diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py b/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
index 7181c16329..fed22f87e2 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ def _config():
             help=_('Maximum number of waiting worker processes'))
     c.add_opt('get_social_metadata', default=True,
             help=_('Download social metadata (tags/rating/etc.)'))
+    c.add_opt('overwrite_author_title_metadata', default=True,
+            help=_('Overwrite author and title with new metadata'))
     c.add_opt('enforce_cpu_limit', default=True,
             help=_('Limit max simultaneous jobs to number of CPUs'))
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/__init__.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/__init__.py
index 156faec7ce..88697e55bb 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/__init__.py
@@ -458,6 +458,7 @@ class ConfigDialog(ResizableDialog, Ui_Dialog):
         self.connect(self.button_open_config_dir, SIGNAL('clicked()'),
                 self.open_config_dir)
         self.opt_get_social_metadata.setChecked(config['get_social_metadata'])
+        self.opt_overwrite_author_title_metadata.setChecked(config['overwrite_author_title_metadata'])
         self.opt_enforce_cpu_limit.setChecked(config['enforce_cpu_limit'])
         self.device_detection_button.clicked.connect(self.debug_device_detection)
 
@@ -751,6 +752,7 @@ class ConfigDialog(ResizableDialog, Ui_Dialog):
         config['upload_news_to_device'] = self.sync_news.isChecked()
         config['search_as_you_type'] = self.search_as_you_type.isChecked()
         config['get_social_metadata'] = self.opt_get_social_metadata.isChecked()
+        config['overwrite_author_title_metadata'] = self.opt_overwrite_author_title_metadata.isChecked()
         config['enforce_cpu_limit'] = bool(self.opt_enforce_cpu_limit.isChecked())
         fmts = []
         for i in range(self.viewer.count()):
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/config.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/config.ui
index b9306b0f10..6da5362248 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/config.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/config.ui
@@ -171,6 +171,13 @@
                </property>
               </widget>
              </item>
+             <item>
+              <widget class="QCheckBox" name="opt_overwrite_author_title_metadata">
+               <property name="text">
+                <string>Overwrite &amp; author/title by default when fetching metadata</string>
+               </property>
+              </widget>
+             </item>
              <item>
               <layout class="QGridLayout" name="gridLayout_2">
                <item row="1" column="0">
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/fetch_metadata.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/fetch_metadata.py
index b021a2470d..5a0957be31 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/fetch_metadata.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/fetch_metadata.py
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ class FetchMetadata(QDialog, Ui_FetchMetadata):
         self.matches.setMouseTracking(True)
         self.fetch_metadata()
         self.opt_get_social_metadata.setChecked(config['get_social_metadata'])
+        self.opt_overwrite_author_title_metadata.setChecked(config['overwrite_author_title_metadata'])
 
 
     def show_summary(self, current, *args):
@@ -149,7 +150,8 @@ class FetchMetadata(QDialog, Ui_FetchMetadata):
         self.fetcher.start()
         self.pi.start(_('Finding metadata...'))
         self._hangcheck = QTimer(self)
-        self.connect(self._hangcheck, SIGNAL('timeout()'), self.hangcheck)
+        self.connect(self._hangcheck, SIGNAL('timeout()'), self.hangcheck,
+                Qt.QueuedConnection)
         self.start_time = time.time()
         self._hangcheck.start(100)
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/fetch_metadata.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/fetch_metadata.ui
index fe97b32f28..f14d402e11 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/fetch_metadata.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/fetch_metadata.ui
@@ -116,6 +116,13 @@
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
+   <item>
+    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="opt_overwrite_author_title_metadata">
+     <property name="text">
+      <string>Overwrite &amp;author/title with author/title of selected book</string>
+     </property>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
    <item>
     <widget class="QDialogButtonBox" name="buttonBox">
      <property name="standardButtons">
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py
index 89b7c92125..846851fd21 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_single.py
@@ -574,9 +574,10 @@ class MetadataSingleDialog(ResizableDialog, Ui_MetadataSingleDialog):
                                        det_msg=det, show=True)
                         else:
                             book.tags = []
-                        self.title.setText(book.title)
-                        self.authors.setText(authors_to_string(book.authors))
-                        if book.author_sort: self.author_sort.setText(book.author_sort)
+                        if d.opt_overwrite_author_title_metadata.isChecked():
+                            self.title.setText(book.title)
+                            self.authors.setText(authors_to_string(book.authors))
+                            if book.author_sort: self.author_sort.setText(book.author_sort)
                         if book.publisher: self.publisher.setEditText(book.publisher)
                         if book.isbn: self.isbn.setText(book.isbn)
                         if book.pubdate:
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/metadata.py b/src/calibre/gui2/metadata.py
index ecdca29422..d63e9648cc 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/metadata.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/metadata.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from Queue import Queue, Empty
 
 
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata.fetch import search, get_social_metadata
+from calibre.gui2 import config
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata.library_thing import cover_from_isbn
 from calibre.customize.ui import get_isbndb_key
 
@@ -98,6 +99,10 @@ class DownloadMetadata(Thread):
                     self.fetched_metadata[id] = fmi
                     if fmi.isbn and self.get_covers:
                         self.worker.jobs.put(fmi.isbn)
+                    if (not config['overwrite_author_title_metadata']):
+                        fmi.authors = mi.authors
+                        fmi.author_sort = mi.author_sort
+                        fmi.title = mi.title
                     mi.smart_update(fmi)
                     if mi.isbn and self.get_social_metadata:
                         self.social_metadata_exceptions = get_social_metadata(mi)