diff --git a/mobile/res/values/strings.xml b/mobile/res/values/strings.xml
index 756daa84..82119080 100644
--- a/mobile/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/mobile/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@
     <string name="pref_user_zoom_sum">Shows +/- buttons even on multitouch capable devices.</string>
     <string name="pref_fullscreen_actionbar">Hide Action Bar in fullscreen mode</string>
     <string name="pref_fullscreen_actionbar_sum">Nice for screenshots. Note: IITCM cannot be controlled without Action Bar.</string>
+    <string name="pref_force_desktop">Force desktop mode</string>
+    <string name="pref_force_desktop_sum">Nice for tablets, looks awful on smartphones</string>
     <string name="pref_force_https">Force https</string>
     <string name="pref_force_https_sum">Disabling may improve performance</string>
     <string name="pref_developer_options">Developer options</string>
diff --git a/mobile/res/xml/preferences.xml b/mobile/res/xml/preferences.xml
index f986bc1e..57f2c2b7 100644
--- a/mobile/res/xml/preferences.xml
+++ b/mobile/res/xml/preferences.xml
@@ -12,22 +12,27 @@
     <PreferenceCategory
         android:key="pref_about_cat"
         android:title="@string/pref_ui_cat">
-	    <CheckBoxPreference
+        <CheckBoxPreference
 	        android:key="pref_user_loc"
 	        android:title="@string/pref_user_loc"
 	        android:summary="@string/pref_user_loc_sum"
-	        android:defaultValue="false" />
-	    <CheckBoxPreference
-                android:key="pref_user_zoom"
-                android:title="@string/pref_user_zoom"
-                android:summary="@string/pref_user_zoom_sum"
-	        android:defaultValue="false" />
-	    <CheckBoxPreference
-                android:key="pref_fullscreen_actionbar"
-                android:title="@string/pref_fullscreen_actionbar"
-                android:summary="@string/pref_fullscreen_actionbar_sum"
-	        android:defaultValue="false" />
-            </PreferenceCategory>
+            android:defaultValue="false" />
+        <CheckBoxPreference
+            android:key="pref_user_zoom"
+            android:title="@string/pref_user_zoom"
+            android:summary="@string/pref_user_zoom_sum"
+            android:defaultValue="false" />
+        <CheckBoxPreference
+            android:key="pref_fullscreen_actionbar"
+            android:title="@string/pref_fullscreen_actionbar"
+            android:summary="@string/pref_fullscreen_actionbar_sum"
+            android:defaultValue="false" />
+        <CheckBoxPreference
+	        android:key="pref_force_desktop"
+            android:title="@string/pref_force_desktop"
+            android:summary="@string/pref_force_desktop_sum"
+            android:defaultValue="false" />
+    </PreferenceCategory>
 
     <PreferenceCategory
         android:key="pref_mics"
diff --git a/mobile/src/com/cradle/iitc_mobile/IITC_Mobile.java b/mobile/src/com/cradle/iitc_mobile/IITC_Mobile.java
index 0524b78c..ee8dfd26 100644
--- a/mobile/src/com/cradle/iitc_mobile/IITC_Mobile.java
+++ b/mobile/src/com/cradle/iitc_mobile/IITC_Mobile.java
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ public class IITC_Mobile extends Activity {
     private ActionBar actionBar;
     private IITC_DeviceAccountLogin mLogin;
     private MenuItem searchMenuItem;
+    private boolean desktop = false;
 
     // Used for custom back stack handling
     private ArrayList<Integer> backStack = new ArrayList<Integer>();
@@ -79,6 +80,10 @@ public class IITC_Mobile extends Activity {
             @Override
             public void onSharedPreferenceChanged(
                     SharedPreferences sharedPreferences, String key) {
+                if (key.equals("pref_force_desktop")) {
+                    desktop = sharedPreferences.getBoolean("pref_force_desktop", false);
+                    invalidateOptionsMenu();
+                }
                 if (key.equals("pref_user_loc"))
                     user_loc = sharedPreferences.getBoolean("pref_user_loc",
                             false);
@@ -93,6 +98,9 @@ public class IITC_Mobile extends Activity {
         };
         sharedPref.registerOnSharedPreferenceChangeListener(listener);
 
+        // enable/disable desktop mode on menu create and url load
+        desktop = sharedPref.getBoolean("pref_force_desktop", false);
+
         // Acquire a reference to the system Location Manager
         loc_mngr = (LocationManager) this
                 .getSystemService(Context.LOCATION_SERVICE);
@@ -299,6 +307,8 @@ public class IITC_Mobile extends Activity {
         // Assumes current activity is the searchable activity
         searchView.setSearchableInfo(searchManager.getSearchableInfo(getComponentName()));
         searchView.setIconifiedByDefault(false); // Do not iconify the widget; expand it by default
+        // enable/disable desktop menu
+        enableDesktopUI(menu, desktop);
         return true;
     }
 
@@ -397,10 +407,13 @@ public class IITC_Mobile extends Activity {
         }
     }
 
-    // Force mobile view.
-    // New actions are not compatible with desktop mode
+    // vp=f enables desktop mode...vp=m is the defaul mobile view
     private String addUrlParam(String url) {
-        return (url + "?vp=m");
+        SharedPreferences sharedPref = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(this);
+        if (sharedPref.getBoolean("pref_force_desktop", false))
+            return (url + "?vp=f");
+        else
+            return (url + "?vp=m");
     }
 
     // inject the iitc-script and load the intel url
@@ -486,4 +499,17 @@ public class IITC_Mobile extends Activity {
         // garbage collection
         mLogin = null;
     }
+
+    // disable/enable some menu buttons...
+    public void enableDesktopUI(Menu menu, boolean desktop) {
+        MenuItem item;
+        item = menu.findItem(R.id.menu_chat);
+        item.setVisible(!desktop);
+        item = menu.findItem(R.id.menu_info);
+        item.setVisible(!desktop);
+        item = menu.findItem(R.id.menu_debug);
+        item.setVisible(!desktop);
+        item = menu.findItem(R.id.layer_chooser);
+        item.setVisible(!desktop);
+    }
 }