diff --git a/resources/default_tweaks.py b/resources/default_tweaks.py
index 6f774f6f97..ee4bcbe457 100644
--- a/resources/default_tweaks.py
+++ b/resources/default_tweaks.py
@@ -567,3 +567,7 @@ show_saved_search_box = False
 # exclude_fields_on_paste = ['cover', 'timestamp', '#mycolumn']
 # to prevent pasting of the cover, Date and custom column, mycolumn.
 exclude_fields_on_paste = []
+
+#: Skip network check
+# Skip checking the network state before downloading news
+skip_network_check = False
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/network.py b/src/calibre/utils/network.py
index bb38245c70..084efc67c3 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/network.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/network.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ __copyright__ = '2010, Kovid Goyal <kovid@kovidgoyal.net>'
 __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 
 from calibre.constants import iswindows, islinux, isbsd
-
+from calibre.utils.config_base import tweaks
 
 class LinuxNetworkStatus(object):
 
@@ -55,4 +55,7 @@ _network_status = WindowsNetworkStatus() if iswindows else \
 
 
 def internet_connected():
-    return _network_status()
+    if tweaks['skip_network_check']:
+        return True
+    else:
+        return _network_status()