diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py b/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
index c94b99f141..b6d704f31c 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ gprefs.defaults['action-layout-context-menu-device'] = (
 
 gprefs.defaults['show_splash_screen'] = True
 gprefs.defaults['toolbar_icon_size'] = 'medium'
+gprefs.defaults['automerge'] = 'ignore'
 gprefs.defaults['toolbar_text'] = 'auto'
 gprefs.defaults['show_child_bar'] = False
 gprefs.defaults['font'] = None
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/add.py b/src/calibre/gui2/add.py
index 026fabea07..91c050a58a 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/add.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/add.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from functools import partial
 from PyQt4.Qt import QThread, QObject, Qt, QProgressDialog, pyqtSignal, QTimer
 
 from calibre.gui2.dialogs.progress import ProgressDialog
-from calibre.gui2 import question_dialog, error_dialog, info_dialog
+from calibre.gui2 import question_dialog, error_dialog, info_dialog, gprefs
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata.opf2 import OPF
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata import MetaInformation
 from calibre.constants import preferred_encoding, filesystem_encoding, DEBUG
@@ -181,11 +181,21 @@ class DBAdder(QObject): # {{{
             formats = [f for f in formats if not f.lower().endswith('.opf')]
             if prefs['add_formats_to_existing']:
                 identical_book_list = self.db.find_identical_books(mi)
-
+                
                 if identical_book_list: # books with same author and nearly same title exist in db
                     self.merged_books.add(mi.title)
                     for identical_book in identical_book_list:
-                        self.add_formats(identical_book, formats, replace=False)
+                        if gprefs['automerge'] == 'ignore':
+                            self.add_formats(identical_book, formats, replace=False)
+                            print 'do something for ignore'
+                        if gprefs['automerge'] == 'overwrite':
+                            self.add_formats(identical_book, formats, replace=True)
+                            print 'do something for overwrite'
+                        if gprefs['automerge'] == 'new record':
+                            id = self.db.create_book_entry(mi, cover=cover, add_duplicates=True)
+                            self.number_of_books_added += 1
+                            self.add_formats(id, formats)
+                            print 'do something for new record'
                 else:
                     id = self.db.create_book_entry(mi, cover=cover, add_duplicates=True)
                     self.number_of_books_added += 1
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/adding.py b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/adding.py
index 7a27ed8f2d..2c6eecdbd0 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/adding.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/adding.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ from calibre.gui2.preferences import ConfigWidgetBase, test_widget
 from calibre.gui2.preferences.adding_ui import Ui_Form
 from calibre.utils.config import prefs
 from calibre.gui2.widgets import FilenamePattern
+from calibre.gui2 import gprefs
 
 class ConfigWidget(ConfigWidgetBase, Ui_Form):
 
@@ -22,6 +23,10 @@ class ConfigWidget(ConfigWidgetBase, Ui_Form):
         r('read_file_metadata', prefs)
         r('swap_author_names', prefs)
         r('add_formats_to_existing', prefs)
+        choices = [(_('Ignore'), 'ignore'), (_('Overwrite'), 'overwrite'),
+            (_('New Record'), 'new record')]
+        r('automerge', gprefs, choices=choices)
+        #print 'The automerge setting is: ', gprefs['automerge']
 
         self.filename_pattern = FilenamePattern(self)
         self.metadata_box.layout().insertWidget(0, self.filename_pattern)
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/adding.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/adding.ui
index 062c45e1ad..414eb204b4 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/adding.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/adding.ui
@@ -31,19 +31,24 @@
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
-   <item row="2" column="0" colspan="2">
+   <item row="2" column="0" colspan="1"> #MOD was colspan="2"
     <widget class="QCheckBox" name="opt_add_formats_to_existing">
      <property name="toolTip">
-      <string>If an existing book with a similar title and author is found that does not have the format being added, the format is added
-to the existing book, instead of creating a new entry. If the existing book already has the format, then it is silently ignored.
+      <string>If an existing book with a similar title and author is found, the incoming format will be added to the existing book record where possible. 
+If the existing book already has the incoming format, then the setting to the right controls and the new format will be ignored, it will overwrite the old format 
+or a new record will be created.
 
 Title match ignores leading indefinite articles (&quot;the&quot;, &quot;a&quot;, &quot;an&quot;), punctuation, case, etc. Author match is exact.</string>
      </property>
      <property name="text">
-      <string>If books with similar titles and authors found, &amp;merge the new files automatically</string>
+      <string>If books with similar titles and authors found, &amp;try to merge the new formats automatically
+and do this for duplicate formats: </string>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
+   <item row="2" column="1"> #MOD added as new item
+    <widget class="QComboBox" name="opt_automerge"/>
+   </item>
    <item row="3" column="0" colspan="2">
     <widget class="QGroupBox" name="metadata_box">
      <property name="title">