diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index 28d975c..261efad 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		cout << "\t\t--engine=sse_compressed\t\tengine using compressed operator + sse vector extensions" << endl;
 		cout << "\t\t--engine=multithreaded\t\tengine using compressed operator + sse vector extensions + multithreading" << endl;
 		cout << "\t--numThreads=<n>\tForce use n threads for multithreaded engine (needs: --engine=multithreaded)" << endl;
+		cout << "\t--no-simulation\tonly run preprocessing; do not simulate" << endl;
 		cout << endl;
 		exit(-1);
 	}
diff --git a/openems.cpp b/openems.cpp
index c15f557..2f59c0d 100644
--- a/openems.cpp
+++ b/openems.cpp
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ openEMS::openEMS()
 	DebugMat = false;
 	DebugOp = false;
 	m_debugCSX = false;
-	m_debugBox = m_debugPEC = false;
+	m_debugBox = m_debugPEC = m_no_simulation = false;
 	endCrit = 1e-6;
 	m_OverSampling = 4;
 
@@ -150,6 +150,12 @@ bool openEMS::parseCommandLineArgument( const char *argv )
 		m_engine = EngineType_Multithreaded;
 		return true;
 	}
+	else if (strcmp(argv,"--no-simulation")==0)
+	{
+		cout << "openEMS - disabling simulation => preprocessing only" << endl;
+		m_no_simulation = true;
+		return true;
+	}
 
 	return false;
 }
@@ -254,6 +260,10 @@ int openEMS::SetupFDTD(const char* file)
 	else
 		NrTS = help;
 
+	// if the command line switch --no-simulation is used, fix NrTS
+	if (m_no_simulation)
+		NrTS = 0;
+
 	help = 0;
 	FDTD_Opts->QueryIntAttribute("CylinderCoords",&help);
 	if (help==1)
diff --git a/openems.h b/openems.h
index eae1bc7..8f67a0c 100644
--- a/openems.h
+++ b/openems.h
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ protected:
 	bool DebugMat;
 	bool DebugOp;
 	bool m_debugCSX;
-	bool m_debugBox, m_debugPEC;
+	bool m_debugBox, m_debugPEC, m_no_simulation;
 	double endCrit;
 	int m_OverSampling;
 	Operator* FDTD_Op;