diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py b/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
index 1056f6ced6..3d50b35ec4 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/__init__.py
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@ def _config():
             help=_('The layout of the user interface'), default='wide')
     c.add_opt('show_avg_rating', default=True,
             help=_('Show the average rating per item indication in the tag browser'))
+    c.add_opt('disable_animations', default=False,
+            help=_('Disable UI animations'))
     return ConfigProxy(c)
 
 config = _config()
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/book_details.py b/src/calibre/gui2/book_details.py
index f87f8886a5..eb8dc0d064 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/book_details.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/book_details.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ from calibre.gui2.widgets import IMAGE_EXTENSIONS
 from calibre.ebooks import BOOK_EXTENSIONS
 from calibre.constants import preferred_encoding
 from calibre.library.comments import comments_to_html
+from calibre.gui2 import config
 
 # render_rows(data) {{{
 WEIGHTS = collections.defaultdict(lambda : 100)
@@ -133,7 +134,7 @@ class CoverView(QWidget): # {{{
             self.pixmap = self.default_pixmap
         self.do_layout()
         self.update()
-        if not same_item:
+        if not same_item and not config['disable_animations']:
             self.animation.start()
 
     def paintEvent(self, event):
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/__init__.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/__init__.py
index ad49848b7b..f17c0083ec 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/__init__.py
@@ -493,6 +493,7 @@ class ConfigDialog(ResizableDialog, Ui_Dialog):
             if x == config['gui_layout']:
                 li = i
         self.opt_gui_layout.setCurrentIndex(li)
+        self.opt_disable_animations.setChecked(config['disable_animations'])
 
     def check_port_value(self, *args):
         port = self.port.value()
@@ -868,6 +869,7 @@ class ConfigDialog(ResizableDialog, Ui_Dialog):
         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())
+        config['disable_animations'] = bool(self.opt_disable_animations.isChecked())
         gprefs['show_splash_screen'] = bool(self.show_splash_screen.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 efda00fc97..191b8def80 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/config.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/config/config.ui
@@ -89,8 +89,8 @@
          <rect>
           <x>0</x>
           <y>0</y>
-          <width>720</width>
-          <height>679</height>
+          <width>724</width>
+          <height>683</height>
          </rect>
         </property>
         <layout class="QGridLayout" name="gridLayout_7">
@@ -655,6 +655,16 @@
                </property>
               </widget>
              </item>
+             <item row="1" column="1">
+              <widget class="QCheckBox" name="opt_disable_animations">
+               <property name="toolTip">
+                <string>Disable all animations. Useful if you have a slow/old computer.</string>
+               </property>
+               <property name="text">
+                <string>Disable &amp;animations</string>
+               </property>
+              </widget>
+             </item>
             </layout>
            </widget>
            <widget class="QWidget" name="page_6">