 100644
--- a/src/public/app/dialogs/options/other.js
+++ b/src/public/app/dialogs/options/other.js
@@ -33,7 +33,13 @@ const TPL = `
 </div>
 
 <div>
-    <h4>Image compression</h4>
+    <h4>Images</h4>
+    
+    <div class="form-group">
+        <input id="download-images-automatically" type="checkbox" name="download-images-automatically">
+        <label for="download-images-automatically">Download images automatically for offline use.</label>
+        <p>(pasted HTML can contain references to online images, Trilium will find those references and download the images so that they are available offline)</p>
+    </div>
     
     <div class="form-group">
         <input id="image-compresion-enabled" type="checkbox" name="image-compression-enabled">
@@ -216,6 +222,15 @@ export default class ProtectedSessionOptions {
             return false;
         });
 
+        this.$downloadImagesAutomatically = $("#download-images-automatically");
+
+        this.$downloadImagesAutomatically.on("change", () => {
+            const isChecked = this.$downloadImagesAutomatically.prop("checked");
+            const opts = { 'downloadImagesAutomatically': isChecked ? 'true' : 'false' };
+
+            server.put('options', opts).then(() => toastService.showMessage("Options changed have been saved."));
+        });
+
         this.$enableImageCompression = $("#image-compresion-enabled");
         this.$imageCompressionWrapper = $("#image-compression-enabled-wraper");
 
@@ -225,7 +240,7 @@ export default class ProtectedSessionOptions {
             } else {
                 this.$imageCompressionWrapper.addClass("disabled-field");
             }
-        }
+        };
 
         this.$enableImageCompression.on("change", () => {
             const isChecked = this.$enableImageCompression.prop("checked");
@@ -234,7 +249,7 @@ export default class ProtectedSessionOptions {
             server.put('options', opts).then(() => toastService.showMessage("Options changed have been saved."));
 
             this.setImageCompression(isChecked);
-        })
+        });
     }
 
     optionsLoaded(options) {
@@ -251,6 +266,9 @@ export default class ProtectedSessionOptions {
         this.$autoReadonlySizeText.val(options['autoReadonlySizeText']);
         this.$autoReadonlySizeCode.val(options['autoReadonlySizeCode']);
 
+        const downloadImagesAutomatically = options['downloadImagesAutomatically'] === 'true';
+        this.$downloadImagesAutomatically.prop('checked', downloadImagesAutomatically);
+
         const compressImages = options['compressImages'] === 'true';
         this.$enableImageCompression.prop('checked', compressImages);
         this.setImageCompression(compressImages);
diff --git a/src/routes/api/options.js b/src/routes/api/options.js
index 3df70f68d3..5c38ff4c81 100644
--- a/src/routes/api/options.js
+++ b/src/routes/api/options.js
@@ -55,7 +55,8 @@ const ALLOWED_OPTIONS = new Set([
     'weeklyBackupEnabled',
     'monthlyBackupEnabled',
     'maxContentWidth',
-    'compressImages'
+    'compressImages',
+    'downloadImagesAutomatically'
 ]);
 
 function getOptions() {
diff --git a/src/services/notes.js b/src/services/notes.js
index 067bf45960..5e36707277 100644
--- a/src/services/notes.js
+++ b/src/services/notes.js
@@ -323,6 +323,10 @@ function replaceUrl(content, url, imageNote) {
 }
 
 function downloadImages(noteId, content) {
+    if (!optionService.getOptionBool("downloadImagesAutomatically")) {
+        return content;
+    }
+
     const imageRe = /<img[^>]*?\ssrc=['"]([^'">]+)['"]/ig;
     let imageMatch;
 
diff --git a/src/services/options_init.js b/src/services/options_init.js
index 5744148c3d..20e9dabb93 100644
--- a/src/services/options_init.js
+++ b/src/services/options_init.js
@@ -29,13 +29,13 @@ function initNotSyncedOptions(initialized, opts = {}) {
     optionService.createOption('lastSyncedPush', '0', false);
 
     let theme = 'dark'; // default based on the poll in https://github.com/zadam/trilium/issues/2516
-    
+
     if (utils.isElectron()) {
         const {nativeTheme} = require('electron');
-        
+
         theme = nativeTheme.shouldUseDarkColors ? 'dark' : 'light';
     }
-    
+
     optionService.createOption('theme', theme, false);
 
     optionService.createOption('syncServerHost', opts.syncServerHost || '', false);
@@ -83,7 +83,8 @@ const defaultOptions = [
     { name: 'weeklyBackupEnabled', value: 'true', isSynced: false },
     { name: 'monthlyBackupEnabled', value: 'true', isSynced: false },
     { name: 'maxContentWidth', value: '1200', isSynced: false },
-    { name: 'compressImages', value: 'true', isSynced: true }
+    { name: 'compressImages', value: 'true', isSynced: true },
+    { name: 'downloadImagesAutomatically', value: 'true', isSynced: true }
 ];
 
 function initStartupOptions() {