diff --git a/src/GUI/gui.cpp b/src/GUI/gui.cpp
index 92436347..949a4ea3 100644
--- a/src/GUI/gui.cpp
+++ b/src/GUI/gui.cpp
@@ -83,11 +83,11 @@ GUI::GUI()
 
 	_sliderPos = 0;
 
+	readSettings();
+
 	updateGraphTabs();
 	updateMapView();
 	updateStatusBarInfo();
-
-	readSettings();
 }
 
 GUI::~GUI()
@@ -876,6 +876,8 @@ void GUI::openOptions()
 		reloadFile();
 
 	_options = options;
+
+	updateMapView();
 }
 
 void GUI::printFile()
@@ -1308,7 +1310,10 @@ void GUI::updateGraphTabs()
 
 void GUI::updateMapView()
 {
-	_mapView->setHidden(!(_trackCount + _routeCount + _waypointCount));
+	if (_options.alwaysShowMap)
+		_mapView->setHidden(false);
+	else
+		_mapView->setHidden(!(_trackCount + _routeCount + _waypointCount));
 }
 
 void GUI::setTimeType(TimeType type)
@@ -1631,6 +1636,8 @@ void GUI::writeSettings()
 		  _options.separateGraphPage);
 	if (_options.sliderColor != SLIDER_COLOR_DEFAULT)
 		settings.setValue(SLIDER_COLOR_SETTING, _options.sliderColor);
+	if (_options.alwaysShowMap != ALWAYS_SHOW_MAP_DEFAULT)
+		settings.setValue(ALWAYS_SHOW_MAP_SETTING, _options.alwaysShowMap);
 	settings.endGroup();
 }
 
@@ -1846,6 +1853,8 @@ void GUI::readSettings()
 	  SEPARATE_GRAPH_PAGE_DEFAULT).toBool();
 	_options.sliderColor = settings.value(SLIDER_COLOR_SETTING,
 	  SLIDER_COLOR_DEFAULT).value<QColor>();
+	_options.alwaysShowMap = settings.value(ALWAYS_SHOW_MAP_SETTING,
+	  ALWAYS_SHOW_MAP_DEFAULT).toBool();
 
 	_mapView->setPalette(_options.palette);
 	_mapView->setMapOpacity(_options.mapOpacity);
diff --git a/src/GUI/optionsdialog.cpp b/src/GUI/optionsdialog.cpp
index 25c9b1bf..ec3641d7 100644
--- a/src/GUI/optionsdialog.cpp
+++ b/src/GUI/optionsdialog.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,26 @@ static QFrame *line()
 }
 #endif
 
+QWidget *OptionsDialog::createGeneralPage()
+{
+	_alwaysShowMap = new QCheckBox(tr("Display map when no files are loaded"));
+	_alwaysShowMap->setChecked(_options->alwaysShowMap);
+
+	QFormLayout *showMapLayout = new QFormLayout();
+	showMapLayout->addWidget(_alwaysShowMap);
+
+	QWidget *generalTab = new QWidget();
+	QVBoxLayout *generalTabLayout = new QVBoxLayout();
+	generalTabLayout->addLayout(showMapLayout);
+	generalTabLayout->addStretch();
+	generalTab->setLayout(generalTabLayout);
+
+	QTabWidget *generalPage = new QTabWidget();
+	generalPage->addTab(generalTab, tr("General"));
+
+	return generalPage;
+}
+
 QWidget *OptionsDialog::createAppearancePage()
 {
 	// Paths
@@ -426,6 +446,7 @@ OptionsDialog::OptionsDialog(Options *options, QWidget *parent)
   : QDialog(parent), _options(options)
 {
 	QStackedWidget *pages = new QStackedWidget();
+	pages->addWidget(createGeneralPage());
 	pages->addWidget(createAppearancePage());
 	pages->addWidget(createDataPage());
 	pages->addWidget(createPOIPage());
@@ -434,6 +455,7 @@ OptionsDialog::OptionsDialog(Options *options, QWidget *parent)
 
 	QListWidget *menu = new QListWidget();
 	menu->setIconSize(QSize(MENU_ICON_SIZE, MENU_ICON_SIZE));
+	new QListWidgetItem(QIcon(QPixmap(APP_ICON)), tr("General"), menu);
 	new QListWidgetItem(QIcon(QPixmap(APPEARANCE_ICON)), tr("Appearance"),
 	  menu);
 	new QListWidgetItem(QIcon(QPixmap(DATA_ICON)), tr("Data"), menu);
@@ -473,6 +495,8 @@ OptionsDialog::OptionsDialog(Options *options, QWidget *parent)
 
 void OptionsDialog::accept()
 {
+	_options->alwaysShowMap = _alwaysShowMap->isChecked();
+
 	_options->palette.setColor(_baseColor->color());
 	_options->palette.setShift(_colorOffset->value());
 	_options->mapOpacity = _mapOpacity->value();
diff --git a/src/GUI/optionsdialog.h b/src/GUI/optionsdialog.h
index f9db56ab..07f451a7 100644
--- a/src/GUI/optionsdialog.h
+++ b/src/GUI/optionsdialog.h
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ class QRadioButton;
 class PercentSlider;
 
 struct Options {
+	// General
+	bool alwaysShowMap;
 	// Appearance
 	Palette palette;
 	int trackWidth;
@@ -70,6 +72,7 @@ public slots:
 	void accept();
 
 private:
+	QWidget *createGeneralPage();
 	QWidget *createAppearancePage();
 	QWidget *createDataPage();
 	QWidget *createPOIPage();
@@ -78,6 +81,8 @@ private:
 
 	Options *_options;
 
+	// General
+	QCheckBox *_alwaysShowMap;
 	// Appearance
 	ColorBox *_baseColor;
 	QDoubleSpinBox *_colorOffset;
diff --git a/src/GUI/settings.h b/src/GUI/settings.h
index 93ad1ece..b0f427f6 100644
--- a/src/GUI/settings.h
+++ b/src/GUI/settings.h
@@ -146,5 +146,7 @@
 #define SEPARATE_GRAPH_PAGE_DEFAULT       false
 #define SLIDER_COLOR_SETTING              "sliderColor"
 #define SLIDER_COLOR_DEFAULT              QColor(Qt::red)
+#define ALWAYS_SHOW_MAP_SETTING           "alwaysShowMap"
+#define ALWAYS_SHOW_MAP_DEFAULT           true
 
 #endif // SETTINGS_H