diff --git a/include/potfile.h b/include/potfile.h
index 73b5b3469..3a2255d0a 100644
--- a/include/potfile.h
+++ b/include/potfile.h
@@ -17,24 +17,25 @@
 
 typedef struct
 {
-  char    plain_buf[HCBUFSIZ_TINY];
-  int     plain_len;
+  char     plain_buf[HCBUFSIZ_TINY];
+  int      plain_len;
 
-  hash_t  hash;
+  hash_t   hash;
 
 } pot_t;
 
 typedef struct
 {
-  FILE *fp;
+  int      disable;
 
-  char *filename;
+  FILE    *fp;
+  char    *filename;
 
-  pot_t *pot;
+  pot_t   *pot;
 
-  uint pot_cnt;
-  uint pot_avail;
-  uint pot_hashes_avail;
+  uint     pot_cnt;
+  uint     pot_avail;
+  uint     pot_hashes_avail;
 
 } potfile_ctx_t;
 
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ int sort_by_salt_buf          (const void *v1, const void *v2);
 int sort_by_hash_t_salt       (const void *v1, const void *v2);
 int sort_by_hash_t_salt_hccap (const void *v1, const void *v2);
 
-void potfile_init             (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const char *profile_dir, const char *potfile_path);
+void potfile_init             (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const char *profile_dir, const char *potfile_path, const uint potfile_disable);
 void potfile_format_plain     (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const unsigned char *plain_ptr, const uint plain_len);
 int  potfile_read_open        (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx);
 void potfile_read_parse       (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const hashconfig_t *hashconfig);
diff --git a/src/hash_management.c b/src/hash_management.c
index 6133518b3..774eafc73 100644
--- a/src/hash_management.c
+++ b/src/hash_management.c
@@ -374,14 +374,9 @@ void check_hash (hc_device_param_t *device_param, plain_t *plain)
     }
   }
 
-  // if enabled, update also the potfile
   // no need for locking, we're in a mutex protected function
 
-
-  if (potfile_ctx->fp != NULL)
-  {
-    potfile_write_append (potfile_ctx, out_buf, plain_ptr, plain_len);
-  }
+  potfile_write_append (potfile_ctx, out_buf, plain_ptr, plain_len);
 
   // outfile, can be either to file or stdout
   // if an error occurs opening the file, send to stdout as fallback
diff --git a/src/hashcat.c b/src/hashcat.c
index f22cd43c6..4e4b5d8a8 100644
--- a/src/hashcat.c
+++ b/src/hashcat.c
@@ -3639,13 +3639,13 @@ int main (int argc, char **argv)
 
     data.potfile_ctx = potfile_ctx;
 
-    potfile_init (potfile_ctx, profile_dir, potfile_path);
+    potfile_init (potfile_ctx, profile_dir, potfile_path, potfile_disable);
 
     if (show == 1 || left == 1)
     {
       SUPPRESS_OUTPUT = 1;
 
-      int rc = potfile_read_open (potfile_ctx);
+      const int rc = potfile_read_open (potfile_ctx);
 
       if (rc == -1) return -1;
 
diff --git a/src/potfile.c b/src/potfile.c
index 1dd4c6d9b..f22cae9fb 100644
--- a/src/potfile.c
+++ b/src/potfile.c
@@ -107,8 +107,12 @@ int sort_by_hash_t_salt_hccap (const void *v1, const void *v2)
   return 0;
 }
 
-void potfile_init (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const char *profile_dir, const char *potfile_path)
+void potfile_init (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const char *profile_dir, const char *potfile_path, const uint potfile_disable)
 {
+  potfile_ctx->disable = potfile_disable;
+
+  if (potfile_ctx->disable == 1) return;
+
   potfile_ctx->fp = NULL;
 
   potfile_ctx->filename = (char *) mymalloc (HCBUFSIZ_TINY);
@@ -130,6 +134,8 @@ void potfile_init (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const char *profile_dir, const ch
 
 void potfile_format_plain (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const unsigned char *plain_ptr, const uint plain_len)
 {
+  if (potfile_ctx->disable == 1) return;
+
   int needs_hexify = 0;
 
   for (uint i = 0; i < plain_len; i++)
@@ -168,6 +174,8 @@ void potfile_format_plain (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const unsigned char *plai
 
 int potfile_read_open (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx)
 {
+  if (potfile_ctx->disable == 1) return 0;
+
   potfile_ctx->fp = fopen (potfile_ctx->filename, "rb");
 
   if (potfile_ctx->fp == NULL)
@@ -182,6 +190,8 @@ int potfile_read_open (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx)
 
 void potfile_read_parse (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const hashconfig_t *hashconfig)
 {
+  if (potfile_ctx->disable == 1) return;
+
   potfile_ctx->pot_avail = count_lines (potfile_ctx->fp);
 
   potfile_ctx->pot = (pot_t *) mycalloc (potfile_ctx->pot_avail, sizeof (pot_t));
@@ -285,11 +295,15 @@ void potfile_read_parse (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const hashconfig_t *hashcon
 
 void potfile_read_close (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx)
 {
+  if (potfile_ctx->disable == 1) return;
+
   fclose (potfile_ctx->fp);
 }
 
 int potfile_write_open (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx)
 {
+  if (potfile_ctx->disable == 1) return 0;
+
   potfile_ctx->fp = fopen (potfile_ctx->filename, "ab");
 
   if (potfile_ctx->fp == NULL)
@@ -304,11 +318,15 @@ int potfile_write_open (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx)
 
 void potfile_write_close (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx)
 {
+  if (potfile_ctx->disable == 1) return;
+
   fclose (potfile_ctx->fp);
 }
 
 void potfile_write_append (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const char *out_buf, u8 *plain_ptr, unsigned int plain_len)
 {
+  if (potfile_ctx->disable == 1) return;
+
   FILE *fp = potfile_ctx->fp;
 
   fprintf (fp, "%s:", out_buf);
@@ -322,6 +340,8 @@ void potfile_write_append (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const char *out_buf, u8 *
 
 void potfile_hash_alloc (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const hashconfig_t *hashconfig, const uint num)
 {
+  if (potfile_ctx->disable == 1) return;
+
   uint pos = 0;
 
   for (pos = 0; pos < num; pos++)
@@ -350,6 +370,8 @@ void potfile_hash_alloc (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const hashconfig_t *hashcon
 
 void potfile_hash_free (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const hashconfig_t *hashconfig)
 {
+  if (potfile_ctx->disable == 1) return;
+
   for (uint i = 0; i < potfile_ctx->pot_cnt; i++)
   {
     pot_t *pot_ptr = &potfile_ctx->pot[i];
@@ -372,6 +394,8 @@ void potfile_hash_free (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const hashconfig_t *hashconf
 
 void potfile_show_request (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const hashconfig_t *hashconfig, outfile_ctx_t *outfile_ctx, char *input_buf, int input_len, hash_t *hashes_buf, int (*sort_by_pot) (const void *, const void *))
 {
+  if (potfile_ctx->disable == 1) return;
+
   pot_t pot_key;
 
   pot_key.hash.salt   = hashes_buf->salt;
@@ -409,6 +433,8 @@ void potfile_show_request (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const hashconfig_t *hashc
 
 void potfile_left_request (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const hashconfig_t *hashconfig, outfile_ctx_t *outfile_ctx, char *input_buf, int input_len, hash_t *hashes_buf, int (*sort_by_pot) (const void *, const void *))
 {
+  if (potfile_ctx->disable == 1) return;
+
   pot_t pot_key;
 
   memcpy (&pot_key.hash, hashes_buf, sizeof (hash_t));
@@ -427,6 +453,8 @@ void potfile_left_request (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const hashconfig_t *hashc
 
 void potfile_show_request_lm (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const hashconfig_t *hashconfig, outfile_ctx_t *outfile_ctx, char *input_buf, int input_len, hash_t *hash_left, hash_t *hash_right, int (*sort_by_pot) (const void *, const void *))
 {
+  if (potfile_ctx->disable == 1) return;
+
   // left
 
   pot_t pot_left_key;
@@ -547,6 +575,8 @@ void potfile_show_request_lm (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const hashconfig_t *ha
 
 void potfile_left_request_lm (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const hashconfig_t *hashconfig, outfile_ctx_t *outfile_ctx, char *input_buf, int input_len, hash_t *hash_left, hash_t *hash_right, int (*sort_by_pot) (const void *, const void *))
 {
+  if (potfile_ctx->disable == 1) return;
+
   // left
 
   pot_t pot_left_key;
@@ -627,6 +657,8 @@ void potfile_left_request_lm (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const hashconfig_t *ha
 
 int potfile_remove_parse (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const hashconfig_t *hashconfig, const hash_t *hashes_buf, const uint hashes_cnt)
 {
+  if (potfile_ctx->disable == 1) return 0;
+
   // no solution for these special hash types (for instane because they use hashfile in output etc)
 
   if  (hashconfig->hash_mode == 5200)
@@ -833,5 +865,7 @@ int potfile_remove_parse (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx, const hashconfig_t *hashco
 
 void potfile_destroy (potfile_ctx_t *potfile_ctx)
 {
+  if (potfile_ctx->disable == 1) return;
+
   myfree (potfile_ctx->filename);
 }