diff --git a/defaults/yacy.init b/defaults/yacy.init
index 1c6879d9c..0731e86aa 100644
--- a/defaults/yacy.init
+++ b/defaults/yacy.init
@@ -639,6 +639,9 @@ proxy.sendViaHeader=true
 # Specifies if the proxy should send the X-Forwarded-For header
 proxy.sendXForwardedForHeader=true
 
+# Enable cookie monitoring
+proxy.monitorCookies=false
+
 # msgForwarding: Specifies if yacy should forward received messages via
 # email to the configured email address
 msgForwardingEnabled=false
diff --git a/htroot/CookieMonitorIncoming_p.html b/htroot/CookieMonitorIncoming_p.html
index 58c5b6756..501b5c817 100644
--- a/htroot/CookieMonitorIncoming_p.html
+++ b/htroot/CookieMonitorIncoming_p.html
@@ -26,6 +26,12 @@
       </tr>
       #{/list}#
     </table>
+    <form action="" method="post" >
+      <fieldset>
+        #(monitorCookies.off)#::<input type="submit" name="enableCookieMonitoring" value="Enable Cookie Monitoring"/>#(/monitorCookies.off)#
+        #(monitorCookies.on)#::<input type="submit" name="disableCookieMonitoring" value="Disable Cookie Monitoring"/>#(/monitorCookies.on)#
+      </fieldset>
+    </form>
     #%env/templates/footer.template%#
   </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/htroot/CookieMonitorIncoming_p.java b/htroot/CookieMonitorIncoming_p.java
index ae267160e..88c957146 100644
--- a/htroot/CookieMonitorIncoming_p.java
+++ b/htroot/CookieMonitorIncoming_p.java
@@ -42,6 +42,19 @@ public class CookieMonitorIncoming_p {
         // return variable that accumulates replacements
         serverObjects prop = new serverObjects();
 
+	// handle on/off button
+        if(post != null) {
+            if(post.containsKey("enableCookieMonitoring")) {
+                switchboard.setConfig("proxy.monitorCookies", true);
+            } else if (post.containsKey("disableCookieMonitoring")) {
+                switchboard.setConfig("proxy.monitorCookies", false);
+		switchboard.incomingCookies.clear();
+		switchboard.outgoingCookies.clear();
+            } 
+        }
+        prop.put("monitorCookies.on", switchboard.getConfigBool("proxy.monitorCookies", false) ? "1":"0");
+        prop.put("monitorCookies.off", !switchboard.getConfigBool("proxy.monitorCookies", false) ? "1":"0");
+
         int maxCount = 100;
         int entCount = 0;
         int tmpCount = 0;
@@ -80,6 +93,7 @@ public class CookieMonitorIncoming_p {
         prop.put("list", entCount);
         prop.put("num", entCount);
         prop.put("total", switchboard.incomingCookies.size());
+
         // return rewrite properties
         return prop;
     }
diff --git a/htroot/CookieMonitorOutgoing_p.html b/htroot/CookieMonitorOutgoing_p.html
index fe4d64084..95806a553 100644
--- a/htroot/CookieMonitorOutgoing_p.html
+++ b/htroot/CookieMonitorOutgoing_p.html
@@ -30,6 +30,12 @@
       </tr>
       #{/list}#
     </table>
+    <form action="" method="post" >
+      <fieldset>
+        #(monitorCookies.off)#::<input type="submit" name="enableCookieMonitoring" value="Enable Cookie Monitoring"/>#(/monitorCookies.off)#
+        #(monitorCookies.on)#::<input type="submit" name="disableCookieMonitoring" value="Disable Cookie Monitoring"/>#(/monitorCookies.on)#
+      </fieldset>
+    </form>
     #%env/templates/footer.template%#
   </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/htroot/CookieMonitorOutgoing_p.java b/htroot/CookieMonitorOutgoing_p.java
index f7f0f42f6..83e11a14f 100644
--- a/htroot/CookieMonitorOutgoing_p.java
+++ b/htroot/CookieMonitorOutgoing_p.java
@@ -42,6 +42,19 @@ public class CookieMonitorOutgoing_p {
         // return variable that accumulates replacements
         serverObjects prop = new serverObjects();
 
+	// handle on/off button
+        if(post != null) {
+            if(post.containsKey("enableCookieMonitoring")) {
+                switchboard.setConfig("proxy.monitorCookies", true);
+            } else if (post.containsKey("disableCookieMonitoring")) {
+                switchboard.setConfig("proxy.monitorCookies", false);
+		switchboard.incomingCookies.clear();
+		switchboard.outgoingCookies.clear();
+            } 
+        }
+        prop.put("monitorCookies.on", switchboard.getConfigBool("proxy.monitorCookies", false) ? "1":"0");
+        prop.put("monitorCookies.off", !switchboard.getConfigBool("proxy.monitorCookies", false) ? "1":"0");
+
         int maxCount = 100;
         int entCount = 0;
         int tmpCount = 0;
diff --git a/source/de/anomic/http/httpdProxyHandler.java b/source/de/anomic/http/httpdProxyHandler.java
index 269478d54..29db52763 100644
--- a/source/de/anomic/http/httpdProxyHandler.java
+++ b/source/de/anomic/http/httpdProxyHandler.java
@@ -240,10 +240,12 @@ public final class httpdProxyHandler {
          path            =       "$Path" "=" value
          domain          =       "$Domain" "=" value
          */
-        if (requestHeader.containsKey(httpHeader.COOKIE)) {
-            Object[] entry = new Object[]{new Date(), clienthost, requestHeader.getMultiple(httpHeader.COOKIE)};
-            synchronized(switchboard.outgoingCookies) {
-                switchboard.outgoingCookies.put(targethost, entry);
+        if (switchboard.getConfigBool("proxy.monitorCookies", false)) {
+            if (requestHeader.containsKey(httpHeader.COOKIE)) {
+                Object[] entry = new Object[]{new Date(), clienthost, requestHeader.getMultiple(httpHeader.COOKIE)};
+                synchronized(switchboard.outgoingCookies) {
+                    switchboard.outgoingCookies.put(targethost, entry);
+                }
             }
         }
     }
@@ -264,10 +266,12 @@ public final class httpdProxyHandler {
          |       "Secure"
          |       "Version" "=" 1*DIGIT
          */
-        if (respondHeader.containsKey(httpHeader.SET_COOKIE)) {
-            Object[] entry = new Object[]{new Date(), targetclient, respondHeader.getMultiple(httpHeader.SET_COOKIE)};
-            synchronized(switchboard.incomingCookies) {
-                switchboard.incomingCookies.put(serverhost, entry);
+        if (switchboard.getConfigBool("proxy.monitorCookies", false)) {
+            if (respondHeader.containsKey(httpHeader.SET_COOKIE)) {
+                Object[] entry = new Object[]{new Date(), targetclient, respondHeader.getMultiple(httpHeader.SET_COOKIE)};
+                synchronized(switchboard.incomingCookies) {
+                    switchboard.incomingCookies.put(serverhost, entry);
+                }
             }
         }
     }