diff --git a/cgminer.c b/cgminer.c
index 58657fc0..bf8db766 100644
--- a/cgminer.c
+++ b/cgminer.c
@@ -192,11 +192,11 @@ unsigned int total_go, total_ro;
 
 struct pool *pools[MAX_POOLS];
 static struct pool *currentpool = NULL;
-
+enum pool_enable opt_pool_enabled = POOL_ENABLED;
 int total_pools;
 enum pool_strategy pool_strategy = POOL_FAILOVER;
 int opt_rotate_period;
-static int total_urls, total_users, total_passes, total_userpasses;
+static int total_urls = 0, total_users = 0, total_passes = 0, total_userpasses = 0;
 
 #ifndef HAVE_CURSES
 const
@@ -405,6 +405,9 @@ static struct pool *add_pool(void)
 	/* Make sure the pool doesn't think we've been idle since time 0 */
 	pool->tv_idle.tv_sec = ~0UL;
 
+	pool->enabled = POOL_ENABLED;
+	pool->idle = true;
+
 	return pool;
 }
 
@@ -590,6 +593,18 @@ static char *set_userpass(const char *arg)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
+static char *set_pool_disabled(enum pool_enable *pool_state)
+{
+	struct pool *pool;
+	*pool_state = POOL_DISABLED;	// This (and opt_pool_enabled) does nothing. Here for compatability
+
+	if (total_pools) {
+	  pool = pools[total_pools - 1];
+	  pool->enabled = POOL_DISABLED;
+	}
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 static char *enable_debug(bool *flag)
 {
 	*flag = true;
@@ -986,6 +1001,9 @@ static struct opt_table opt_config_table[] = {
 	OPT_WITH_ARG("--userpass|-O",
 		     set_userpass, NULL, NULL,
 		     "Username:Password pair for bitcoin JSON-RPC server"),
+	OPT_WITHOUT_ARG("--disable-pool",
+			set_pool_disabled, &opt_pool_enabled,
+			"Start with pool disabled."),
 	OPT_WITH_ARG("--pools",
 			opt_set_bool, NULL, NULL, opt_hidden),
 	OPT_ENDTABLE
@@ -2696,14 +2714,17 @@ void write_config(FILE *fcfg)
 {
 	int i = 0;
 	int j = 0;
+	char *s;
 
 	/* Write pool values in priority order */
 	fputs("{\n\"pools\" : [", fcfg);
 	while((j < total_pools) && (i < total_pools)) {
 		if(pools[i]->prio == j) {
-			fprintf(fcfg, "%s\n\t{\n\t\t\"url\" : \"%s\",", i > 0 ? "," : "", pools[i]->rpc_url);
+			fprintf(fcfg, "\n\t{\n\t\t\"url\" : \"%s\",", pools[i]->rpc_url);
 			fprintf(fcfg, "\n\t\t\"user\" : \"%s\",", pools[i]->rpc_user);
-			fprintf(fcfg, "\n\t\t\"pass\" : \"%s\"\n\t}", pools[i]->rpc_pass);
+			fprintf(fcfg, "\n\t\t\"pass\" : \"%s\"", pools[i]->rpc_pass);
+			s = (pools[i]->enabled == POOL_DISABLED) ? ",\n\t\t\"disable-pool\" : true\n\t}%s" : "\n\t}%s";
+			fprintf(fcfg, s, (j < total_pools - 1) ? "," : "");
 			j++;
 			i=0;
 		} else
@@ -5118,8 +5139,14 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 				quit(1, "Failed to find colon delimiter in userpass");
 		}
 	}
-	/* Set the currentpool to pool 0 */
-	currentpool = pools[0];
+	/* Set the currentpool to pool first enabled */
+	for (i = 0; i < total_pools; i++) {
+	  currentpool = pools[i];
+	  if (currentpool->enabled == POOL_ENABLED)
+		break;
+	}
+	if (i == total_pools)
+		quit(1, "All pools disabled!");
 
 #ifdef HAVE_SYSLOG_H
 	if (use_syslog)
@@ -5172,13 +5199,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (opt_benchmark)
 		goto begin_bench;
 
-	for (i = 0; i < total_pools; i++) {
-		struct pool *pool  = pools[i];
-
-		pool->enabled = POOL_ENABLED;
-		pool->idle = true;
-	}
-
 	applog(LOG_NOTICE, "Probing for an alive pool");
 	do {
 		/* Look for at least one active pool before starting */