diff --git a/cfg-mencoder.h b/cfg-mencoder.h
index b4ca66e5dd..11cd137b81 100644
--- a/cfg-mencoder.h
+++ b/cfg-mencoder.h
@@ -180,6 +180,9 @@ static config_t mencoder_opts[]={
 	{"vobsuboutindex", &vobsub_out_index, CONF_TYPE_INT, CONF_RANGE, 0, 31, NULL},
 	{"vobsuboutid", &vobsub_out_id, CONF_TYPE_STRING, 0, 0, 0, NULL},
 
+	{"autoexpand", &auto_expand, CONF_TYPE_FLAG, 0, 0, 1, NULL},
+	{"noautoexpand", &auto_expand, CONF_TYPE_FLAG, 0, 1, 0, NULL},
+	
 	// info header strings
 	{"info", info_conf, CONF_TYPE_SUBCONFIG, 0, 0, 0, NULL},
 
diff --git a/mencoder.c b/mencoder.c
index 191aa0724c..fcf25fbb10 100644
--- a/mencoder.c
+++ b/mencoder.c
@@ -172,6 +172,8 @@ static subtitle* subtitles=NULL;
 float sub_last_pts = -303;
 #endif
 
+int auto_expand=1;
+
 // infos are empty by default
 char *info_name=NULL;
 char *info_artist=NULL;
@@ -675,7 +677,7 @@ default:
         mencoder_exit(1,NULL);
     }
     // append 'expand' filter, it fixes stride problems and renders osd:
-    sh_video->vfilter=vf_open_filter(sh_video->vfilter,"expand","-1:-1:-1:-1:1");
+    if (auto_expand) sh_video->vfilter=vf_open_filter(sh_video->vfilter,"expand","-1:-1:-1:-1:1");
     sh_video->vfilter=append_filters(sh_video->vfilter);
 
     mp_msg(MSGT_CPLAYER,MSGL_INFO,"==========================================================================\n");